fetus. The case was argued in front of the Supreme Judicial Court in November 2011, and in June 2012, the court ruled in favor of the defendant and amici. In a unanimous ruling, the court reversed the defendant’s involuntary manslaughter conviction and reaffirmed a woman’s right to give birth unassisted. McKenzie Webster drafted the successful amicus brief concerning women’s reproductive rights, with assistance from Andy Nathanson. Medical Care in the United States: Ivy’s Case Mintz Levin began representing “Ivy” in 2010. At the age of 14, she suffered an epileptic seizure while cooking for her family over an open boiling pot in her rural Nigerian village. Discovered by her parents, Ivy was taken to a local clinic where she remained covered in bandages for over a year. Doctors were unsure of what to do with her traumatic injuries, including the severe burning and loss of her eyes, scalp, much of her nose and face, one ear, and part of her hand. In 2005, an American traveling through Nigeria saw Ivy languishing in the clinic and arranged for her to be brought to the United States. She has since received successive complex surgeries and specialized education services here. As her temporary status permitting her to remain in the United States to receive medical care was about to expire, attorneys Bee Mandell and Molly Carey, with assistance from Assistant Ellen Wilkins, assembled a comprehensive request for “deferred action status,” which would allow Ivy and her mother to stay in the United States so she could continue to receive essential medical and human services. Bee was successful in obtaining a two-year permit for the two women. Mintz Levin is currently in the process of preparing a second application for renewal of their unique immigration status so Ivy can continue receiving reconstructive services, as she is in the process of having a nose and lips created that will enable her to breathe and eat more effectively. Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston Medical-Legal Partnership | Boston integrates legal assistance into the medical setting as a vital component of patient care and ensures that low-income patients are able to meet their basic needs. “Fred,” a native of Trinidad, moved to Boston after his wife’s untimely death to live with and take care of his daughter, a US citizen who has autism and epilepsy. His visa status originally made it impossible for him to stay and provide “Danielle” with the care she needed in a stable home environment. He asked immigration attorney Marisa Howe to assist him in obtaining his green card. With Marisa’s help, after living in the Boston area for eight years, Fred finally became a lawful permanent resident in December 2011. Melanoma Education Foundation The Melanoma Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to saving lives from melanoma, a common skin cancer that is often deadly unless detected early. Mintz Levin has provided pro bono legal services to the Melanoma Education Foundation since its inception in 2000, including assistance by Larry Schoen. During the past year, Christine Baker of the New York office worked with the foundation on various trademark issues relating to the organization’s educational literature and materials. Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty One of New York’s largest human services agencies, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (MetCouncil) provides 100,000 New Yorkers with critical services in their fight against poverty each year. Jeff Moerdler, Will Hill, and Amy Williams have continued to assist MetCouncil in an eight-year-long effort to establish a moderate-income assisted living facility in Staten Island on land that was purchased from the City of New York. Peter Chavkin, Bridget Rohde, and Jeff, with the assistance of Project Analyst Lelia Ledain, represented MetCouncil as a witness in a government investigation concerning the alleged bribery of a government official. Mike Lieberman, Ken Gantz, and Jeff handled an effort