At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families is honoring an outstanding team from Linklaters for their extraordinary work spanning housing, immigration, and benefits advocacy to help our client and her children avoid eviction.
At this year’s Above & Beyond Awards, Sanctuary for Families is honoring an outstanding team from Linklaters — Senior Associate Ashley Latham and Associate Liz Baran — for their extraordinary work spanning housing, immigration, and benefits advocacy to help “ZA” and her children avoid eviction.
When ZA faced imminent eviction and the loss of her home shortly after giving birth, a dedicated pro bono team from Linklaters stepped in – not just to provide legal support, but to help her reclaim her independence and stability. For their extraordinary efforts, team members Ashley Latham (Senior Associate) and Liz Baran (Associate) are being honored with Sanctuary for Families’ “Above & Beyond” award. Their work spanned housing, immigration, and benefits advocacy, and ultimately helped ZA stay in her rent-stabilized apartment, secure rental assistance, and begin a new chapter in her life.
The case started in May 2024, when Ashley and Liz began working on ZA’s immigration matter. But after speaking with the client, they quickly realized a much more pressing issue: ZA had never paid rent herself – her abusive partner had – and now, she was at risk of eviction. The client had, understandably, missed her court date while recovering from a C-section, and the eviction was scheduled for the following week.
Recognizing the urgency, the team contacted Sanctuary for Families, and within days, they were at ZA’s apartment to sign an Order to Show Cause to halt the eviction. This swift action bought ZA time to stay in her home and begin the process of applying for rental assistance, which was ultimately approved in November 2024, along with arrears paid to the landlord.
The team’s work was far from straightforward. ZA’s case involved multiple applications for rental assistance, each with burdensome criteria. Her name was not on the lease, so she needed a letter from an uncooperative landlord. Even a letter from her attorney was not enough to satisfy the requirements. Liz described the frustrating amount of red tape, like being put on hours-long holds for Human Resources Administration (“HRA”) interviews that occasionally disconnected mid-call. “If you’re working, it’s not convenient. I don’t even know if they offer translation services,” Liz noted, emphasizing the importance of being on calls with ZA to ensure she could communicate.
The team’s legal expertise was critical, but so was their empathy and persistence. Liz stated that “helping other people is the best thing you can do with your law degree.” The team’s dedication helped foster the client’s independence as time went on – beyond the legal victories, the most profound outcome was ZA’s transformation. By the end of the case, she was proactively managing her finances, advocating for increased child support, and making decisions with confidence. “She’s like a different person,” Liz said. “It’s been so rewarding to watch her take on independence, especially after everything she went through. She calls us her guardian angels.” The relationship between ZA and her legal team was built on trust, humor, and genuine care. Indeed, the team may not have learned about the housing issue in time if not for the thoughtful questions they asked when meeting with ZA.
Ashley and Liz praised Sanctuary for its commitment to clients. In particular, both commented that supervising attorney Sam Feldman’s support and expertise was vital to securing a positive outcome for ZA. Ashley described him as “so genuinely committed and caring. He made time to help the client.”
Sam commended Ashley and Liz’s collaborative approach to the case and their ability to strategically navigate various interacting systems. They were able to explain the issues to the client in a way that was both compassionate and informative and that allowed the client to weigh the pros and cons to ultimately make the best decision for her. For example, by the time the client had counsel, the judge had already issued an eviction order. The team had to decide whether to push the judge to vacate the judgment or settle with the landlord. After careful discussion with ZA, they chose to settle, securing three months of breathing room and the landlord’s cooperation in providing documentation for rent assistance.
Sam noted that in his line of work, one of the hardest parts of the job is “when you need to work very quickly to help the client who’s in an emergency situation.” He reflected that this was one of those times, and that there are “not a lot of pro bono teams that would be willing to jump on it like Ashley and Liz were willing to do.” The team’s work did not just stop an eviction – it helped ZA reclaim her life. That kind of commitment is what Sanctuary’s “Above & Beyond” award is meant to recognize.
Join us at our Above & Beyond Awards Ceremony on October 21, 2025, as we honor Linklaters outstanding pro bono work.
If your firm is interested in a sponsorship opportunity, please reach out to Geny Kimbrell, Director of Special Events, by email at gkimbrell@sffny.org.
Paige Geier is an intellectual property associate at the law firm of Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C. She is also a member of Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Council.
