Safe Passage Attorney of the Week

Safe Passage, April 28, 2014


                                                                                                          

Safe Passage Attorney of the Week, SImone Archer, Esq.
Safe Passage Attorney of the Week, Simone Archer, Esq.

              Simone N. Archer is a well-rounded litigator with a diverse legal background, practicing multiple areas of law, including Immigration, Foreclosure, Personal Injury, and Real Estate, for seven years. Moreover, Ms. Archer is an entrepreneur, as she set out to establish the Wall Street firm, Archer Harvey & Smith, LLC. When Ms. Archer is not busy zealously advocating for her clients, she enjoys spending time writing and travelling.   

             As a firm advocate for reaching out to the indigent community, Ms. Archer also devotes her time to providing pro bono legal assistance. For instance, Ms. Archer volunteered at the CUNY Citizenship Now! Clinic; served as pro bono attorney for individuals in immigration removal proceedings as part of the Varick Removal Defense Project; served as pro bono attorney for homeowners in foreclosure proceedings as part of the Lawyers’ Foreclosure Intervention Network; served a pro bono attorney for individuals seeking asylum as part of the City Bar Justice Center’s ‘Asylum Defense Project’; and served as pro bono counsel for former offenders in administrative hearings as part of the New York County Lawyers’ Association’s ‘Project Restore.’      

            Therefore, it comes as no surprise that when Ms. Archer was first exposed to the Safe Passage Project and its mission, she was determined to take on a case. She first learned about Safe Passage when she attended an event at New York Law School that included a presentation of the Safe Passage Project.  She was immediately touched by the dedication of the Safe Passage team to underserved immigrant children living in New York State , and she decided she had to become involved in this extraordinary initiative.

            Ms. Archer’s experience working with Safe Passage has been enlightening, educational and humbling for her. Although she had extensive background in immigration law, her most recent Safe Passage case was her first exposure to Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and working with a very young and vulnerable client. While it was her first expereince with SIJS, she felt confident she had sufficient tools to represent her client and that Safe Passage  would assitst her throughout the entire process. To Ms. Archer, “[t]he Safe Passage team is always ready, willing, and able to assist with any aspect of the case. If you need advice, sample pleadings, to strategize, or have simple filing and procedural questions, they support you… ”   She is immensely appreciative of her experience in learning to work with and navigate the family court and the immigration court for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status case. Further, she advises attorneys who are “on the fence” about taking on a Safe Passage case to “[t]ake the leap… the Safe Passage team will be available to assist in every step of the way.”   

***Safe Passage Attorney of the Week Feature written by NYLS Student and Safe Passage volunteer, Natalie Bello.