New York Law School Professor Frank Munger and Ms. Karen Sherman with Safe Passage Client at New York Law School  

ATTORNEY TEAM OF THE WEEK

Professor Frank Munger (New York Law School) and Ms. Karen Sherman (ShermanLaw) are a dynamic duo committed to empowering people to own their rights under the law. Because of this commitment, they became involved with the Safe Passage Project and secured legal status and pathways to new opportunities in this country for their client, in record time.

Professor Munger teaches Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Land Use and public interest seminars and is a recognized scholar in interdisciplinary research. Professor Munger’s research focuses on law and poverty, labor rights and most recently on legal advocates for rights and rule of law in Asia. He inspires his students to become active learners and advocates for the public interest.   He received his JD and Ph.D (Sociology) from the University of Michigan. Ms. Sherman represents for and not-for-profit developers building and operating community facilities and affordable housing complexes, financed with private/public sector funds, such as new market and low income housing tax credits and tax exempt bonds. Karen received her JD from Georgetown University and her LL.M. (Tax) from New York University Law School.

Professor Munger and Ms. Sherman met for the first time as teachers at Antioch Law School, the pioneer in experiential learning. Married now only a few years, they decided to blend their experience to represent a Safe Passage client. With guidance from Safe Passage Director of Legal Services, Gui Stampur and using the tools created by Professor Lenni Benson and her team, Professor Munger and Ms. Sherman helped Brayan, an El Salvadoran youth, navigate his way to a green card. Thanks to their tireless effort and adept lawyering in Immigration Court, Family Court, and before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Brayan has legal permanent residency and is beginning a new life free from gang violence in El Salvador and without fear of deportation from the U.S.

Brayan came to the U.S. in order to escape gang violence and poverty of his homeland. He made a dangerous journey through El Salvador and Mexico in order to join members of his extended family in New York. Now in possession of his green card, Brayan will enroll this fall in a community college and will be able to obtain meaningful employment supported by work-study.   According to Brayan, “Professor Munger and Ms. Sherman have also been a form of support to me. I do not know how I can ever begin to thank them. They helped me learn English – which I am now fluent in – and have given me a safe place to follow my dreams.” Ms. Karen Sherman says “Brayan is a star client. He worked diligently in high school, eagerly read books to learn English quickly, and obtained excellent grades. Brayan took charge of his responsibilities in earning a green card. He is such a great kid.”

Earlier this month, Brayan and the team celebrated his new status with dinner at Professor Munger and Ms. Sherman’s favorite Italian Restaurant in TriBeCa, with Brayan donning his new NYLS sweatshirt to symbolize that he is now part of New York Law School’s extended family.

**Safe Passage Feature written by Jason Kim (NYLS Class of 2016) and Carlos Valenzuela (NYLS Class of 2016)