Milwaukee Attorney Sara Scullen Contributes to Pro Bono Training on Wisconsin Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

Milwaukee -- The need for attorneys willing to provide pro bono support to immigrants seeking help navigating the U.S. immigration system continues to grow. This is especially true when it comes to immigrant children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected by one or both parents.

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) can protect eligible children in these situations from being deported. Attorneys can help children secure SIJS status by representing their parents or guardians in uncontested custody and guardianship cases in Wisconsin state court.

Sara Scullen, a Milwaukee-based member of the Quarles & Brady Product Liability Practice Group, was one of three presenters on the topic during a March 15 webinar hosted by the Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) and the University of Wisconsin Law School. The goal of the seminar was to increase the number of Wisconsin attorneys providing pro bono support in this critical area by outlining the process for seeking SIJS.

In her presentation, Scullen focused on her experience handling SIJS cases, including an example from a current case, and issues that may arise when presenting a case.

The other presenters were Jennifer Binkley, the director of the University of Wisconsin Law School's Family Court Clinic, and Hillary Richardson, the managing attorney of NIJC’s Non-Detained Kids Project, focused on serving unaccompanied immigrant children and other vulnerable immigrant youth.

Attorneys interested in learning more about how they can help should contact the NIJC here.