Pro Bono Team
mintz
pro bono portfolio
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2023
© 2024 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo. P.C.
Collaborating to Improve
Lives and Communities
Pro bono service is at the heart of Mintz's culture and identity. Together, we provide individuals with life-changing assistance and support the nonprofit organizations that care for our communities.
Learn More
Since its launch nearly six years ago, the clinic has helped older adults whose lives had been deeply affected by the lack of identity documents that didn’t match their gender, including many who were informally or marginally employed. Along with adults, the clinic assists minors applying with and without the support of both parents. And through its virtual model, the clinic is also able to assist California residents who live outside of the San Diego area. To date, with the help of attorneys, including Mintz’s Lorena Niebla, Valerie Phan, and Pooja Pujara, the student-run clinic has served about 1,100 individuals.
Pooja Pujara
Associate
lorena niebla
Associate
valerie phan
Associate
Supporting Name and Gender Changes to Empower Identity
learn more about this Important work
View the 2022
Pro Bono Portfolio
Having the engagement of attorneys of the quality of those at Mintz and other bigger firms is vital to the work we do. It’s meaningful for the participants to see that people they perceive as elite, powerful lawyers care about them individually and are willing to support and affirm them.
Co-founder of the USD Law Transgender Name and Gender-Marker Change Clinic
robert gleason
Mintz’s involvement also provides important mentorship, networking, and engagement opportunities for the students.
When the University of San Diego School of Law’s Transgender Name and Gender-Marker Change Clinic opened its doors in 2018, “Bill,” a longtime San Diego advocate for transgender and LGBTQ+ issues, was among the early group of people who asked for help with legally changing their gender. Since he was by then in his late sixties, he had lived and thrived as his true gender for many years, but he viewed officially changing the gender he had been assigned at birth as a significant and meaningful milestone.
Soon after, the name change petition was granted, and their client’s new name became a reality. Though it seemed like a straightforward endeavor, the case held profound significance for their client. For Hilary, this case is a poignant reminder of the profound impact a name can have on an individual.
Supporting Fresh Starts
Clinic
Volunteering for the clinic is incredibly rewarding because it allows me to help people who are asking for something very basic — legal recognition of their gender — as well as mentor law students.
Associate
valerie
phan
In the pursuit of a name change, individuals navigate a legal process that underscores the profound impact making this change can have on one’s life, empowering them to fully embrace their identity. Reasons for name changes vary, including gender affirmation and the correction of legal discrepancies on vital documents such as a driver’s license, learner’s permit, and baptismal certificate.
The Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), a nonprofit statewide legal services provider dedicated to assisting Marylanders facing financial hardships with accessible civil legal services, actively assists individuals seeking name changes. In one instance, a minor gained access to essential rights, like driving, through a corrected name, while another case involved a mother ensuring her toddler could be baptized under the correct name. Individuals affected by human trafficking also seek name changes for protection, highlighting the powerful role of this legal process in personal affirmation and security.
I often think about someone’s name and what that can mean to a person, good or bad. Reflecting on it, being able to allow her to have a name that she now wants to live by, I think is important.
Associate
hilary
rosenthal
Pro Bono Team
trust kupupika
Associate
hilary rosenthal
Associate
michelle lipkowitz
DC Office Managing Member
In Maryland, there is a legal requirement for individuals seeking a name change to publish their new name in both a local print newspaper and on the internet for online circulation. However, a new law, which came into effect in October 2021, grants the courts the authority to waive this publication requirement upon the petitioner’s request.
In one specific case handled by MVLS, the client filed a petition to waive this requirement, driven by a strong desire to protect her safety and privacy. MVLS, with guidance from DC Office Managing Member Michelle Lipkowitz, reached out to Mintz attorneys Hilary Rosenthal and Trust Kupupika. Both were eager to help. With knowledge of the name change process, Hilary skillfully articulated the potential risks associated with publication, leading the court to grant the waiver and ensure the client’s security. Apart from her key role in facilitating this collaboration, Michelle serves on the MVLS advisory board.
Pro Bono Team
Pro Bono Team
trust kupupika
Associate
hilary rosenthal
Associate
michelle lipkowitz
Member / DC Office Managing Member
© 2024 Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
View the 2022
Pro Bono Portfolio
Collaborating to Improve Lives and Communities
Pro bono service is at the heart of Mintz's culture and identity. Together, we provide individuals with life-changing assistance and support the nonprofit organizations that care for our communities.
Learn More
Advancing LGBTQ+ Rights
Supporting Fresh Starts
mintz
pro bono portfolio
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