BASF/JDC President Merri A. Baldwin, announced the formation of an Immigration Representation Task Force, an advisory group charged with identifying, evaluating and recommending services and policy opportunities in the interest of protecting and advancing the rights of immigrant communities.

According to Baldwin, “BASF has long been involved in legal representation for people in immigration proceedings through our Attorney of the Day program at the immigration court, where attorneys assist unrepresented immigrants in removal proceedings.”

For the last year, BASF has also served as the lead attorney for the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative, a group of community-based organizations that provide legal representation to people in removal proceedings, particularly unaccompanied minors and families.

The task force is an advisory body to the Boards of Directors of BASF and JDC and is made up of board members, immigration attorneys, and community leaders. They will consider potential actions to increase access to legal representation and due process, including maximizing JDC’s immigration collaborative coordinating role, drafting policy statements, recommending amicus participation, and supporting pending legislation.

The members of the task force include: Chair Merri A. Baldwin, Rogers Joseph O’Donnell; Khaldoun Baghdadi, Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger; Christine Brigagliano, Van der Hout, Brigagliano and Nightingale; Doris Cheng, Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger; Alicia Gámez, Law Office of Alicia M. Gámez; Bill Ong Hing, University of San Francisco School of Law; Sebastian Kaplan, Fenwick & West; Past BASF President Chris Kearney, Keker Van Nest & Peters; Vid Prabhakaran, Davis Wright Tremaine; Tony Schoenberg, Farella Braun + Martel and Jayashri Srikantiah, Stanford Law School.

Read the complete press release at www.sfbar.org/newsroom.