Law Job Star

Elena Park Presented with ABA Pro Bono Publico Award

By Teresa Cajot Earlier this month, Elena Park of Cozen OConnor was presented with the ABA Pro Bono Publico Award for her extensive work on behalf of undocumented immigrants. Park, who has served the indigent through pro bono legal counsel and representation for almost a decade, has handled all aspects of immigration law, including work authorization, visa processing, asylum, deportation cancellation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, and more.

Each year the ABA Pro Bono Publico Award is presented to those within the legal field who have provided exemplary volunteer legal services to those in need. The award, which is presented by the Standing Committee on Pro Bono Public Service, was awarded to Park on August 8th, during the ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. Parks work has been recognized a number of times throughout the years. In fact, she was also awarded with the Pennsylvania Bar Foundations Pro Bono Award 2011. In 2007 and 2010 her volunteer contributions were recognized by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. According to Park, her desire to serve undocumented aliens stems partially from her familys experiences as immigrants in the US. When her parents arrived in America, they strained to get by but through their example, Park learned the value of hard work and the significance of helping those in need. Not only is Park the founding member of Cozen OConnors immigration practice, but she is also a member of the firms Diversity and Pro Bono Committees. She has represented multinational corporations, domestic companies, nonprofits, and investors in matters related to the employment of foreign nationals. She has represented clients in front of the Department of Labor, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, US Customs and Border Protection, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, and others.

While she has experience in every area of immigration law, Park has developed expertise in business and employment immigration matters, individual and family immigration issues, and litigation. She has provided defense in government agency audits and investigations and succeeded in achieving favorable outcomes in immigration cases that others have refused to take on. Park has also presented continuing legal education courses to lawyers, held seminars, served as the featured speaker at many events, and authored articles in a number of journals, including the National Law Journal and Workforce Management. She has worked extensively and on many levels with pro bono agencies that assist those in need of immigration services. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Asian Bar Association, the International Association of Korean Lawyers, the American Bar Association, and the Montgomery Bar Association. Before joining Cozen OConnor, Park served as a law clerk for the Honorable Murray C. Goldman of the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. She earned her JD degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law and holds a BA from the University of Toronto.

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