Foley Hoag LLP

Representative Experience
For several years, assisted a nonprofit corporation that provides apartments for seniors with limited incomes
Represented a detained immigrant, who came to the United States several years ago as a child of Cambodian refugees in removal proceedings in U.S. Immigration Court
Represented a Massachusetts prison inmate in a lawsuit claiming that, pursuant to the Massachusetts Declaratory Judgment Act, the Department of Correction (DOC) and the Commissioner of Corrections violated his constitutional right of access to the courts by transferring him to a county jail that lacked adequate Massachusetts legal resources. The DOC filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that the DOC is not a "person" under 42 U.S.C § 1983 and thus is immune from all claims regarding constitutional violations. The court disagreed. It denied the motion and held that citizens have the right to a declaratory judgment when their constitutional rights have been violated, even if the violator would otherwise be immune from monetary damages. The Commissioner of Corrections filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that he is immune pursuant to the doctrine of qualified immunity. The court denied the commissioner's motion. Foley Hoag is now preparing to argue appeals, filed by the Commissioner of Corrections and the Department of Correction.
Represented a gay man who was physically abused by his ex-boyfriend. We obtained an extension of the restraining order against his ex-boyfriend. Our lawyers also represented this client at clerk magistrate hearings to contest the issuance of retaliatory criminal complaints brought against him by his abusive ex-boyfriend.
Helped a Guinean woman obtain political asylum after she fled a forced, abusive marriage—from which her government offered no protection. Once in the United States, our client received a letter from her father indicating that he would kill her if she returned to Guinea because she disgraced him by leaving the man to whom he "gave" her. Our client also feared that her father or forced-marriage husband would take her baby daughter from her in order to have female genital mutilation (FGM) performed. Our client has always opposed the practice, and had reason to fear it tremendously after her own sister died from infection following the procedure. The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services approved our client's asylum petition, which we based on her opposition to FGM and forced marriage, and the lack of protection from these practices in Guinea.
Obtained a restraining order on behalf of a seventeen-year-old girl who was raped by a co-worker. We also represented our client at the ensuing "show-cause" hearing, where the clerk magistrate issued a criminal complaint for rape against the co-worker.
Assisted the attorney general in a lawsuit on behalf of a battered women's shelter sued by one of its clients for disability discrimination, race discrimination and violations of the public accommodations law. The case was settled just prior to trial and a final agreement was reached that achieved all of the shelter's settlement goals.
Represented a detained immigrant who came to the United States as a child of refugees from Ethiopia, in a petition for review of a removal order before the First Circuit Court of Appeals
In the wake of the recent budget cutbacks at the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Foley Hoag lawyers assisted in the creation of a public charity. The new nonprofit will to assume the operations of a program that provides low-income women throughout the greater Boston area with substance abuse treatment in a transitional residence. It is the only such program in the state that accepts pregnant women or those with infants. Foley Hoag Hoag's representation included forming the corporation, providing advice on general corporate matters and obtaining tax-exempt status for the organization.
Successfully represented a private university's television station before a special administrative panel, overturning the university chancellor's decision to dissolve the station because of the controversial content of one of the station's programs
Represented several Boston-area affordable housing foundations that advocate for the construction of more affordable units
Foley Hoag lawyers have long represented, on a pro bono basis, several companies that provide affordable housing
Represented a professional clown in a First Amendment challenge to a Massachusetts town's street-performer bylaws. In connection with a series of negotiations with the town's counsel and police department, we participated in drafting proposed amended bylaws. The amended bylaws, among other things, protect a clown's First Amendment and due process rights to perform in a public forum without fear of government persecution. Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts referred this case to the firm.

Representative Experience

For several years, assisted a nonprofit corporation that provides apartments for seniors with limited incomes

Represented a detained immigrant, who came to the United States several years ago as a child of Cambodian refugees in removal proceedings in U.S. Immigration Court

Represented a Massachusetts prison inmate in a lawsuit claiming that, pursuant to the Massachusetts Declaratory Judgment Act, the Department of Correction (DOC) and the Commissioner of Corrections violated his constitutional right of access to the courts by transferring him to a county jail that lacked adequate Massachusetts legal resources.
The DOC filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that the DOC is not a "person" under 42 U.S.C § 1983 and thus is immune from all claims regarding constitutional violations. The court disagreed. It denied the motion and held that citizens have the right to a declaratory judgment when their constitutional rights have been violated, even if the violator would otherwise be immune from monetary damages. The Commissioner of Corrections filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that he is immune pursuant to the doctrine of qualified immunity. The court denied the commissioner's motion. Foley Hoag is now preparing to argue appeals, filed by the Commissioner of Corrections and the Department of Correction.

Represented a gay man who was physically abused by his ex-boyfriend. We obtained an extension of the restraining order against his ex-boyfriend. Our lawyers also represented this client at clerk magistrate hearings to contest the issuance of retaliatory criminal complaints brought against him by his abusive ex-boyfriend.

Helped a Guinean woman obtain political asylum after she fled a forced, abusive marriage—from which her government offered no protection. Once in the United States, our client received a letter from her father indicating that he would kill her if she returned to Guinea because she disgraced him by leaving the man to whom he "gave" her. Our client also feared that her father or forced-marriage husband would take her baby daughter from her in order to have female genital mutilation (FGM) performed. Our client has always opposed the practice, and had reason to fear it tremendously after her own sister died from infection following the procedure. The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services approved our client's asylum petition, which we based on her opposition to FGM and forced marriage, and the lack of protection from these practices in Guinea.

Obtained a restraining order on behalf of a seventeen-year-old girl who was raped by a co-worker. We also represented our client at the ensuing "show-cause" hearing, where the clerk magistrate issued a criminal complaint for rape against the co-worker.

Assisted the attorney general in a lawsuit on behalf of a battered women's shelter sued by one of its clients for disability discrimination, race discrimination and violations of the public accommodations law. The case was settled just prior to trial and a final agreement was reached that achieved all of the shelter's settlement goals.

Represented a detained immigrant who came to the United States as a child of refugees from Ethiopia, in a petition for review of a removal order before the First Circuit Court of Appeals

In the wake of the recent budget cutbacks at the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Foley Hoag lawyers assisted in the creation of a public charity. The new nonprofit will to assume the operations of a program that provides low-income women throughout the greater Boston area with substance abuse treatment in a transitional residence. It is the only such program in the state that accepts pregnant women or those with infants. Foley Hoag Hoag's representation included forming the corporation, providing advice on general corporate matters and obtaining tax-exempt status for the organization.

Successfully represented a private university's television station before a special administrative panel, overturning the university chancellor's decision to dissolve the station because of the controversial content of one of the station's programs

Represented several Boston-area affordable housing foundations that advocate for the construction of more affordable units

Foley Hoag lawyers have long represented, on a pro bono basis, several companies that provide affordable housing

Represented a professional clown in a First Amendment challenge to a Massachusetts town's street-performer bylaws. In connection with a series of negotiations with the town's counsel and police department, we participated in drafting proposed amended bylaws. The amended bylaws, among other things, protect a clown's First Amendment and due process rights to perform in a public forum without fear of government persecution. Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts referred this case to the firm.

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