Women from around the world seek refuge in the United States to escape persecution in their home countries. But the journey to asylum is also fraught with challenges: many women experience extreme violence in transit, have to navigate cultural differences in border towns, and are forced to make difficult decisions for the future of their children and families.
Learn more about the complex social, political, and physical obstacles these women face when seeking safety for their families and themselves from Erin M. Barbato, Director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.
DATE: Thursday, October 12, 2023
TIME: 7:00 – 8:15 p.m.
LOCATION: Jewish Museum Milwaukee
COST: Museum Members $5 | Nonmembers $10
Addon $5 to a Nonmember ticket to visit Jewish Museum Milwaukee and experience Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse between 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. the night of the program. Members are welcome to visit for free!
Erin M. Barbato is the Director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Law School. She teaches second and third-year law students to represent individuals in removal proceedings and with humanitarian-based immigration relief. The work often involves representing people seeking refuge in the United States. Previously, Erin worked as an immigration attorney at a non-profit organization and in private practice as well.
Prior to attending law school, Erin volunteered as a teacher at El Centro del Muchacho Trabajador, a non-profit organization in Quito, Ecuador. While in Quito, she worked with families and recently resettled refugee families living at or below the poverty line.
The Wisconsin Law Journal recognized Erin in 2010 as an Up and Coming Lawyer for her dedication to representing immigrants and pro bono service. In 2013, she received the Lee and Lynn Copen Family Justice Award from Women and Children’s Horizons for her work with immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The Wisconsin Law Journal again recognized Erin’s work with immigrants by awarding her as a Woman in the Law in 2014. She has also been a member of Wisconsin Pro Bono Honor Society since 2013. In 2021, the students at the University of Wisconsin Law School awarded her with the Clinical Teacher of the Year Award.
Currently, she is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, (AILA) the Wisconsin Bar Association, on the Board of Directors of the Community Immigration Law Center (CILC) and DREAMers of Wisconsin. She is also a faculty affiliate with Chican@ & Latin@ Studies at the College of Letters & Science.