Full Name
Elaine Blais
Job Title
Partner
Organization
Goodwin Procter LLP
Speaker Bio
Elaine Blais, head of the Litigation Department in Goodwin’s Boston office, focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation. Ms. Blais has an active pro bono practice through which she advocates for immigrants, children, LGBTQ individuals, and women.
For almost a decade, Ms. Blais has represented unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in their deportation proceedings through Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Ms. Blais also serves on KIND’s Boston Advisory Committee. Since 2008, she has also represented adults seeking asylum through The Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) and has recently represented Ugandan lesbians through Immigration Equality, which provides legal counsel to the LGBT and HIV-positive immigrant community. With the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, Ms. Blais is involved in the support of Massachusetts sanctuary cities Chelsea and Lawrence, seeking to establish that these cities are in full compliance with federal immigration law.
In 2017, Ms. Blais was honored for her commitment to community and pro bono work with the Boston Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Award, presented annually to a lawyer in Greater Boston for extraordinary efforts in enhancing the human dignity of others through improving or delivering services to Massachusetts’ low income population.
In 2009, Ms. Blais was awarded the Mentor Award from the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project for her work on behalf of human rights and immigrant advocacy.
Ms. Blais’ advocacy for women reaches beyond her pro bono work and includes efforts to advance women in the legal profession. Ms. Blais is actively engaged in the Goodwin’s Women’s Initiative. In 2012, Ms. Blais and a client were selected as a recipient of the Project for Attorney Retention’s 2012 PAR Flex Success Award. The award recognizes attorney-client relationships exemplifying how, with client and firm support, attorneys can work on flexible schedules, deliver exceptional legal services and enjoy extraordinarily successful careers.
Ms. Blais has been proud to engage her clients in her pro bono and diversity and inclusion efforts.
For almost a decade, Ms. Blais has represented unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children in their deportation proceedings through Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Ms. Blais also serves on KIND’s Boston Advisory Committee. Since 2008, she has also represented adults seeking asylum through The Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) and has recently represented Ugandan lesbians through Immigration Equality, which provides legal counsel to the LGBT and HIV-positive immigrant community. With the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, Ms. Blais is involved in the support of Massachusetts sanctuary cities Chelsea and Lawrence, seeking to establish that these cities are in full compliance with federal immigration law.
In 2017, Ms. Blais was honored for her commitment to community and pro bono work with the Boston Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Award, presented annually to a lawyer in Greater Boston for extraordinary efforts in enhancing the human dignity of others through improving or delivering services to Massachusetts’ low income population.
In 2009, Ms. Blais was awarded the Mentor Award from the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project for her work on behalf of human rights and immigrant advocacy.
Ms. Blais’ advocacy for women reaches beyond her pro bono work and includes efforts to advance women in the legal profession. Ms. Blais is actively engaged in the Goodwin’s Women’s Initiative. In 2012, Ms. Blais and a client were selected as a recipient of the Project for Attorney Retention’s 2012 PAR Flex Success Award. The award recognizes attorney-client relationships exemplifying how, with client and firm support, attorneys can work on flexible schedules, deliver exceptional legal services and enjoy extraordinarily successful careers.
Ms. Blais has been proud to engage her clients in her pro bono and diversity and inclusion efforts.
Speaking At
