John Hand

John Hand served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa, where he was a volunteer in rural development projects. After law school, John worked in legal services field programs funded by the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity and later by the National Legal Services Corporation in Westchester County, New York. He also joined Northwest Legal Advocates, an Oregon public interest law firm. John taught law courses at both Pace Law School in White Plains, New York and at the Ossining, New York Correctional Facility. John was Litigation Director at Westchester-Putnam Legal Services from 1988 until 1996.

Since 1996, John has done pro bono work in post-conviction death penalty cases and in political asylum cases. John is also President and a co-leader of Intercultural Dimensions, Inc., which promotes cross-cultural knowledge and understanding through travel and community service, focusing on Senegal, West Africa.

During his Access to Justice Fellowship, John will continue to serve as a volunteer attorney in the Immigration Department of the Community Legal Services and Counseling Center of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

2017 Update:

John Hand (Class of 2013-2014) continues his work at Community Legal Services and Counseling Center (CLSACC). CLSACC provides free civil legal aid and affordable psychological counseling to low-income people. Its services combat the effects of poverty and violence by helping clients and their children meet basic human needs for safety, income, health and housing. CLSACC draws on the expertise of dedicated volunteer professionals to provide direct services to our community’s most vulnerable members.

Since 2014, John has been preparing asylum cases for victims of persecution who seek protection. John reports, “It is such an immense reward when a client who has experienced great trauma and fear obtains the protection of the United States.”