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USLAW
SUMMER 2022 USLAW MAGAZINE
Iosif Sorokin helps fleeing Ukrainian reach the U.S. Iosif Sorokin of Larson King in St. Paul, Minnesota, helped a 22-yearold Ukrainian student who had fled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine get humanitarian parole in the U.S. The student, Sofia (not her real name), was finishing her final semester of medical school in Kyiv, Ukraine, when the Russian invasion began. She fled Ukraine with her mother (her father could not join as military-age males cannot leave Ukraine) and traveled by train to Madrid, where they stayed with her mother’s co-workers. At that point, their cousins in the U.S. contacted Sorokin to see if it was possible to bring Sofia to the U.S. Sorokin evaluated their options and deter-
mined that the fastest way to bring Sofia to the U.S. was for her cousin to sponsor her for humanitarian parole under the Uniting for Ukraine program implemented by the Biden Administration on April 21. Sorokin guided them through the newfangled application process, which required Sofia and her cousin to each submit online applications to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Both applications were approved within a week, and Sofia was granted authorization to travel to the U.S. to be interviewed by Customs and Border Patrol. Sorokin prepared her for the interview, and Sofia then flew to the U.S., where she was granted humanitarian parole for two years. Sofia’s cousins welcomed her to the U.S. and were elated and relieved to have brought her far from the ongoing carnage in Ukraine. Sorokin is now helping Sofia apply for employment authorization for the next two years. Her mother remains in Europe, hoping to convince her elderly father to leave Ukraine. Sorokin and his family fled another war-torn post-Soviet republic (Azerbaijan) 30 years ago and resettled in the U.S., so he is familiar with the immense decisions they are now facing and is grateful to be able to help them through this harrowing time.
Idaho Women Lawyers selected Keely Duke of Duke Evett PLLC for the Idaho Women Lawyers’ 2022 Kate Feltham award. The award recognizes a leader “who has advanced the frontier of opportunity for women in Idaho.” Idaho Women Lawyers selected Duke based on her extraordinary efforts to promote equal rights and opportunities for women within the legal community in Idaho.
of USLAW
In April, Baird Holm was proud to sponsor and participate in the American Lung Association’s Corporate Cup Race (10K, 5K, and one-mile walk). The purpose of the walk is to raise funds for the American Lung Association’s impactful programming in research, education, and advocacy.
Cheryl Hanley, a marketing and business development leader from Cleveland, Ohio, joins USLAW NETWORK as its practice group, special projects and corporate partner director, a newly created position. She previously was director of marketing and busi-
ness development for a full-service law firm serving clients globally, and now will manage USLAW’s 24 practice groups while helping to set and implement each group’s strategic direction, initiatives, and business development efforts. She also will serve as the primary staff liaison for other critical and ongoing USLAW initiatives, including the USLAW’s Managing Partner Forum, Future Leaders, DEI initiatives and Live Better, USLAW and S-E-A’s health and wellness program.
