At Foundation Law Group LLP, we’ve built our practice around a simple belief: people do their best work, and their most meaningful work, when they have room to pursue what matters to them. We don’t have physical offices. We don’t operate on a 9-to-5. Our attorneys work on their own time, which means the traditional constraints of a law firm simply don’t apply here.
That freedom shows up in different ways for different people. Some of us are angel investors, helping entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground. Some are inventors. Some are philanthropists. And some, like our partner Matthew Polesetsky, use that flexibility to take on work that has nothing to do with billable hours and everything to do with giving back.
Matthew, a transactional attorney, recently spent four months representing a client in Immigration Court through his volunteer work with the Immigration Justice Campaign (IJC), representing Ester (not her true name), a native of El Salvador, in her fight for asylum in Dallas, Texas. Her story is one of extraordinary courage, and a sobering reminder of how difficult the path to safety can be, even for those who have done everything right.
A Story of Bravery in the Face of Danger
In 2019, Ester fled El Salvador with her young daughter after testifying in criminal court against associates of MS-13, the transnational criminal organization notorious for its violence. Ester and her mother had been assaulted in public by MS-13 associates, and Ester made the courageous decision to press charges. The case collapsed when other witnesses, fearing for their lives, refused to testify — and MS-13 threatened to murder Ester and her family unless she agreed to a settlement. Even after she complied, the threats continued, ultimately forcing her to flee.
Despite this history, the immigration court denied Ester’s asylum claim, finding that she had been targeted by a personal vendetta rather than persecuted as a member of a particular social group — a distinction that, under current law, can mean the difference between protection and removal. Last month, Matthew filed a notice of appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Why This Work Matters
Reflecting on the experience, Matthew described it as humbling. Over the seven years since fleeing El Salvador, including two years in uncertain circumstances in Mexico, Ester has shown a resilience that left a lasting impression on him. Her daughter, who left El Salvador at just three years old, is now a joyful ten-year-old, a testament to her mother’s strength in the face of enormous adversity.
“The United States would be lucky to have Ester as a citizen,” Matthew reflected. “Our government just won’t allow for that possibility — yet.”
A Firm That Lifts Each Other Up
When Matthew took on Ester’s case, he didn’t do it alone. His colleagues supported him throughout, cheering him on and standing behind the decision to dedicate months of his time to someone else’s fight. That’s the kind of firm we have built, one where doing good isn’t an exception to the job, but part of the culture. Whatever form that takes — a courtroom in Dallas, a startup someone believed in, an invention someone brought to life, we believe in making room for it. And, we believe this mentality goes a long way and pushes us to not only be better attorneys but, also, better humans.
