Justice: What Is It and How Do We Achieve It? – A Talk by Layli Miller Muro

In this talk given at the Grand Canyon Baha’i Conference (GCBC) in 2018, Layli Miller-Muro explores the concept of justice, and how we can achieve it.

Layli Miller-Muro is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Tahirih Justice Center, which provides free legal services and engages in advocacy on behalf of immigrant women and girls fleeing human rights abuses. In its 21st year and with 5 cities across the United States, Tahirih has protected over 25,000 women and girls who courageously refuse to be victims of violence. Layli founded the organization in 1997 following her involvement as a law student in a high-profile case that set national precedent and revolutionized asylum law in the U.S. The case was that of Fauziya Kassindja, a 17-year-old girl who had fled Togo in fear of a forced polygamous marriage and a tribal practice known as female genital mutilation. After an uphill legal battle, Fauziya was granted asylum in 1996 by the US Board of Immigration Appeals. This decision opened the doors to gender-based persecution as grounds for asylum. Using her portion of the proceeds from a book she and Fauziya co-authored about the case called ‘Do They Hear You When You Cry?‘, Layli established Tahirih. Prior to joining Tahirih, Layli was an attorney at the law firm of Arnold & Porter where she practiced international litigation and maintained a substantial pro bono practice. Prior to joining Arnold & Porter, Layli was an attorney-advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice, Board of Immigration Appeals. Layli was named Newsweek/Daily Beast’s 150 Most Fearless Women in the World, GoldmanSach’s Top 100 Most Innovative Entrepreneurs, and won the Washington Post Award for Management Excellence. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three young children.

You may also enjoy this interview with Layli Miller-Muro on the ‘Baha’i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson’: Baha’i Blogcast with Rainn Wilson – Episode 4: Layli Miller-Muro

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Naysan Naraqi

Naysan is passionate about using the arts and media to explore the teachings of the Baha’i Faith. Back in 2011, Naysan started up the Baha’i Blog project, channeling his experiences in both media and technology companies to help create a hub for Baha’i-inspired content online.