Susan J. Cohen, founder and Chair of the Immigration Section of Mintz, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., has been selected to receive the Irish International Immigrant Center’s (IIIC) 2014 Solas Award. Named from the Gaelic word for “light,” the IIIC’s Solas Awards are presented annually to individuals whose work is inspirational and who are committed to giving back to their communities. Past recipients of the award include President Bill Clinton, former Presidents of Ireland Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson, the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Rev. Liz Walker.

Ms. Cohen was selected by the organization for her work as a “tireless supporter of refugees, asylees, and low-income immigrants.” Along with fellow honorees IIIC founder Sister Lena Deevy, LSA and Eastern Bank Chairman and CEO Richard E. Holbrook, Ms. Cohen will be recognized at the 2014 Solas Award Celebration on October 30 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Massachusetts State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry will serve as the emcee of the event and Mayor Walsh, Governor Patrick and First Lady Diane Patrick will serve as Honorary Co-Chairs.

The IIIC assists immigrants from Ireland and from around the world as they integrate into American society, and with partner organizations, promotes reconciliation in Ireland. The IIIC is a vibrant, multi-service center that provides legal, wellness and education services, advocates for systemic change, and facilitates cross-cultural community building.

Ms. Cohen is actively involved in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and has chaired and co-chaired a wide range of national AILA committees, including the National Planning Committee for AILA’s Annual Immigration Law Conference. She also serves on the review board for AILA periodicals.  Ms. Cohen serves as the ABA’s liaison to the Department of Labor on immigration-related issues.  She is a frequent panelist at AILA, ABA, and other immigration-related conferences, and a contributor to AILA, ABA, and other immigration-related publications. Ms. Cohen is the President of the Board of Directors of the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project.

In 2013, Ms. Cohen received the Circle of Excellence Award from Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a two-time “Top Women of Law” honoree.  Ms. Cohen also received the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s John Adams and John Quincy Adams Pro Bono Publico Award in 2005 in recognition of her pro bono efforts on behalf of asylum seekers. She has been recognized by Chambers Global, Chambers: USA, Best Lawyers in America, The Legal 500 United States and International Who's Who Legal for Immigration Law and is regularly named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer.