Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month – October 2022

Eric Dante of  Holland and Hart

Eric Dante, a corporate attorney at Holland & Hart, finds time to volunteer with the Pro Bono Project. Eric attended law school at Seton Hall Law, taking classes at night while working full-time. During law school, he met his wife, Misty. They are the parents of three incredible children. Eric and his family relocated to Southern Nevada in 2018 for an in-house position. In 2021, Eric joined Holland & Hart and started taking pro bono work. Holland & Hart has a longstanding relationship with Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, and the firm has a strong commitment to community outreach and supporting pro bono efforts.

In 2021, Legal Aid Center visited Eric’s firm to provide information on the Pro Bono Project. Legal Aid’s Afghan Asylum project struck a chord with Eric. He wanted to help someone fleeing persecution. Eric is grateful for how supportive Holland & Hart has been with navigating his pro bono cases.

When asked why he does pro bono work, Eric indicated that he has been very fortunate in his own life and welcomes the opportunity to use his legal training to help others who may not otherwise be able to afford legal representation. He shared that, along with his wife Misty, they want to raise their children to understand how fulfilling volunteering one’s time and effort can be and that it starts through leading by example.

We asked Eric to tell us about a memorable client and how he was able to help them. He was happy to share that he is assisting two refugees from Afghanistan, seeking asylum in the country so they can settle in Las Vegas and raise a family. The couple is expecting their first child in a few months and is awaiting the final decision from USCIS as to whether they can stay. He said that going through the process with them and learning about his clients’ hardships (including a personalized death threat) gave him a perspective on how trivial some of his perceived problems are.

He traveled to California with his clients for an asylum hearing, and before going to the airport, they asked if he could take them to the beach because their country was landlocked and they’d never seen the ocean. Eric said that sharing that experience with them was a great memory.

We are proud to have Eric on our side, representing vulnerable clients in our Pro Bono Project. Eric’s selfless and compassionate dedication to those in need makes him the great pro bono attorney he is. We are pleased to name him our October Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month.