Lenni B. Benson

Lenni B. Benson is Distinguished Chair in Immigration and Human Rights Law at New York Law School, where she founded and leads the Safe Passage Project. This nonprofit organization recruits and trains attorneys to represent unaccompanied minors facing deportation, supporting over 1,000 youth through a network of 500+ pro bono lawyers.

Her expertise spans:

• Legal representation frameworks for migrant children
• Clinical education methodologies
• Cross-border human rights protections

Benson chairs the American Immigration Council's board and has served on federal advisory committees for detained immigrant representation. She pioneered academic-practitioner collaborations that shape national policies on refugee processing and child advocacy.