Thomas Turner likes to joke that he hasn’t been in a courtroom since the day he was sworn in, but last June he had a good reason to return.

As a transactional lawyer at Miller Canfield in Detroit, Turner was an unlikely option to step into the fray to help an undocumented immigrant gain release from detention and reunite with her son. In times of crisis, though, any help is welcome. Like many lawyers, he was upset to see families being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, and offered a hand.