ASSOCIATION FOCUS
KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE (KIND)
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IMAGINE A FIVE-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO HAS JUST ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES. He’s not here on vacation or to visit with family. He was smuggled from another country where he was abused and forced into drug traffi cking. Once discovered, he is taken into custody by U.S. immigration offi cials and brought to a detention center to await a court date and likely deporta- tion. He knows no English and does not have a lawyer. In the U.S., this child is not required to have representation in immigration court. He will face a judge alone. Surprisingly, this type of situation is not unusual. Every
year, approximately 8,000 children arrive in the U.S. alone, with no parent or guardian. Many come here to fl ee war,
BY KARA MAYER ROBINSON
A LARGE REACH Founded in October 2008 by Microsoft Corporation and actress/humanitarian Angelina Jolie, KIND was created to protect the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children. T e organization has organized a pro bono movement of law fi rms, corporate law departments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and volunteers who are committed to providing these children with fair, competent, and com- passionate legal counsel. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KIND also has fi eld offi ces in Baltimore, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, and New York. KIND’s staff attorneys act as pro bono coordinators that
assign, monitor, mentor, and coordinate legal representation provided by law fi rms and corporate legal departments. T ough the organization is only two years old, its caseload has already surpassed 2,000 children. “We now have a talented and dedicated
“ THIS IS A SYSTEM FRAUGHT WITH PROBLEMS. THE ODDS ARE STACKED AGAINST THEM.” – WENDY YOUNG
human rights abuses, domestic violence, or economic depri- vation. Others are victims of abuse, forced prostitution, or other illicit activities. T eir ages range from two to 19. Fortunately, an increasing number of such unaccom-
panied, undocumented minor immigrants is aided by a new nonprofi t association called Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Depending on the city in which they arrive and who happens to be looking out for them, help may be avail- able from KIND volunteers. In a best-case scenario, there is a KIND representative
waiting in the back of the courtroom. She will act as case manager and match the child to a pro bono attorney who has been trained in this type of immigration proceeding. If the attorney can prove that the child was abused, neglected, or abandoned in his home country, he will be granted a visa to stay in the U.S. If not, he will be deported.
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MARCH/APRIL 2011
national staff of 29 plus two full-time, volunteer- deferred associates and one law-school fellow,” says Wendy Young, KIND’s executive director. “We have partnered with 100 law fi rms, reached more than 2,400 children and trained nearly 2,000 lawyers.” Much of the organization’s success is attrib-
uted to its partnerships with corporations, law fi rms, and NGOs. Partnerships with law
fi rms such as Paul Hastings, Troutman Sanders LLP, and Seyfarth Shaw LLP—each of which has helped shape the strategic growth of KIND and donated numerous pro bono hours—have been vital to its success, Young says. T e nonprofi t also has close ties to corporate partners including the Royal Bank of Canada, General Electric, and AT&T. KIND continues to expand its pool of pro bono attor-
neys by establishing strategic partnerships with organiza- tions such as the National Asian Pacifi c Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA). T is is especially helpful because many members of these organizations off er a cultural familiarity and often speak the language of the immigrant children. “We’re also exploring a relationship with the ABA General Practice section and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association
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