Volunteer Lawyers Project trains attorneys in child immigration cases

July 20, 2017 By Rob Abruzzese Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Volunteer Lawyers Project invited attorneys from Kids in Need of Defense on Wednesday to the Brooklyn Bar Association, where they instructed lawyers on how to handle cases involving children who are in danger of being deported. Pictured from left: Teresa M. Woods, supervising attorney for pro bono programs; Sarah Burrows, pro bono manager at VLP; and Kaavya Viswanathan, CLE presenter for Wednesday’s program. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese

The Volunteer Lawyers Project invited attorneys from Kids in Need of Defense on Wednesday to the Brooklyn Bar Association, where they instructed lawyers on how to handle cases involving children who are in danger of being deported. Pictured from left: Teresa M. Woods, supervising attorney for pro bono programs; Sarah Burrows, pro bono manager at VLP; and Kaavya Viswanathan, CLE presenter for Wednesday’s program. Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese

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The Brooklyn Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) hosted a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminar on Wednesday that was designed to help children caught within the immigration system.

The group hosted Kaavya Viswanathan, the pro bono coordinating attorney from the group Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) for the two-hour CLE. The course cost $100, but it was free to attorneys who agreed to take on a child’s immigration case pro bono.

“A lot of our cases involve children who came into this country illegally, but have a path to a green card or citizenship if they can get an attorney,” said Viswanathan. “However, they are ineligible to have one appointed to them and would likely be deported even though, legally, they are eligible to remain in the United States.”

KIND’s philosophy is that no child should have to face court alone. It is a group that provides pro bono legal services to immigrant and refugee children in deportation proceedings.

Viswanathan provided attorneys in attendance an overview of the child migrant crisis and explained how pro bono attorneys can be integral in their immigration proceedings and in helping to secure them legal status in the U.S. through asylum and special immigrant juvenile status.

During the session, Viswanathan explained the issues the children typically face, went through the typical legal remedies used during proceedings and outlined best practice ideas for how attorneys should handle child clients.

“Many children can be facing abuse from a parent, family member or someone they’re living with,” Viswanathan said. “Some people have been abandoned by their parents, or were left to live with an elderly relative who died and there is no one left to look after them. Some are fleeing domestic violence, poverty, an inability to get an education. Usually, it’s a combination of these reasons.”

After instruction, attorneys in attendance were asked to read from three different case studies and were quizzed on which legal remedies attorneys should use in each situation.

“Pro bono representation is crucial for these children,” Viswanathan said. “They are not entitled to appointed counsel in immigration court and these cases are extremely high stakes. If these children are deported they will be returned to countries where there is nobody to look after them, where maybe gangs are looking for them to try to hurt or kill them.

“By taking these cases you are making a significant difference in their lives in terms of letting them stay in the U.S. and opening up doors to education to careers that wouldn’t be available to them in their home countries,” she continued. “Many times it is a life or death difference which makes this work extremely rewarding.”

Attorneys who agreed to take cases are assigned an attorney mentor who will offer inexperienced attorneys with support throughout their cases.

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