KIND - Kids In Need of Defense

Microsoft and 25 law firms have just launched a project to provide legal representation to immigrant children who are in danger of deportation: KIND - Kids In Need of Defense. Two other corporate law departments are also involved.

Microsoft Corporation and the internationally acclaimed actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie ask for your support in building a pro bono movement of law firms, corporate law departments and NGOs committed to providing fair, competent and compassionate legal counsel to unaccompanied immigrant children in the U.S. We're calling this new coalition KIND-but it's about more than compassion, it's about protecting the rights of children.

KIND has an ambitious but achievable agenda. By 2010, we intend to provide legal representation for 100% of unaccompanied children-approximately 2100 children a year-in those areas of the country where the need is greatest: Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston and the Northeastern corridor of the U.S. And we'll expand our operations throughout the country based on the "best practices" developed through this first critical phase of work.

Press:

• Microsoft set to help the littlest immigrants, Seattle Times, Oct. 17, 2008
• Microsoft sponsors legal aid plan for immigrant children, Seattle PI, Oct. 16, 2008
• Microsoft, 25 law firms and Angelina Jolie team up to represent immigrant children,, Nat'l L.J., Oct. 16, 2008.

Microsoft has already sponsored Volunteer Attorneys for Immigrant Justice, which represents unrepresented children in Washington State. Because of VAIJ, Washington is the only state where all immigrant children in the system are represented.

According to the P-I,

KIND will also provide fellowships to attorneys at legal aid organizations so they can exclusively represent immigrant children. The program will also pay for coordinators in the nine cities.