Senior Litigation Attorney

About KIND 
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied and separated children who are forcibly displaced from their countries of origin. Launched in 2008, KIND champions a world in which every child’s rights and well-being are protected throughout their journey to safety.  Building on its extensive programming and successful model in the United States, KIND is expanding in the Americas and Europe to bring its experience to bear in working with unaccompanied and separated children. Our work focuses on addressing the legal and mental health needs of this population; building strong partnerships and engaging in training and capacity strengthening with governments, NGOs, and the private sector; and advocating for systemic and pragmatic reforms to advance the rights of unaccompanied and separated children.

Position Summary

KIND has an immediate opening for an experienced litigator whose portfolio will span both impact litigation and habeas litigation, reporting to the Senior Director, Legal Strategy. To enhance KIND’s capacity to serve youth seeking relief from unlawful detention, the Senior Litigation Attorney will litigate habeas petitions in multiple federal courts nationwide and will develop a coordinated in-house program to identify client needs and provide strategy and practice guidance to attorneys (on staff and pro bono) working to secure their clients’ release from detention.  And in partnership with fellow nonprofits and pro bono partners, the Senior Litigation Attorney will support impact litigation focused on protecting the rights of unaccompanied children, primarily in federal courts. This position requires significant experience in habeas litigation and immigration litigation before federal (Article III) trial and appellate courts. 

 

This is a remote position based from any location in the U.S.

This position is contingent upon continued funding.

Essential Functions

Essential Functions

 

Challenging Detention

 

• Leads an in-house initiative to provide legal representation to youth challenging immigration detention.  Prepares and litigates habeas corpus petitions, primarily on behalf of youth who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied children, and provide training and mentorship to attorneys pursuing clients’ release from detention.
• Develops legal strategies for challenging detention, monitor related policy and litigation developments, and contribute to KIND’s national repository of samples, guidance, and trainings. 
• Collaborates with field office teams, legal programs management, and external partners to identify, anticipate, and rapidly respond to needs of clients served by KIND’s 15 field offices and pro bono partners.
• Builds and maintains relationships and referral channels with pro bono attorneys, non-profits, law school clinics, bar associations, and other partners.

 

Impact litigation

 

• Supports the Senior Director, Legal Strategy and collaborates with external partners to design and execute impact litigation strategy; conduct research and prepare memoranda to guide litigation strategy.  
• Individually or with co-counsel, prepares and reviews court filings; participate in discovery; prepares for and, as needed, appears at hearings and party conferences.
• Prepares requests under the Freedom of Information Act; reviews, appeals, and litigates results as necessary.
• Counsels and confers with individual and organizational plaintiffs.
• Evaluates proposals to support litigation of interest through expert declarations or amicus briefs; works independently or with co-amici and pro bono counsel to draft or review briefs and non-party declarations.

 

Cross-Team Collaboration and Public Engagement

 

• Monitors policy and litigation developments, and prepare alerts for KIND staff and other stakeholders.
• Confers across KIND’s teams to identify potential impacts on children and youth and develop potential strategy responses.
• Collaborates with KIND’s Global Policy and Advocacy team on comments on proposed regulations, policy analysis, and similar projects.
• Supports KIND’s Communications team with information for media, web updates, and other public outlets
• Collaborates with the Vice President, Pro Bono Partnerships, to cultivate pro bono support for litigation and legal