Ropes & Gray Wins KIND Pro Bono Team of the Year Award

Rankings & Awards
October 24, 2024

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) has named Ropes & Gray the winner of the 2024 Pro Bono Team of the Year award for the firm’s work to help undocumented youth apply for legal status in the United States in two difficult cases.

Since April 2023, a team has worked with three siblings from Guatemala to obtain special immigrant juvenile status as they wait to become eligible for permanent legal resident status. This team also worked with one boy from Honduras to apply for both special immigrant juvenile status and asylum.

“Ropes & Gray went above and beyond to navigate some very tricky state court proceedings in their representation of their sibling clients,” the organization said.

The attorneys represented the children at their master calendar hearings, helped them obtain work authorizations, and provided moral support throughout the process. In order to apply for special immigrant juvenile status, the Ropes & Gray attorneys obtained court orders in Probate and Family Court. While pursuing these court orders, the Ropes & Gray attorneys overcame numerous hurdles pertaining to paternity and service complexities.

KIND is honoring Ropes & Gray during National Pro Bono Week from Oct. 20 to Oct. 26.

Private equity partner Sam Levitt and asset management partner Bryan Chegwidden led the team, which included strategic transactions associates Cecilia Amendola and Ryan Kramer, asset management associates Keith MacLeod and Ariana Campos Serna, tax, employment, and real estate associate Adam Zhang. Legal executive assistant Karina Gonzalez also provided invaluable assistance.