Pro bono attorneys to the rescue in emergency Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases

"With time running short for two KIND clients, Kirkland & Ellis LLP's Jon Janow volunteered to help. Jon's clients – Alberto and Carolina, both from Central America – were children who were on the verge of ageing out of eligibility for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Because both were emergency SIJS cases with mere weeks available for relief, Jon had to work within very tight deadlines, racing against the clock to file motions for emergency hearings and arguing the merits before each child turned 18 years old.  "Despite taking on Alberto's case with very little time remaining before his eighteenth birthday, we were able to secure a successful child custody order and SIJS factual findings the very day before Alberto aged out of relief under state law," Jon explained. And Jon's success prompted his taking on a second emergency case – Carolina's – with similar timing challenges. When asked about the experience of having a short window of time to meet extremely crucial deadlines, Jon stated, "I obviously always want to do what is best for my clients, so I had the attitude of not willing to take 'no' for an answer at any stage."  And Jon's efforts are no surprise given Kirkland and Ellis' deep commitment to pro bono work. Through an outstanding partnership with KIND, more than half of the firm's six U.S. offices have taken on at least one KIND case." - KIND, Jan. 2012.