September Pro Bono Attorney Spotlight: Yoni Bard, Foley Hoag LLP

Why did you take a KIND case?

I took my first KIND case one month after I began working at Foley Hoag. My strong interest in immigration law is what drove me to attend law school, and I was deeply involved in immigration courses, clinical work, and academic research during my time in law school. My firm encouraged us, particularly as new attorneys, to take on pro bono matters and we had (and continue to have) a strong relationship with KIND. So I jumped at the opportunity to take on a Special Immigration Juvenile Status (SIJS) case with guidance from KIND.

What have you learned from this experience or from your clients?

I have been amazed by how resilient, patient, and hardworking my SIJS clients from KIND have been. They endured awful circumstances in the countries in which they were born, and then, as children, completed a perilous journey to the United States, where they didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome. They were placed in detention and began their long journey through our labyrinthine immigration system. Through it all, they have worked extremely hard and have built lives basically from scratch in a new country, while showing endless gratitude and stoicism throughout their years-long journeys to lawful permanent status.

What is the most surprising thing you you’ve learned about the U.S. immigration system?

There are individuals within the immigration system who really do care. I think the U.S. immigration system has earned its bad reputation: it’s highly complex, overly harsh, and lacking basic protections to which individuals in our criminal system are entitled. Thankfully, I have seen many immigrants’ rights advocates take up positions in the various agencies that make up our immigration system, and I have encountered immigration judges, Department of Homeland Security trial attorneys, and others who appreciate what is at stake and, when they can, will exercise their discretion to help these individuals reach a just outcome.

What would you tell other attorneys to encourage them to take a KIND case?

There are so many reasons to do it. You will most likely change someone’s life completely, or even save it—for some of these clients there is real danger awaiting them in their countries of birth. It is an opportunity to develop and maintain for a prolonged period a really meaningful connection with a wonderful client. It is also an opportunity to practice in forums that are new for most of us—the Probate and Family Court, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Immigration Court—and to learn a new area of law. And, of course, you get to do all of that with an incredibly knowledgeable KIND mentor at your side to answer questions about the law, current or common practice, client relations, and really anything else. They make it easy.

Do you have any advice for a new attorney taking their first pro bono case?

Take the time you need to do things carefully, while triple-checking the rules and instructions. The process and the forms are confusing, and almost every agency decision takes a long time. Whenever you’re uncertain, check with your KIND mentor!