KIND Legal Fellowship

About KIND

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a global leader in the protection of unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. 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 seeks Fellowship Proposals to commence in 2025 for the Houston Office.

• Juris Doctor anticipated by June 2025; recent law graduate, or experienced attorney seeking to make a career change to public interest work.
• Must be licensed to practice law in Texas within one (1) year of employment, license in good standing.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish. If proposal involves direct client contact, advanced fluency in Spanish (oral and written) is required.
• Experience working with children, preferably immigrant and refugee children, or experience working with vulnerable populations, including survivors of abuse, human trafficking, or other trauma.
• Knowledge of immigration law, including humanitarian immigration claims such as Asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U visas, and T visas, a plus.
• Record of cultural responsiveness and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suites (such as Teams, Excel, etc.).
• Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities.
• Excellent organizational skills with ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment. Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate as appropriate.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles.
• Committed to prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as embracing transparency and authenticity in daily work life.
• Be disciplined and nimble to ensure delivery on our core mission of access to justice and protection of children’s wellbeing and rights.
• Showing the ability to multi-task and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast paced environment.
• Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
• Experience working and communicating in a remote environment. 

Our Benefits

- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with KIND paying 100% of the employee only portion of the premium for one of the two medical plan options, dental, and vision. 

- Pre-tax flexible spending account (FSA) for both medical and dependent care.  

- Pre-tax transit and parking spending account.  

- Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.  

- Employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance.  

For a complete list of benefits, please click here. 

Our Focus on Wellness

KIND recognizes that our ability to help our clients starts with helping our team members. KIND has prioritized wellness for employees through Mindfulness and Wellness Trainings, Wellness Platforms, Employee Assistance and Resilience Programs, Time Away and Office Wellness Activities. 

For more information regarding our Wellness initiatives please visit this link.  

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants must submit an employment application at https://supportkind.org/join-the-team/ by July 30, 2024 for consideration. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.

Please be advised that an employment application along with your resume, unofficial transcript, legal writing sample, 3 references, and cover letter including why you are interested in becoming a fellow with KIND, initial thoughts on a proposal, and what interests you about the potential proposal, will need to be submitted in order to be considered for the desired role.

KIND has an organization-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to create a work environment where everyone has a sense of belonging. Individuals from historically underrepresented or underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: KIND is committed to an ethical recruitment and hiring process and maintains a firm “no fees” recruitment policy. We will never charge a fee or ask for money as part of the application process. KIND also conducts all interviews via telephone or video conference, and at no time will KIND engage in a text or mobile app-based application or interview process. For more information, please visit the following website: https://supportkind.org/join-the-team/kind-employment-practices/.