State Bar of Georgia Features Troutman Sanders’ Pro Bono Client in Annual Campaign
ATLANTA – The State Bar of Georgia recently released its 2018 public service awareness (PSA) campaign, and one of Troutman Sanders’ pro bono clients was among the three features. Last year, associate Buck Dixon worked with Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) to secure asylum for a 12-year-old boy fleeing gang violence in Guatemala. It was the first asylum approval to come out of the Atlanta KIND office.
“These kids have nothing else – they don’t have any safety net. We are that safety net,” Dixon said of the experience. “As a lawyer, it was an extremely rewarding experience to know that you have a direct impact on helping someone, on changing and molding that person’s life story. It really doesn’t get any more rewarding than that.”
Dixon’s client was just 7 when the local gang began hurting and intimidating him, even setting fire to his home. The client fled Guatemala in 2015 at the age of 12. Shortly thereafter, the client was put in contact with KIND, and Dixon took on his case. Although asylum approvals are notoriously difficult to secure in Atlanta, Dixon earned approval by the asylum office so the client would not have to go before an immigration judge. See his story.
“Buck’s work demonstrates how life-changing pro bono efforts can be for our clients,” said Rori Cassirer, a business litigation partner at Troutman Sanders who chairs the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. “As a firm, we view pro bono representation as a professional responsibility as well as a privilege, and we greatly encourage all our attorneys to make every effort to help those members of our community who need it most.”
The State Bar of Georgia's PSA campaign, Georgia Needs Lawyers, spotlights the indelible difference Georgia lawyers make every day in the lives of their clients. According to the State Bar of Georgia, “Our 2018 campaign showcases human stories of triumph over life’s tragedies and injustices as Georgia lawyers, often for little or no personal gain, guide their clients through the legal system.”
About KIND
KIND was founded by the Microsoft Corporation and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, and is the leading national organization that works to ensure that no refugee or immigrant child faces immigration court alone. We do this in partnership
with over 485 law firms, corporate legal departments, law schools, and bar associations, which provide pro bono representation to unaccompanied children referred to KIND for assistance in their deportation proceedings. KIND also
helps children who are returning to their home countries through deportation or voluntary departure to do so safely and to reintegrate into their home communities. In addition, KIND advocates to change law, policy, and practices
to improve the protection of unaccompanied children in the United States, and is working to build a stronger regional protection framework throughout Central America and Mexico. Visit
supportkind.org to learn more.
About Troutman Sanders
With a diverse practice mix, workforce and footprint, Troutman Sanders has cultivated its reputation for a higher commitment to client care for over 120 years. Ideally positioned to help clients across sectors realize their business
goals, the firm’s 650 attorneys transact for growth, resolve mission-threatening disputes and navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges. See
troutman.com for more information.