25 “Isabella” has endured trauma that no one, let alone a teenage girl, should ever experience. She was only 16 when she was smuggled into the United States by sex traffickers, after fleeing years of misery in South America. Growing up, Isabella was beaten and abused by her family members. She was forced to work various jobs instead of attending school and often went hungry because her family neglected to feed her. Then one day a seemingly kind woman came along and offered Isabella the opportunity for a better life. The woman said that her associates would give Isabella a safe home in the United States and pay for her travel expenses. Isabella accepted the offer, but soon thereafter, she discovered that the woman had lied about her intentions. In fact, the woman and her associates were sex traffickers. They subjected Isabella to horrible abuse before abandoning her in the United States near the border with Mexico. Isabella was taken into custody by immigration officials and faced deportation. Alone and scared, and unable to speak the language, she was fortunate to have her case referred to Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a nonprofit organization that helps unaccompanied immigrant children find legal help. KIND contacted Mintz Levin, and Isabella was soon introduced to attorney Alec Zadek. Isabella’s goal was to remain in the United States and become a lawful permanent resident. Together, Isabella and Alec determined that her best option for achieving that outcome was to apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. The first step was to obtain a court order holding that Isabella had been abused, abandoned, or neglected. Once Alec and his team, by then including former Mintz Levin project analysts Kyle Crawford and Adrienne Darrow, had obtained this holding, they petitioned United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to grant Isabella’s status request. This process involved hearings in Immigration Court and an interview of Isabella by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. “An important part of our representation was working with Isabella’s caseworkers from Lutheran Social Services,” Alec says. Isabella’s caseworkers scheduled therapy sessions on the heels of her stressful legal appointments and helped Isabella to adapt to her new surroundings. Alec, who had experience representing another sex trafficking survivor, worked with Isabella’s case workers to ensure that she had access to counselors who could help her cope with the trauma that she had suffered and was forced to relive through the court proceedings. In June 2013 Isabella was awarded Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and six months later, her petition for Lawful Permanent Resident Status was granted. At 18, Isabella is now a legal resident of the United States, and she can move forward with her life. “Alec navigated the varying legal intricacies and adjudication venues with intelligence and grace. Most of all, he elicited the trust of his client, whose life was being changed for the better as Alec moved the case towards final resolution in record time. I cannot speak highly enough of his skill and commitment to protecting the rights of children who come alone to the United States.” Laurie Carafone, Esq. Supervising Attorney for Pro Bono Programs, Boston Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) Flight to Freedom