Katten is among the 130 major law firms and companies working with Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), which has launched the TPS Pro Bono Project for Ukraine. L4GG is a nationwide remote legal clinic for Ukrainian nationals who are seeking to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States.
Through the program, eligible Ukrainian nationals will be offered free legal assistance from volunteer attorneys who can help answer legal questions and assist in applying for TPS.
TPS is a form of immigration relief offered to foreign nationals in the United States whose home countries are considered unsafe. TPS provides the right to live and work in the United States for a temporary period.
The L4GG project is part of Project Corazon, an immigrants’ rights program defending the rights of asylum seekers and other migrants. The Ukraine TPS initiative follows an announcement by the Biden Administration in March that Ukrainian nationals who entered the US on or before April 11, 2022, are eligible to apply for TPS.
Interested Ukrainians who would like to request free legal assistance in filing for TPS can fill out online screening forms in English, Ukrainian and Russian.
Katten's pro bono participation is one of a number of the firm's responses to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the TPS project, Pro Bono Services Director Jonathan Baum has been working with Ukraine Legal Aid, based in Hungary, on developing a remote immigration advice service for Ukrainian refugees seeking asylum and other legal assistance from various locations.
The firm also is working with longtime pro bono partner Airlink to provide monetary assistance through a donation-matching effort. Airlink activated a response plan to help refugees of Ukraine by delivering aid and supporting the transportation of emergency response teams into neighboring countries.
Additionally, Katten is donating funds to the Save the Children’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund to provide children and families with immediate aid, such as food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support and cash assistance. Katten is matching individual donations to the fund from Katten attorneys and business professionals up to a total of $10,000.
"Ukrainians Receive Free Legal Help to Apply for U.S. Immigration Status," Lawyers for Good Government, May 3, 2022
"Fielding Emails From Kyiv, a Hungarian Lawyer and an Instagram Memelord Bring Big Law to Ukraine Legal Aid," American Lawyer, March 1, 2022