Vita Zeltser, Counsel in Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton’s  Atlanta office on the Technology, Privacy & Cybersecurity Team, was looking for ways to help with the refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Vita was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, immigrated to the U.S. as a child with her family, and speaks fluent Russian. 

In her efforts to offer her unique perspective and expertise, Vita—who has worked on immigration issues on previous firm pro bono projects—reached out to Pro Bono Partner Tamara Caldas to seek an organization where she could best utilize her skills for this specific crisis. VECINA, a non-profit based in Austin, Texas, which “empowers immigrant justice advocates through mentoring attorneys, educating communities, and mobilizing volunteers” became the obvious choice. Vita will continue with her practice but dedicate a significant amount of time working with VECINA in the coming months. To honor Vita’s commitment, VECINA has named her the “Kilpatrick Townsend Visiting Pro Bono Fellow.” 

Vita is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with VECINA to leverage their deep expertise in immigrant justice advocacy and mentoring attorneys on pro bono immigration work to help address U.S. immigration issues impacting Ukrainians seeking entry into the U.S. During her time working with VECINA, Vita plans to focus on developing educational materials for pro bono attorneys and the public.