Vera Institute of Justice

Kort M. Lee is a senior program associate with Vera’s Advancing Universal Representation initiative, which promotes publicly funded legal representation programs nationwide for people facing deportation. In this role, Kort works directly with legal services providers, government partners, and community advocates to support deportation defense programs that are part of the Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Network.

Before joining Vera, Kort was a staff attorney at the Bronx Defenders under the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, representing people incarcerated by ICE and in deportation proceedings in New York. Previously, they also supported migrant populations through their work at the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Kort holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center. They speak Spanish and are learning Tagalog.