Staff Attorney - Childrens Program

Description:

Primary Purpose of the Job:
The Staff Attorney will work on a team to provide pre-court counseling sessions and direct representation, including challenging casework, and appeals, for unaccompanied children in front of the Department of Justice, including EOIR and the BIA, juvenile courts, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The position includes extensive client contact with youth, including indigenous youth and youth who have suffered abuse, abandonment, neglect or other emotional and physical trauma. It requires significant time in state and immigration court. The position also provides “Know Your Rights” presentations as needed and the opportunity to participate in outreach activities and collaborative projects within a national network of legal service providers for unaccompanied immigrant children.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
Casework

• Provide?legal?representation in cases?accepted through the?Children's Program.??Legal?representation includes representation in immigration proceedings before the Immigration Court, representation before the Board of Immigration Appeals, representation before the Arizona Juvenile Courts, and other related services reasonably necessary to complete these proceedings.??
• Supervise legal assistants assigned to each case.
• Provide direct representation in front of the immigration court, juvenile court, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, including challenging casework, and appeals before the appropriate bodies.
• Develop and recommend case strategy consistent with immigration law and procedure.
• Prepare cases, draft legal papers, present required evidence, and engage in negotiations, in accordance with the Code of Professional Responsibility for the legal profession.
• Conduct assessment of client's social, economic, and psychological functioning.
• Collaborate with Children's Program social workers by identifying needs of the client and making appropriate referrals.
• Determine appropriate range of services, interventions and referrals needed.
• Attend and is engaged in all team meetings and trainings.
• Remain current in immigration law and policy, and on impact of criminal and civil law on the immigration case.
• Complies with required ethical standards, preserves client confidentiality, and avoids conflict of interest.
• Maintain complete and accurate case notes and client records.
• Prepare timely statistical reports.
• Conduct periodic case audits for presentation and review.
• Participate in training on immigration procedures and develop and conduct training sessions as assigned.

Advocacy

• Conduct intake interviews and provide “Know Your Rights” information to detained and non-detained unaccompanied immigrant children, as needed
• Appear as Friend of the Court before Immigration Court (EOIR).
• Liaise with children's detention shelters as part of a team with legal assistants.
• Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with local and national community partners, including but not limited to private immigration attorneys, public officials, law enforcement officials, and other nonprofits that provide services to the immigrant population.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with the Immigration Court (EOIR), Superior Court of Arizona Juvenile Courts, and the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), government and social service organizations, and community organizations.
• Communicate with the Managing Attorney about possible advocacy initiatives and legal trainings for the community.
• Support A Nonprofit Organization advocacy, outreach and development activities as needed.
• Perform other administrative duties as needed.

Other Duties & Responsibilities:

• Participate in organizational fundraising and outreach efforts as requested.
• Participates in developing and implementing special projects or presentations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements:

• J.D. and admission to any state bar.
• If not licensed in AZ, must commit to applying to waive into practice in Arizona after two years of bar licensure in any jurisdiction, under the Arizona Rule 38(f) (a provision that allows for non-Arizona-barred attorneys to practice in Arizona state courts while under the employment of an approved legal service provider such as FIRRP, no fee required
• Fluency or advanced proficiency in Spanish required.
• Demonstrate commitment to advocating for indigent immigrant clients in a respectful and empowering way. Must be comfortable working with people with criminal convictions.
• Demonstrate a zealous support of the A Nonprofit Organization mission.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Strong legal research.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with diverse populations.
• Highly organized, an innovative thinker, and work in high-volume settings with limited resources.
• Excellent problem solving, research and analytical skills.
• Effectively manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate to be a hardworking, flexible, respectful team player that can work effectively in a collaborative, innovative, and client centered work environment.
• Ability to work independently, be adaptable and reliable in the face of conflict, pressure, crisis or changing priorities.
• Exhibit high ethical standards and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Must be able to pass federal and state background checks.
• Travel is required for this position.
• Must have a valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
• Proven computer skills. Advanced understanding of basic office applications.

Preferred Requirements:

• License to practice in Arizona.
• Experience practicing before the Arizona Juvenile Courts, the Immigration Courts, BIA, or USCIS is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience working with children/teenagers and trauma survivors or individuals with mental health issues is a plus.
• Experience providing direct representation to immigrants in removal proceedings, and extensive knowledge of immigration law, specifically deportation defense, asylum, and criminal-immigration law issues is strongly preferred.
• Prior advocacy work in immigrant rights, human rights, LGBTQ rights, criminal justice, or experience working with trauma survivors is a plus.
• Experience with databases and data tracking (i.e., Legal Server) is a plus.

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