Description:
Job Summary: The Immigrant and Survivor Justice Staff Attorney in this position focuses on removal defense and asylum cases and is responsible for legal representation from intake to closure of cases in accordance with the program goals and outcomes focused on our low-income neighbors in need of assistance.The Immigrant and Survivor Justice Staff Attorney is also responsible for Preventive Legal Education Workshops (PLEWs), presenting continuing legal education (CLE) courses, and other legal education events. The staff attorney will work with other program staff, interns, community partners, and volunteer attorneys to serve clients and accomplish program goals.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Legal Representation (80%)
- Provide high-quality representation to clients in removal proceedings at all stages of a case, including in-court representation before the Chicago Immigration Court (and Indianapolis, once operational) for master calendar hearings
- Prepare and file comprehensive prosecutorial discretion packets and dispositive motions
- Represent clients at settlement discussions with the Department of Homeland Security
- Effectively prepare client testimony and evidence for individual hearings
- Mentor, lead, and provide constructive feedback for interns, an assigned paralegal or legal assistant, and volunteer attorneys assigned to the program
- Lead PLEW and CLE courses on a variety of legal topics
- Provide training for community partners, as requested or required by grant funding
- Other duties as assigned
- Participate in regular staff, department, one-on-one, and attorney team meetings, in addition to monthly and quarterly meetings related to grant funding
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Demonstrated passion for working with immigrants and survivors of domestic abuse and violent crime
- Growing knowledge of or desire to learn about legal issues impacting immigrants
- Ability to research, understand, and communicate complex legal issues
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- High level of cultural competency to relate well to a broad range of people
- Creative problem-solving skills
- Ability to self-start, manage competing priorities, and work autonomously
- Spanish fluency highly preferred
Qualifications:
- Four-year degree from an accredited college or university
- Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school
- Admitted to practice law in the state of Indiana
- Prior immigration law experience preferred