Staff Attorney, NIJC Indianapolis

Description:

About NIJC
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC's team of 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.

Summary:
NIJC is seeking a staff attorney to be based at our Indianapolis office. This attorney will work on matters including asylum and removal defense. This attorney will support NIJC's Immigration Court Helpdesk at the Indianapolis Immigration Court. Staff attorneys must be attentive to detail, thorough, and organized; communicate clearly and accurately, verbally and in writing; have strong time management skills which can concurrently manage multiple matters, delivering each in a timely manner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 
Conducts preliminary intake interview, gathers all relevant facts for presentation at Unit meetings. 

• Makes assessments of income eligibility and makes appropriate referrals for those individuals not eligible for Organization services. 
• Develops and implements preliminary case strategy in terms of immigration law and procedure.  Develops further strategy in consultation with supervisor.
• Prepares cases for hearing, drafting legal papers, engaging in negotiation, presenting evidence, etc. in accord with the Code of Professional Responsibility for the legal profession. Adheres to professional standards.
• Conducts assessments of client on social, psychological and economic functioning and determines appropriate interventions and referrals.  Ensures the provision of a wide range of services for clients.
• Carries a volume of cases as required by the department.  Has in-depth knowledge of legal and other resources.  Provides a wide range of court advocacy services.
• Remains current on immigration law, policies and procedures.  Remains current on implications of criminal and civil law as it applies to the representation of immigrants and refugees.
• Develops and maintains professional relationships with the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), government and social service organizations and community organizations.  Interprets immigration and department policies and programs to the public, including public speaking. 
• Maintains complete and accurate client records.  Prepares timely statistical reports.  Conducts quarterly case audits for presentation and review of the Supervisor. 
• Participates in training on immigration procedures as assigned by the Supervisor. 
• Participates in developing, implementing or leading special projects. Identifies trends and recurring legal and social concerns.  Recommends strategies for solutions and other needed advocacy.
• Interprets and translates for department and other Organization staff as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Education and/or Experience: Juris Doctorate Degree required; and one year of direct experience in social service counseling and/or legal representation.

• Language Skills:  Ability to read, speak and write in Spanish.
• Analytical skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public. 
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Physical Abilities Statement
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• The person in this position occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine.

It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to undergo a comprehensive background check as part of the employment process. This background check will be conducted in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.

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