DAP Deputy Program Director – Legal Coordination Focus

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (Amica Center)•Washington, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights fights for the rights, safety, and unity of immigrant communities, standing with those trapped in our nation’s fundamentally flawed immigration system. We engage in unwavering legal defense and strategic litigation for immigrant children and adults facing detention and deportation in the Capital Region and beyond, because everyone has the right to be free, safe, and supported. Amica Center’s Programs provide trauma-informed, person-centered legal services to adults and children impacted by immigration detention across the Capital Region and beyond. Serving hundreds of detained adults each year and offering legal orientation, screening, and representation to detained and formerly detained children, our work centers client autonomy, dignity, and holistic support within a fundamentally unjust system. Both programs operate in deeply collaborative environments that emphasize interconnectivity across teams, professional growth, mentorship, and adaptability. Staff bring deep expertise to a complex and evolving immigration system, working together through shared learning, innovation, and advocacy to advance the rights and wellbeing of the people we serve. The Deputy Director for Legal Coordination in the Detained Adult Program (DAP) helps manage and support the program by ensuring adequate coverage and programmatic response to legal issues confronting the people DAP provides legal services to in detention; connecting the on-the-ground experiences and issues observed in DAP to civil litigation and other legal efforts to enact systemic change; supporting the program’s provision of services as a whole through supervision and mentorship of staff, program planning, and casework and pro bono mentorship as appropriate. The Deputy Director’s approach to the work is collaborative and not top-down, working closely other managers and staff. The Deputy Director will also serve as a member of the Amica Center’s organizational Leadership Team and help set organization-wide priorities and policies.

Requirements

JD and active license to practice law in any US state or jurisdiction
At least 5 years of relevant experience in immigration law, including removal defense and detention
Relevant experience in federal litigation
At least 3 years of supervision experience
Significant experience in strategic planning and project management
Written and oral Spanish proficiency required; fluency strongly preferred
It is expected that the candidate will need to travel for work-related business. As a result, the candidate must possess a valid driver's license and be comfortable operating a vehicle upon hiring.
This role requires travel, but qualified individuals with disabilities may be accommodated in a reasonable manner under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Nice To Haves

Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Provide oversight and management of significant aspects of the program in coordination with the program directors, other deputy program directors and managers.
Identify gaps in coverage of legal issues impacting DAP clients and pro se people and work with internal and external stakeholders on responses to address gaps.
Work with program management to set long-term program plans. Lead in creation of and follow up on strategic plans to address large-scale emergent legal issues and needs in collaboration with other managers and team.
Join regular meetings and liaise with Amica Center’s Immigration Impact Lab (Lab) on behalf of DAP to assess priorities for impact litigation cases and update Lab as different issues in direct services and detention arise.
Coordinate with Lab and external organizations on civil litigation impacting detained adults; provide programmatic support and structure for DAP participation in litigation and assess whether participation falls withing program priorities and capacity in consultation with other program leadership.
Take lead on tasks such as organizational declaration and comment drafting where needed for DAP participation in litigation.
Ensure adequate DAP representation in external coordinating meetings and working groups with other NGOs on legal issues impacting detained adults, acting as DAP representative where another appropriate lead is not identified.
Directly supervise Managing Attorneys or senior staff.
Work with Managing Attorneys and program leadership to ensure that the program is kept abreast of new developments in the law and that junior staff are adequately trained on the law.
Identify, help organize and uplift opportunities for other staff in DAP to participate and take on leadership and substantive responsibilities on legal issues.
Manage a docket of cases for mentorship or co-counseling with internal staff or external pro bono attorneys.
This role is largely non-representational. However, candidates may have a minimal direct representation caseload of their own aligned with their professional development goals or to gain experience in new areas of DAP work.
Actively engage in organizational Leadership Team meetings, sharing updates and discussing emerging legal issues confronting clients and pro se people DAP serves.
Coordinate with DAP managers and prepare DAP agenda items for cross-program internal Legal Strategy meetings.
Liaise with Children’s Program as needed to ensure support on crossover legal issues.
Participate in stakeholder relationship activities.
Assist other program staff during high-work/low-bandwidth periods.