Federal Court Staff Attorney - Immigration Impact Unit
About The Position
The Immigration Impact Unit of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the public defender agency of Massachusetts, is hiring a staff attorney to focus on federal court litigation as part of the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI). This Staff Attorney will represent MACI clients primarily in federal habeas petitions, petitions for review, and other federal court proceedings. CPCS is the state agency in Massachusetts responsible for providing an attorney when the state or federal constitution or a state statute requires the appointment of an attorney for a person who cannot afford to retain one. The agency provides representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, family regulation, guardianship, mental health, sexually dangerous person, and sex offender registry cases, as well as in appeals and post-conviction and post-judgment proceedings related to those matters. The Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI) office located within the IIU will be a new legal services program for immigration representation that will embrace the tenets of public defense and universal representation to provide zealous, holistic, and client centered representation. The MACI-IIU office will provide full-scope representation to people in removal proceedings, both detained and non-detained. The office will set standards of practice and create training to increase the capacity for removal defense representation within Massachusetts.
Requirements
- Must be eligible to practice law either as a member of the Massachusetts bar in good standing or as a member in good standing of the bar of another jurisdiction and be qualified to practice federal immigration law
- Access to an automobile in order to travel to courts, clients, and detention centers that are not easily accessible by public transportation
- Access to home internet access sufficient to work remotely
- Commitment to working with a culturally diverse, low-income population
- A demonstrated commitment to the principle of zealous advocacy in the representation of indigent persons
- Strong case management, legal research, and legal writing skills
- Applicants must be creative, flexible, and highly motivated
- Applicants must have the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively and manage a difficult area of practice
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure
- Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
- Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
Nice To Haves
- Previous immigration practice before Federal Court strongly preferred
- Relevant clinical program, internship, or work experience strongly preferred
- Proficiency in additional language(s) other than English preferred, with strong preference given to Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese
Responsibilities
- Providing high quality, client-centered representation for detained and non-detained noncitizens in Federal Court
- At times, representing non-detained clients released on bond
- Engaging in affirmative litigation
- Working collaboratively with other organizations, pro bono lawyers, and partners
- Maintaining a full caseload of clients
- Maintaining, organizing, and updating case files and case management database
- Participating in ongoing training provided through MACI
- Participating in regularly scheduled MACI team meetings to discuss individual cases, systemic concerns, and other topics as determined by supervisors
- Participating in regular supervision meetings
- Other duties as assigned
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
