Immigration Attorney, or DOJ-Accredited Representative - 2025771

World Relief•Kent, WA

28d•$80,000 - $84,000•Hybrid

About The Position

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the worldâ€™s greatest crises in partnership with the church. The organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II to respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of war-torn Europe. Since then, for 80 years, across 100 countries, World Relief has partnered with local churches and communities to build a world where families thrive and communities flourish. Today, organizational programming focuses on humanitarian and disaster response, community strengthening and resilience, and refugee & immigrant services and advocacy. The Immigration Attorney or DOJ-accredited representative will play a critical role in World Relief Western WAâ€™s Immigration Legal Services (ILS) team. The primary role of the Immigration Attorney or DOJ-accredited representative will be to represent clients in applications before US Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS). If licensed as an attorney, the position will also involve limited-scope representation to individuals in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). This position is being advertised for either a DOJ-accredited representative or a licensed attorney. Compensation ranges vary ($32.40-$34.00 per hour for a DOJ-accredited representative, and $80,000-$84,000 per year for an attorney).

Requirements

Mature and personal Christian faith
Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Association of Evangelicals' For the Health of the Nation document
Previous knowledge and understanding of immigration law and systems.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, especially Outlook, Excel, Word & PowerPoint.
Demonstrated ability to work with people from a wide range of cultural, racial, religious and language backgrounds.
Demonstrated ability to build and manage a varied and demanding caseload, including excellent time-management, priority-setting, and organizational skills.
Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with others.
Occasional travel to Whatcom County and Thurston County office locations (1-2 times per month) required.
A desire to serve immigrants and refugees in support of the mission and vision of World Relief.
Flexibility, resourcefulness and the ability to enthusiastically assist with other duties as assigned.
Licensed attorney in good standing with an active state bar membership.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in one or more languages commonly spoken by the populations we serve is highly desirable (e.g., Spanish, French, Dari, Arabic, or other relevant languages).
Licensed under the Washington State Bar
Previous experience with Immigration Case Management System Equifax (LawLogix)
Experience within a non-profit legal environment
Candidates from refugee, asylee or immigrant backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply
Removal defense experience is desirable

Responsibilities

Provides substantive legal screening to determine clientsâ€™ benefit eligibility.
Explain immigration benefits and advise clients on best actions to take for their specific case.
Assist clients with completing applications for immigration benefits.
Provide representation to individuals needing assistance filing applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (green card applications, naturalization, family-based immigration, asylum and other humanitarian visas).
Help clients advocate for themselves when they are interacting with government agencies such as: the Department of State (DOS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other government offices.
Perform factual and legal research for personal caseload and in support of other ILS team members.
Communicate clearly with clients about all matters related to their immigration situation, and the ability to clearly explain to clients what supporting documents and evidence must be provided.
Advocate zealously for clients.
Maintain up-to-date record of client data and case progress in both LawLogix database and in multiple Excel documents.
Ensure physical and electronic case files are accurate and up-to-date with most recent client documents and government notices.
Respond promptly to client emails and phone calls regarding their cases and submit inquiries on case status to DOS, USCIS, DHS and EOIR, as needed.
Perform administrative tasks related to grant reporting in a timely manner.
Alongside ILS Program Manager, train other ILS team members on relevant legal topics, including how to file immigration petitions/motions.
Attend relevant trainings to promote an ever-growing knowledge of immigration law and tactics.
Maintain a working knowledge of significant policies, laws and trends in immigration law, particularly as it impacts low-income immigrants and refugees and share updates with other team members.
Assist with advertising WRS Immigration Legal Services to target immigrant populations and may participate in and/or lead community education events on topics of legal importance to target immigrant populations.
Make referrals both internally and externally, as appropriate.
Conduct Know-Your-Rights trainings when required to do so.
Provide representation to individuals in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Administrative Review (EOIR) - Immigration Court.
Draft and file motions and applications at EOIR Immigration Courts.
Counsel individuals in removal proceedings on immigration law, case procedures and legal options.
Determine legal strategy in cooperation with other attorneys and the program manager.