Pro Bono Coordinator Asylum Project

National Immigrant Justice Center•Chicago, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) is seeking a Pro Bono Coordinator for the Asylum Project. This role provides pro bono representation to hundreds of low-income individuals and families seeking asylum in the Chicago Immigration Court and Asylum Office. The coordinator will serve as the primary point of contact for both prospective asylum clients and volunteer attorneys. Responsibilities include coordinating client intake processes, assisting in case preparation with program staff, and supporting pro bono attorneys throughout the lifecycle of asylum cases. The role also contributes to the development and delivery of training materials and resources to ensure high-quality legal representation by volunteer partners.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
Minimum of one year of experience in the human rights field, legal and/or communications work.
Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
Excellent writing, editing, organizational, and computer skills.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Experience analyzing the impact of laws on vulnerable populations and advocating for improved laws and policies.
Strong legal research and writing skills.
Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, work independently, and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
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.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Nice To Haves

May give credit towards years of experience if attained a degree higher than a bachelor's degree.

Responsibilities

Coordinate NIJC's non-detained asylum intakes, responds to internal and external referrals.
Make recommendations to the project attorneys regarding case assessments and feasibility of pro bono placement.
Serve as the initial point-of-contact for pro bono inquiries from current and prospective pro bono attorneys and coordinators at law firms and corporations across the country regarding NIJC's work.
Provide referrals for post-asylum ancillary services for NIJC asylum clients.
Generate reports regarding NIJC's asylum pro bono work.
Track individual asylum cases, pro bono placement, and outcomes in NIJC's database.
Coordinate legal trainings and workshops for asylum pro bono attorneys.
Create and update NIJC asylum pro bono training materials in collaboration with the Asylum Project staff.
Compile pro bono summaries for distribution in the monthly pro bono newsletter.
Collaborate with the pro bono manager to conduct outreach and recruitment of potential pro bono attorneys.
Coordinate the referral of asylum cases to pro bono attorneys.
Respond to questions from asylum pro bono attorneys and refer questions to the project attorneys as appropriate.
Participate in a bi-annual audit of the Asylum Project's pro bono cases.
Participate in legal trainings and review legal materials to remain current on immigration law, policies, and procedures.
Assist in the representation of in-house asylum clients.
Other duties as assigned.