Senior Attorney, Children's Program

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights•Washington, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights fights for the rights, safety, and unity of immigrant communities. The Children’s Program provides legal orientation and screening to detained migrant children in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. It also offers free legal services to children released from Office of Refugee Resettlement custody to the greater capitol region. This role is a Senior Attorney position within the Children's Program, which is a highly collaborative work environment committed to providing high-quality, trauma-informed legal and social services and fostering professional growth and support for staff. Supervisors in this program are committed to teaching, mentorship, and work-life balance.

Requirements

JD and at least three (3) years' relevant experience in immigration law.
Written and oral Spanish fluency.
Must be licensed to practice law in Maryland or Virginia, eligible to waive into the Maryland or Virginia bar, or willing to sit for the next scheduled bar exam.
Must possess a valid driver's license and be comfortable operating a vehicle upon hiring.
Commitment to principles of equity and inclusion.
Favorable results on background check including driving record, Child Protection Registry, and state and federal criminal records.
Ability to work in a hybrid work environment fulfill job responsibilities in-person as required.
Demonstrates a solid understanding of legal concepts, allowing them to provide competent and client-centered services with limited supervision.
Effectively advocates through written and oral work with limited input from supervisors.
Experience litigating and preparing for hearings or interviews for clients with limited supervision.
Competently supervises aspects of the work of staff attorneys, paralegals and interns on client relationships and legal strategy, research, and writing.
Demonstrates cultural competency and trauma-informed practices.
Competently handles, and supervises, all required programmatic obligations (including KYRs, legal intakes, follow-up interviewing, case placements, direct representation services, and pro bono mentorship) with limited supervision.
Independently manages a full caseload of in-house and pro bono mentoring cases to allow for appropriate prioritization and thoughtful use of time and resources.
Supervises junior staff to ensure programmatic efficiency and efficacy.
Exercises sound judgment and decision-making skills and identifies when issues must be elevated to leadership.
Ensures that all administrative aspects of their position, and that of their supervisees, are carried out without managerial intervention, including timekeeping, file maintenance, database entries, etc.

Nice To Haves

SIJS experience a plus.
Experience working with child clients preferred.
Prior supervision experience preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Ensure clients receive high-quality, culturally competent legal services while detained and after release.
Participate in, and assist with the coordination of, visits to detention centers for the purpose of conducting legal intakes and Know Your Rights (KYR) presentations to detained children.
Provide direct legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children.
Mentor pro bono attorneys providing legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children.
Supervise paralegals, interns, and staff attorneys (depending on experience level).
Promote a team culture of equity and inclusion.
Manage a caseload including representation of both detained and released clients before immigration courts, USCIS, and state courts in cases such as Asylum, Withholding of Removal, protection under the Convention against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U visas, and T visas.
Participate in legal screenings and follow-up interviews to determine eligibility for legal relief and facilitation of case placement.
Support the program’s efforts to remain abreast of new developments in the law and to train staff on immigration and relevant aspects of family law.
Supervise paralegals, interns, and staff attorneys on aspects of case work.
Provide expert mentoring to pro bono attorneys from law firms handling children’s immigration cases.
Undertake own administrative tasks, including casework (e.g., preparation and submission of filings, file maintenance, and recordkeeping), and social services referrals.
Assist program leadership with the implementation of long-term program plans and contract / grant compliance.
Facilitate and/or participate in regular facility visits for the purpose of conducting legal intakes and KYR presentations for detained children.
Ensure a smooth operation of administrative aspects of the program such as processing referrals and the internal case placement process.
Ensure the timely and accurate entry of case information into shared databases.
Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low- bandwidth periods.
Participate in stakeholder relationship activities, including training and meetings with community groups, government agencies, detention center staff, and other legal service providers.
Engage with internal Amica Center committees and working groups to participate in the growth and strategy of the organization.