Staff Attorney - MRS

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland•Cleveland, OH

8d•$56,849 - $69,000

About The Position

Promote and support the mission of Catholic Charities by providing competent and reliable legal advice and counsel to immigrants in our service area. Essential Functions:

Requirements

Graduate of accredited law school (JD).
Must be at least 21 years of age at the time of hire.
Fluency in a foreign language strongly preferred.
Experience working in immigration law preferred (law school experience will be considered).
Experience working cross-culturally. Must be comfortable working with language barriers.
Maintain an active status law license in the State of Ohio in good standing or have taken the July, 2015 Ohio bar exam with admission pending.
Must be admitted to the Ohio State Bar in good standing during the first 90 days of employment.
Must have strong organizational skills and the ability to organize and manage multiple projects.
Must have excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills. Must be able to present verbal and written complex data in an understandable format.
Must be self-directed and self-motivated and be able to work independently.
Must be willing to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings, holidays and weekends.
Ability to effectively and productively work with people of very diverse economic, cultural and administrative backgrounds, both professional and volunteers, as well as organizations and systems of service.
Must have a valid Ohio Driver’s License, provide copy of driver’s license, and are subject to a Moving Vehicle Report (MVR) check through the Department of Motor Vehicles annually.
Must have a good working knowledge of computers and familiarity with Microsoft Office software.
Final applicant is required to be fingerprinted to complete background check.

Nice To Haves

Fluency in a foreign language strongly preferred.
Experience working in immigration law preferred (law school experience will be considered).

Responsibilities

Ensure that the activities of this position and relevant programs are consistent with the mission, vision and values of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland.
Interview and screen clients for legal services and provide brief advice and legal counsel when appropriate.
Prepare cases for submission to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Represent clients in Immigration Court, before USIS District Office and Asylum Officers, and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).
Assist in the development of a variety of grant-funded programs and fee-based legal initiatives.
Work collaboratively with community agencies and attorneys in serving the needs of immigrants.
Assist with public education in the community and in collaborating with other partner agencies.
Assist volunteers working in the immigration program.
Keep up-to-date client files (both paper files and electronic files in the case management system) for the submission of monthly and annual statistical and grant reports.
Participate in meetings with immigration legal service community-based organizations as required.
Assist in the development and expansion of services and resources for immigration program.
Maintain an environment of confidentiality regarding clients and related paperwork and/or electronic files.
Maintain current knowledge about legal, regulatory, policy, and procedure requirements as it relates to immigration law.
Continue to foster relationships with volunteers, clients, community agencies, related Catholic Charities organizations and fellow employees of Catholic Charities.
Assist with special projects as assigned or as needed.
Travel to the detention facilities, parishes, community groups and other locations as required in order to meet with clients and members of the community.
Perform other duties as assigned to accomplish objectives.