Staff Attorney - Immigration Impact Unit

Committee for Public Counsel Services•Malden, MA

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 as part of the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative (MACI) at CPCS. This Staff Attorney will focus on representing individuals with connection to the criminal legal system. The Staff Attorney will represent detained and non-detained clients in removal and bond proceedings before the Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, related proceedings before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") and, when appropriate, in Federal Court. We fight for equal justice and human dignity by supporting our clients in achieving their legal and life goals. We zealously advocate for the rights of individuals and promote just public policy to protect the rights of all. 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 clients we represent are diverse across every context imaginable and bring many unique cultural dimensions to the matters we address. This reality creates a critical need for CPCS staff to be culturally competent and able to work well with people of different races, ethnicities, genders and/or sexual orientation identities, abilities, and limited English proficiency, among other protected characteristics. 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. The MACI team is seeking an attorney to represent detained and non-detained clients in removal and bond proceedings before the Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, related proceedings before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") and, when appropriate, in Federal Court. This position is funded through a combination of private and MACI program funding. Through the private funding, approximately 50% of this attorney's time will be dedicated to representing individuals who are otherwise ineligible for MACI’s services. The remaining 50% of the position is devoted to providing legal services to MACI eligible clients. This attorney will be focused on the intersection of criminal and immigration law. The Staff Attorney will report to the Supervising Attorney. Please note, this position is contingent on annual grant-funding from the Governor’s Office for Immigrant and Refugees and private funding through the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. Therefore, funding for this position is only guaranteed for the duration of the grant period. While it is anticipated that additional funding may be awarded, that is not guaranteed.

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

Relevant clinical program, internship, or work experience strongly preferred
Proficiency in an additional language(s) other than English preferred, with strong preference for Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese

Responsibilities

Providing high quality, client-centered representation for detained and non-detained noncitizens in removal proceedings in immigration courts, before the Board of Immigration Appeals and in Federal Court
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