Staff Immigration Attorney - IDPL (Legal Serv

Institute For Latino Progress•Chicago, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Immigration Attorney at Instituto is responsible for systems improvement, workflow analysis, customer service systems, on line client service improvements, mechanisms for evaluation of legal staff, and other responsibilities related to expanding legal services. The Staff Immigration Attorney will provide direct legal representation and immigration legal service counseling to immigrants appearing before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with a focus on the representation of cases involving adjustment of U visa, T Visa, VAWA, Removal Defense, and SIJS among other immigration matters. The position also provides technical support to pro bono counsel. The Staff Immigration Attorney who joins Instituto will be expected to assume the following responsibilities:

Requirements

Juris Doctorate Degree required.
Licensed to practice law for a minimum of three (3) years.
Self-motivated and committed to civil liberties advocacy.
Ability to represent individuals in complex cases and to formulate and implement sophisticated legal strategies.
Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively on a variety of projects with lawyers, other staff members, and diverse community organizations and coalitions.
Demonstrated team-player with exemplary interpersonal skills in collaborating and communicating with others.
Ability to succeed in a fast-paced nonprofit start-up environment.
Must be able to work on site at Instituto.
Excellent writing and analytical skills.
Ability to communicate effectively in legal and non-legal settings with a wide range of individuals and organizations.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Nice To Haves

Immigration experience preferred.
Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Analyze the workflow at the office, including client communication, document handling, case load, and customer service; make recommendations for systems. improvement, and help the Lead Staff Immigration Attorney and Director of Citizenship and Immigration Legal Services implement such recommendations.
Assist with writing proposals for funding for immigration legal services when requested by the Department of Development and executive staff.
Prepares cases for interview or hearing, including drafting legal papers, conducting client advocacy, presenting evidence, etc. in accord with the Code of Professional Responsibility for the legal profession.
Carries a volume of work as required by the department.
Develops and implements case strategies.
Collaborate with and provide legal advice to pro bono attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives on their immigration law caseload.
Work on developing and maintaining training standards and materials for all immigration staff and pro bono attorneys.
Monitor changes to immigration law, regulations and policy. Prepare for significant changes in immigration law and their impact on client services.
Represent Instituto at community functions, and at other events as requested;
Conduct Know Your Rights presentations and other related workshops.
Remains current on immigration law, policies and procedures. Remains current on implications of criminal and civil law as it applies to the representation of immigrants.
Develops and maintains professional relationships with EOIR, DHS, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), government and social service organizations and community organizations as necessary.
Interprets immigration and department policies and programs to the public, including public speaking.
In accord with the ethical standards required of the legal profession, the Code of Professional Responsibility, preserves client confidentiality, accounts for client monies and avoids conflict of interest.
Perform other responsibilities needed to ensure Instituto Legal Services team’s success.