Supervising Attorney

International Rescue Committee•Dallas, TX

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future. Job Overview: The IRC seeks a Supervising Attorney to join the IRC in Dallas. The Supervising Attorney is an experienced immigration lawyer who will focus on supervision, direct representation, and providing legal services for detained and released unaccompanied children, including representation in immigration court, before USCIS, and in state court proceedings. The Supervising Attorney will bring several years’ experience representing asylum seekers, preferably including youth and unaccompanied minors, superb legal judgment and legal ethics, an ability to work independently while recognizing the value of collaboration and cross-referencing with other experts, and a passion for this area of work. The position will work in collaboration with community partners and will be part of the Children’s Legal Services Community of Practice, led by IRC’s Legal Services Technical Unit (TU) at IRC’s headquarters, which supports IRC’s 24 legal service programs across the US.

Requirements

Law degree (JD or LLM) from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and member in good standing of the Texas bar
Minimum of 5 years’ experience strongly preferred providing direct representation in immigration court and/or before USCIS to asylum applicants and other immigrants seeking humanitarian relief.
Minimum of 2 years’ experience providing direct representation before state courts in furtherance of SIJS petitions.
Experience providing legal services unaccompanied children and/or working with children preferred.
Demonstrated ability to promote an organizational culture that reflects IRC’s core values of service, accountability, integrity, and equality.
Ability to lead in a way that recognizes that IRC’s work is best accomplished through the true collaboration of individuals from many cultures with a great variety of skills and perspectives.
Excellent research, writing, analytical, and organizational skills, and excellent legal judgment.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally in a courtroom setting and in writing.
Evidence of capacity to be a strong team member in a highly collaborative multidisciplinary environment.
Deep commitment to immigrant rights and working with humanitarian immigrants.
Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills.
Personal integrity in handling ethically complex and confidential situations
Fluent in English, both spoken and written; proficiency in Spanish is desired.
Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook); ability to use the internet and other digital tools for data entry, research, and problem-solving purposes.
Must be willing and able to travel frequently in and around the service area to attend hearings and interviews and engage with clients and community partners.
Must be willing to submit to an extensive background check including FBI, statewide child welfare and sex offender registry checks.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in Spanish is desired.

Responsibilities

Supervise attorneys, legal assistants, and DOJ Accredited representatives serving detained and released unaccompanied child clients, focusing on state court representation for SIJS, asylum, and removal defense.
Conduct and oversee intakes with child clients, identify immigration relief such as SIJS, asylum, cancellation of removal, VAWA, U-visa, T-visa, etc., and provide direct representation for unaccompanied children released to sponsors in the Atlanta Metro area before USCIS and the immigration court.
Initiate state court proceedings for children who are eligible for special immigrant juvenile status.
Provide legal trainings and technical case assistance to in-house staff, pro bono attorneys, ORR facility staff and other stakeholders and community partners as needed to maximize effective legal services to immigrant children.
Coordinate closely within IRC’s multidisciplinary teams to identify needs and facilitate referrals to services offered in-house and through partnerships with external providers.
Ensure client and program data is collected consistently, managed appropriately, and reported accurately in accordance with program reporting requirements set by IRC and the funder.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge and expertise of changing asylum and immigration policies as they relate to children through regular trainings and peer-to-peer consultation.
Serve as a strong advocate for humanitarian immigrants.
Participate in community-based coalitions related to immigrant rights.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

10 sick days
10 US holidays
20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure
medical insurance starting at $163 per month
dental starting at $6.50 per month
vision starting at $5 per month
FSA for healthcare and commuter costs
a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching
disability & life insurance
an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.