Supervising Attorney
Job title: Supervising Attorney
Reports to: Refugee & Immigrant Program Director
Job type: Full-time, hybrid
Salary: From $70,000
Apply here: https://forms.office.com/r/DV2RGE4jFL
About Us
The Advocates for Human Rights is dedicated to implementing international human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law. Our Refugee & Immigrant
Program provides free immigration legal help to people with no or low income. We work with thousands of people throughout the Upper Midwest each year who are seeking asylum, leaving human trafficking, evacuated from Afghanistan, or facing removal while in detention, and with unaccompanied children. We engage over 1,500 pro bono attorneys, volunteers, and interns, to provide comprehensive support to our clients. The Advocates also collaborates with local and national partners to ensure access to immigration justice for refugees and immigrants in the United States.
Position Summary
As a Supervising Attorney in our Refugee & Immigrant Program, your primary objective is to lead and transform our approach to welcome and access to immigration justice. Collaborating with the Program Director, you will design and implement intake processes, train pro bono attorneys, place cases with pro bono teams, and implement pro se asylum and limited representation clinics.
Who are we seeking to join our team?
We are looking for a dynamic individual who is driven by the hope of our clients and inspired by the generosity of our volunteers. You should be passionate about our mission,
thrive in a supportive team environment, and possess the creativity and dedication needed to improve the delivery of legal services.
As a Supervising Attorney, you are responsible for ensuring that The Advocates delivers legal services in an expert and professional manner by partnering with clients to meet their legal needs, cultivating relationships with
volunteers, collaborating and mentoring colleagues, and supervising the case intake process.
You think creatively about the many legal tools in our toolbelt and how best to partner with volunteers and community organizations to deliver quality legal services across the Upper
Midwest. You are eager to dive into research and conversations with local and national partners to stay current on the latest policies and practices related to the ever-changing field of asylum law. You are a creative problem solver and enjoy the constant challenge of improving the delivery of our legal services through consultation and brief services clinics. You are experienced in system design and implementation and can motivate a team to work together. You are excited about translating what you know into accessible training and materials to engage volunteers to provide direct legal services to those who need it. You are invested in advocating for our clients to give them a fair chance at safety and security as in the United States. You are committed to giving our volunteers the tools and support they need to represent our clients effectively. You are nimble enough to stay on your toes in our fast-paced office atmosphere and cool-headed enough to serve our clients with compassion and care.
This position is currently hybrid, with at least 2 days/week in our downtown Minneapolis office. This position is not eligible for fully remote work.
This is an exempt position. This position is represented by the Office of Professional Employees International Union, Local 12.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Volunteer Attorney Recruitment & Training (approx. 30%)
• Work with Pro Bono Counsel and Program Director to recruit and train new and
ongoing legal volunteers, including assisting with the creation of training materials.
• Place asylum and Unaccompanied Children (UC) cases with pro bono volunteers
• Develop training materials and improve the pitching and placement system.
Supervise Intake Process (approx. 30%)
• Supervise intake staff
• Design and implement a more efficient, sustainable, and accessible intake process
• Provide consults and pro se assistance, as appropriate, for individuals in intake
process, and triage cases for differing levels of representation.
Systems Design (approx. 20%)
• Represent The Advocates in rethinking the approach to welcoming new Americans.
• Drive forward a transformative approach to create sustainable change in the legal
services industry.
Pro Se Asylum Clinics (approx. 10%)
As the need for asylum legal services continues to grow and outpace capacity across the
Upper Midwest, we see clinics as an important tool to engage volunteers in the work and
access to asylum across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. You will:
• Collaborate on designing and managing pro se clinics in MN, ND, and SD.
• Foster relationships with community partners to expand reach.
Organization Duties (approx. 10%)
• Attend and participate in weekly staff and bi-weekly team meetings.
• Represent The Advocates in appropriate coalitions and committees.
• Support program and organization-wide events.
Qualifications
Required:
• Admitted to practice and licensed in good standing in any state.
• At least 3-5 years of post-graduate experience in immigration law.
• Experience working with low-income non-citizen clients.
• Initiative, independence, and collaborative problem-solving skills.
• Flexibility to work in-office, virtually, and at clinic sites.
Desired:
• Experience providing legal training.
• Experience with volunteer recruitment.
• Fluency in another language, preferably Spanish.
Compensation
Compensation is commensurate with experience. Generous benefits package includes vacation (employees accrue 3 weeks of vacation during their first year, and up to 6 weeks
after 5 years employment), 3 personal days, and 9 paid holidays, 2 weeks of accrued sick leave annually, 6 weeks paid parenting leave); employer-paid premiums for medical,
dental, and long-term disability/AD+D/life insurance; and pre-tax retirement plan.
To Apply
Please use the following link to submit your application, letter of interest, and resume:
https://forms.office.com/r/DV2RGE4jFL
No phone calls or e-mail inquiries, please.
Application Deadline: February 15, 2024
The Advocates for Human Rights is an equal opportunity employer. The Advocates is committed to cultural diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age,
religion, sexual orientation, disability or any other legally protected status
