Staff Attorney, Refugee and Immigrant Program
Job title: Staff
Attorney
Reports to: Refugee
& Immigrant Program Director
Job type: Full-time,
hybrid
Salary: From
$64,000
Apply here: https://forms.office.com/r/XPJZk8gfkb
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
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. Part of a multi-issue human rights organization, 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, facing removal
while in detention, and 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 Staff Attorney in our Refugee & Immigrant Program focusing on rapid response and limited representation, your primary objective is to provide valuable and responsive legal consultations, advice, and assistance to individuals in our intake, through pro se clinics, and at community and outreach events. Collaborating with the Program Director, intake staff, and others in our legal program, you will help design and implement legal clinics, often in partnership with other local organizations, and help improve the delivery of legal services for individuals in our intake. You will also train pro bono volunteers interested in clinic and limited-representation work.
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 Staff Attorney, you are responsible for
ensuring that The Advocates delivers legal services in an expert and
professional manner by cultivating relationships with volunteers and partnering
with clients to meet their legal needs. 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 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. Finally, you
are passionate about collaboration with other partners in Minnesota to help
create a proactively welcoming immigration network in the state.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Clinics & Community Engagement (approx. 40%)
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 expand access to asylum across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. You will:
- Collaborate on designing, implementing managing pro se clinics in MN, ND, and SD
- Foster relationships with community partners to expand reach.
- Respond to and attend requests for community outreach and event engagement, including Know Your Rights presentations, consultations, clinics, tabling, and general outreach.
Legal Support in Intake Process (approx. 40%)
- Work with intake staff to provide consultations to individuals in intake
- Provide a triage analysis of cases in intake to quickly decide the level of assistance appropriate and possible for each individual.
- Collaborate to improve and enhance our intake process.
Volunteer Attorney Recruitment & Training (approx. 10%)
- 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.
- Train and support pro bono volunteers working with pro se and limited representation clients.
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 1-2 years of experience in immigration law, including legal clinics and internships.
- 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 legal clinics.
- Experience with outreach and engagement.
- 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.
Location and Status
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 position is represented by the Office of Professional Employees International Union, Local 12.
This is an exempt position.
To Apply
Please use the following link to submit your application, letter of interest,
and resume:
https://forms.office.com/r/XPJZk8gfkb
No phone calls or e-mail inquiries, please.
Application Deadline: March 31, 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.
