Staff Attorney LGBTQ Project, NIJC

About NIJC

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC's team of over 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.

Job Summary:

NIJC seeks a staff attorney with all years of experience to join the LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative. This position offers legal services to low-income immigrants who identify as LGBTQ or who are living with HIV. Staff attorneys must be attentive to detail, thorough, and organized; communicate clearly and accurately, verbally and in writing; have strong time management skills which can concurrently manage multiple matters, delivering each in a timely manner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conducts preliminary intake interview, gathers all relevant facts for presentation at Unit meetings. 
• Makes assessments of income eligibility and makes appropriate referrals for those individuals not eligible for Organization services. 
• Develops and implements preliminary case strategy in terms of immigration law and procedure.  Develops further strategy in consultation with supervisor.
• Prepares cases for hearing, drafting legal papers, engaging in negotiation, presenting evidence, etc. in accordance with the Code of Professional Responsibility for the legal profession. Adheres to professional standards.
• Conducts assessments of client's social, psychological and economic functioning and determines appropriate interventions and referrals.  Ensures the provision of a wide range of services for clients.
• Carries a volume of cases as required by the department.  Has in-depth knowledge of legal and other resources.  Provides a wide range of court advocacy services.
• 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 and refugees.
• Maintains complete and accurate client records.  Prepares timely statistical reports.  Conducts quarterly case audits for presentation and review of the Supervisor. 
• Participates in training on immigration procedures as assigned by the Supervisor. 
• Participates in developing, implementing, or leading special projects. Identifies trends and recurring legal and social concerns.  Recommends strategies for solutions and other needed advocacy.
• Interprets and translates for department and other Organization staff as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability .

• Education and/or Experience: Juris Doctorate Degree , and all years of experience encouraged to apply. Self-motivated and committed to civil liberties and LGBTQ advocacy; ability to represent individuals in complex cases and to formulate and implement sophisticated legal strategies.

• Language Skills: This position requires regular communication with clients in Spanish. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written Spanish.

Competencies:

• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

• Analytical skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the public. 

How to Apply

Please Include:

1. Your resume
2. A compelling cover letter, including the following:
   1. Why you are interested in working with the LGBTQ immigrant community as a staff attorney with NIJC?
   2. How your unique skills and experience will enable you to make a significant impact on our team and help us achieve our mission.
   3. A specific, brief example of a project or accomplishment from your past that best demonstrates your relevant qualifications.

Physical Abilities Statement

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time
• The person in this position occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operating a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine.

It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to undergo a comprehensive background check as part of the employment process. This background check will be conducted in compliance with applicable state and federal laws.