Managing Attorney

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IRC - The International Rescue Committee

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Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. The IRC is at work today in more than 40 countries and in 26 U.S. cities. The IRC’s Resettlement, Asylum and Integration (RAI) department creates opportunities for refugees and other vulnerable migrants to survive and thrive in the US. RAI serves nearly 50,000 individuals each year in the US through a diverse portfolio of programs aimed at achieving outcomes in five impact areas: Health, Safety, Economic Wellbeing, Education, and Power.

The IRC opened a Denver office in 2016 to provide reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees. The office is slated to resettle approximately 500 refugees and more than 700 Afghan parolees in federal fiscal year 2022, in addition to serving an active caseload of more than 1,600 people. Some services are limited to refugees and other Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible populations, while others are open to a broader population of immigrants and forcibly displaced people. Most services are available for at least five years following arrival in the U.S.

IRC seeks a Managing Attorney to lead its Afghan Parolee Legal Resource Center. IRC has been a lead agency responding to the Afghan evacuation—in the U.S., in Afghanistan, and in third countries where Afghans have sought protection. Across the U.S., IRC is serving tens of thousands of Afghan parolees. The IRC in Denver is establishing the Afghan Parolee Legal Resource Center and seeks a Staff Attorney who will play a key role in ensuring Afghan parolees in Colorado have high-quality legal consultations, representation before U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), and assistance in seeking asylum or accessing other forms of relief that may be available to secure permanent legal status. This is a term-limited, 24-month position that may be extended, subject to availability of funding.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Managing Attorney will oversee immigration legal services for Afghan parolees at the IRC Denver Office, including affirmative and defensive asylum, temporary protected status, adjustment of status, and family reunification, as well as the coordination of pro bono referrals for cases beyond IRC’s internal capacity. The Managing Attorney will bring not only legal expertise and a passion for this area of work, but also the ability to motivate and mentor a team of legal professionals in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The position will work in close collaboration with a range of community partners and the Immigration Technical Unit (TU) at IRC’s headquarters, which oversees IRC’s 24 legal service programs across the US, including [four] offices that have removal defense programs.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Oversee legal strategy through daily direct supervision of a team of legal practitioners, including attorneys, Department of Justice-accredited representatives, and immigration legal assistants. - Employ adaptive management techniques to provide regular individual supervision and support; mentor staff, set clear performance expectations and goals, give regular performance feedback, help prioritize workloads, help troubleshoot challenges, and maintain appropriate professional development plans - Develop and monitor intake procedures, case acceptance policies, and caseload targets and limits. - Provide direct legal representation to a limited caseload of individuals in immigration court, before the Board of Immigration Appeals, and/or before USCIS where applicable, including on applications for asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and adjustment of status. - Actively co-facilitate and support grant opening, grant review, and grant closing meetings, and lead all aspects of grant cycle, including developing/implementing monitoring & evaluation plans. - Ensure program data is collected consistently, managed appropriately and reported timely, using IRC’s legal case management database and other relevant case management systems. - Ensure effective integration of internships and volunteers within programs. - Collaborate with other IRC program areas as appropriate to ensure client-centered service. - Establish, maintain and periodically refresh legal services program policies and procedures in collaboration with IRC’s Immigration Technical Unit; oversee and/or conduct regular case file reviews (paper files and electronic case files) to ensure compliance with legal case management procedures. - Create and maintain a viable outreach strategy to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with community-based organizations, the private bar, and nonprofit legal providers; pursue program initiatives with partners that further goals and address unmet demand. - Serve as an in-house expert on US immigration law by updating internal IRC colleagues on changes in immigration law affecting IRC’s clients as needed. - Work closely with the HQ Immigration Technical Unit and field offices as part of IRC’s immigration network. - Serve as a strong advocate for humanitarian immigrants.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Position Reports to: Legal Services Director, Denver. Position liaises closely with HQ Immigration Technical Unit.

Position Directly Supervises: Two staff attorneys, three Legal Assistants, and interns.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

- Law degree (JD or LLM) from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and admission to any state bar (admission to Colorado State Bar is preferred); - 5 years’ experience or more providing direct representation in immigration court and before USCIS to asylum applicants and other immigrants seeking relief from removal; - Experience with affirmative applications before USCIS (e.g., adjustment of status, naturalization, I-130s); - Strong legal supervision skills and superb legal judgment. - Ability to oversee and provide supervision on a reasonably high case volume and work under time pressure; - Experience organizing and facilitating immigration workshops and immigration information sessions; - Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills; - Bilingual in one or more languages of the survivor population preferred (e.g., Dari, Pashto, Spanish, Arabic); - Deep commitment to working with humanitarian immigrants; - Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills; - Desire to join a team working to protect due process and immigrant rights; and - Must have a valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle, active insurance policy and ability to travel frequently in and around the service area to engage with clients and community partners.

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT

In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires candidates who are selected for interview to furnish proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to be considered.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

- Hybrid remote/in-person work modifications have been in place to ensure staff and client safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. - Staff are provided with IRC laptops and cell phones and must have access to a location with secure internet service where remote work can be performed as needed and according to the schedule negotiated with their supervisor. - All staff are required to adhere to IRC’s COVID risk mitigation policies, which may include but are not limited to masking, physical distancing, enhanced hygiene practices, symptom screening, and isolation and quarantine when needed. In some cases, these policies may be stricter than those imposed at the federal, state, or local level. - The IRC in Denver strives to offer a positive working environment, with intentional efforts to ensure that it is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible for all. Staff are required to adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates under policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation. - This role entails periodic travel in and around the Denver metro area to attend meetings, carry out the responsibilities outlined above, and represent the IRC with donors, partners, and vendors. - This role requires the ability and willingness to work hours outside of typical office hours. Evening and weekend hours will be required to provide training for pro bono attorneys and to participate in regularly scheduled pro se asylum clinics, community information sessions, and other activities. Typically, these will be scheduled well in advance.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This is a full-time, 24-month term-limited position scheduled at 37.5 hours per week. It is classified as exempt and ineligible for overtime under state and federal law. The compensation range starts at $72,000-$ 86,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications. As a full-time, term-limited employee, the Managing Attorney, Afghan Parolee Legal Resource Center qualifies for the IRC’s phenomenal benefits package, which includes:

- Generous paid time off with 20 days of paid vacation per year, 10 days of paid sick leave per year (not inclusive of paid COVID leave), and at least 9 paid holidays per year. - Outstanding medical, dental, and vision care benefits with low employee premiums. - Optional health care and dependent care flexible savings accounts and commuter benefits. - Life, accident, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance. - A 403(b) retirement savings plan that offers generous employer contributions and a matching contribution program. - A comprehensive employee assistance and resilience program. - Business travel medical insurance, access to Guardian Nurses, and more.

In addition, the IRC in Denver actively promotes learning and growth for its team members, through staff development accounts that allow staff to engage in individualized goal-aligned professional development, access to talent development offerings to build skills in an array of areas from humanitarian principles to management skills, and opportunities to lead and engage with colleagues from across the IRC through communities of practice, special assignments, and roles that represent the Denver office, whether here in the U.S. or globally.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [email protected] to request an accommodation.

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Added 11 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: rescue.org