Staff 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 28 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.

JOB OVERVIEW

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.

The Staff Attorney will provide direct legal services to Afghan parolees in both affirmative and defensive immigration postures, and work to coordinate pro bono referrals for cases beyond IRC’s internal capacity. Staff Attorneys will also conduct community-based know your rights sessions, participate in pro se asylum workshops, asylum interview preparation sessions, and asylum training sessions for pro bono attorneys volunteering to support Afghan parolees. The Staff Attorney will bring experience representing asylum seekers and a passion for this area of work. The position will work in collaboration with community partners and will be part of a national community of practice of legal practitioners serving Afghan parolees, led by IRC’s Immigration Technical Unit (TU) at IRC’s headquarters, which supports IRC’s 24 legal service programs across the US.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Major responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Direct Legal Representation

- Conduct legal consultations and intakes with IRC clients and community members and provide direct legal representation to individuals before USCIS and, as needed, in immigration court. - Coordinate closely within IRC’s multidisciplinary teams, including the Afghan Placement & Assistance (APA) team, to identify needs and facilitate referrals to the Afghan Parolee Legal Resource Center to access 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. - Maintain up-to-date knowledge and expertise of changing asylum and immigration policies through independent research and analysis, regular trainings, and peer-to-peer consultation. - Assist in recruiting, training, and mentoring pro bono attorneys supporting the Afghan Parolee Legal Resource Center. - Adhere to expectations and standards for legal casefile documentation. - Conduct quality assurance review, including conducting self-reviews and participating in peer reviews. - Conduct trainings for IRC staff and/or externally as needed. - Participate in community-based coalitions related to immigrant rights. - Serve as a strong advocate for humanitarian immigrants. - Adhering to ABA-model rules around professional responsibility and completing requirements for Continuing Legal Education timely.

Community Partnerships and Workshops

- Collaborate with other IRC departments and partners to offer community-based workshops or information sessions. - Support the legal team’s efforts to implement a viable outreach strategy to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with community-based organizations, local immigration attorneys who serve as pro bono volunteers, and nonprofit legal providers.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position Reports to: Managing Attorney, IRC in Denver

Position Directly Supervises: Interns and volunteers supporting the IRC in Denver’s Afghan Parolee Legal Resource Center

JOB REQUIREMENTS

- Law degree (JD or LLM) from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and admission to any state bar. - Ideally at least one year experience providing direct representation in immigration court and/or before USCIS to asylum applicants and other immigrants seeking humanitarian relief; law school graduates with clinical legal experience may be considered. - Excellent research, writing, analytical, and organizational skills. - Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally in a courtroom setting and in writing. - Bilingual in one or more languages of the population preferred, with a strong preference for Dari and/or Pashto language skills. - 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. - Strong computer literacy, research, and analysis skills. - 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

- At present, the IRC in Denver office is in the process of re-opening. 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 $66,000- $76,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications. As a full-time, term-limited employee, the Staff 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 9 months ago - Source: rescue.org