Staff Attorney

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. Founded in 1933, 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 in Phoenix has been providing immigration services to refugees and other immigrant populations for more than 20 years. Primarily the work has been focused on core services before USCIS, such as naturalization, family reunification, adjustment of status, and employment authorization through U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited representatives. However, due to the increased need for legal services, IRC responded by launching the IRC’s Legal Center in 2020 which expanded services through the addition of staff attorneys and legal representatives able to provide removal defense, affirmative asylum, and other forms of immigration relief. IRC’s legal services staff allows IRC to provide support to the immigrant community despite the ever-changing nature of immigration law and policy.

JOB OVERVIEW:

IRC seeks a Staff Attorney to join the Phoenix Legal Center to represent clients and other individuals facing removal in immigration court, as well as on petitions before US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). The Staff Attorney will also conduct community-based know your rights sessions and appropriate application workshops within the community. The Staff Attorney will bring experience representing asylum seekers in immigration court and a passion for this area of work. The position will work in collaboration with community partners and will be part of the Removal Defense Community of Practice, 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:

Direct Legal Representation and Program

- Conduct intakes with IRC Potential Clients seeking assistance in immigration matters - Provide high quality legal advice/consultations, and direct legal representation to individuals in immigration court proceedings [and before USCIS/ the Asylum Office]. - Coordinate closely within IRC’s multidisciplinary teams to identify needs and facilitate referrals to 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 including collaborating with supervisors on necessary reports - Comply with all donor requirements and all IRC policies and procedures. - Position may supervise legal assistants and/or interns and support/collaborate with legal representatives and other staff - 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. - Participate in community-based coalitions related to immigrant rights. - Serve as a strong advocate for humanitarian immigrants.

Community Partnerships and Workshops

- Conduct trainings for IRC staff and/or externally as needed. - Create and maintain a viable outreach strategy to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with community-based organizations, local immigration attorneys, and nonprofit legal providers. - Collaborate with other IRC departments and partners to offer community-based workshops or information sessions when demand exceeds capacity to provide direct legal representation.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

- Law degree (JD or LLM) from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and member in good standing of 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 legal 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, preferably Spanish; - Deep commitment to immigrant rights and working with humanitarian immigrants; - Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills; - Evidence of capacity to be a strong team member in a highly collaborative and fast-paced multidisciplinary environment; - Must have ability to travel frequently in and around the service area to attend hearings and interviews and engage with clients and community partners.

Working Environment:

- Standard office environment with occasional participation in community outreach and legal assistance events. - May require occasional weekend and/or evening work.

Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of 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 to request accommodation.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days (depending on role and tenure), medical insurance starting at $145 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus a 3-7% base IRC contribution (3 year vesting), disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

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Qualifications Update