STAFF ATTORNEY POSITION

DETENTION AND REMOVAL DEFENSE

TACOMA, WA

SUMMARY

The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks a Spanish-speaking bilingual attorney to work with individuals detained at the Northwest Detention Center, a regional immigration detention facility that houses up to 1575 detainees. The attorney will be providing legal representation and assistance to individuals in removal proceedings.

The attorney will provide legal services under the Legal Orientation Program ("LOP"), which is funded by the Executive Office for Immigration Review and managed by the Vera Institute. Through the LOP, NWIRP staff give detained individuals essential information about court procedures and available options for legal relief prior to their immigration hearing. The LOP consists of four primary components: (1) group orientations; (2) individual sessions; (3) self-help training in the form of pro se workshops; and (4) referral of cases to pro bono attorneys. Information about the LOP can be found at the Department of Justice website (http://www.justice.gov/eoir/probono/probono.htm) and the Vera Institute website (http://www.vera.org/project/legal-orientation-program).

The attorney will also provide direct representation to detained persons in removal proceedings, including representation at the Tacoma or Seattle Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Ninth Circuit court of appeals. Between the LOP and direct representation work, attorneys will be managing a high-volume workload with complex legal issues in immigration and criminal law.

Special consideration will be given to attorneys with at least two years of prior relevant legal experience, but all applicants with the qualifications listed below are welcome to apply.

LOCATION

This position is located in the Tacoma office of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide direct representation to detained clients in Immigration Court, on appeal to the Board of Immigration Court or before the federal courts, and before the Department of Homeland Security, under funding separate from LOP;
• Conduct daily presentations, workshops and consultations in Spanish and English to persons detained at the immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington;
• Conduct self-help workshops for unrepresented detainees seeking relief from removal;
• Communicate regularly with stakeholders from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Tacoma Immigration Court, and Geo Group (private contractor for the facility);
• Perform administrative tasks related to LOP;
• Maintain a working knowledge of significant policies, laws and trends in immigration law, particularly as it impacts low-income immigrants and refugees;
• Engage in outreach and education in the area of immigrant rights; and
• Perform other tasks as assigned by supervisory staff.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND ATTRIBUTES

• Law degree;
• Admission to the bar of any state in the U.S.;
• Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Commitment to working in a diverse and challenging working environment;
• Fluent in English and Spanish;
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently; and
• Proficiency in use of MS Word, MS Access, and MS Excel.

Beginning salary is $45,544 or DOE, plus benefits.