Litigation Staff/Senior Staff Attorney

The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is a nonprofit organization that provides free immigration legal services to individuals in immigration detention and to children and their families throughout Colorado. RMIAN’s Advocacy & Litigation Program aggregates trends in RMIAN’s programmatic work to craft innovative strategies—through policy, communications, and/or litigation—to advocate for change in the immigration system.

Position Overview:

RMIAN has an immediate opening for a full-time Staff or Senior Staff Attorney who will work within RMIAN’s Advocacy & Litigation Program and will be supervised by RMIAN’s Director of Advocacy & Litigation. RMIAN seeks a litigator experienced in immigration and constitutional law as well as detention issues. Based on current needs, the attorney will primarily challenge unlawful detention through filing petitions for writ of habeas corpus in federal district court and subsequent appeals. The attorney will also support RMIAN’s other areas of federal court litigation.

RMIAN is committed to expanding access to habeas counsel for people who are unlawfully detained. The attorney will collaborate with co-counsel and mentor pro bono attorneys. The attorney will provide technical assistance, training, written resources, and other support to enhance learning and expertise in habeas practice. The attorney will be a key contributor to RMIAN’s Advocacy & Litigation Program and will work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure that organizational goals, priorities, and core commitments are advanced.

Responsibilities:

Federal Court Litigation

• Provide high-quality legal representation to detained noncitizens through litigating habeas petitions and associated claims—particularly ones that raise complex or novel legal theories
  • Litigate RMIAN cases in federal trial and appellate courts
  • Participate actively in all aspects of the case including court appearances and drafting pleadings, motions, briefs and other litigation documents
  • Engage in discovery, evidentiary hearings, and oral arguments
• Cultivate and maintain effective relationships with co-counsel partners including attorneys from private law firms, nonprofit partners, and law school clinics
• Supervise and mentor law student interns and volunteers
• Support RMIAN’s other civil litigation, including but not limited to:
  • Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Administrative Procedure Act (APA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act claims
  • Petitions for review (PFRs) before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • RMIAN’s amicus interests, coordinating development of briefs and organizational sign-ons
• Manage a complex caseload independently with minimal need for supervision; track and meet all case deadlines; demonstrate superior legal skills and analysis; and produce high-quality written work that requires minimal review or editing

Resource Development & Mentorship

• Develop and maintain written resources and materials to assist attorneys representing detained immigrants in federal court
• Train pro se individuals on substantive and logistical issues related to filing habeas petitions
• Educate, train, and mentor attorneys, including pro bono attorneys, on federal litigation practice, with a particular focus on immigration habeas practice

Outreach, Community Education, Development, & Organizational Commitment

• Participate in RMIAN’s outreach, community education, and development efforts
• Foster relationships with clients willing to engage in campaigns to promote public awareness of RMIAN’s work and its impact on people who seek lasting protection from deportation in the United States
• Participate in community building, committee work and other activities within RMIAN

Required Skills and Experience:

• Admission to any state bar and admission or willingness to seek admission to the District Court for the District of Colorado and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Professional proficiency in English and Spanish sufficient to represent clients without an interpreter
• At least 2 years of litigation experience and immigration law practice
• Excellent research, writing, oral advocacy, and communication skills
• Proactive, strategic thinker and innovative problem-solver
• Enjoys working independently, is self-driven, organized, and demonstrates excellent project management skills, including ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Deep dedication to immigration legal services, working with individuals in detention, working with members of marginalized groups and people with prior history of involvement in the criminal and immigration legal systems
• Demonstrated cultural competency
• Ability to periodically work evenings and weekends as needed

The Ideal Candidate:

• Is an attorney who has a background in immigration law and federal court litigation, with a strong commitment to immigrant justice
• Possesses excellent communication and interpersonal skills, can work independently but collaboratively, and is excited to educate, train, and mentor attorneys on federal litigation practice, with a particular focus on immigration habeas practice
• Enjoys creative lawyering and developing novel legal arguments, with an eye toward creating precedential outcomes
• Is committed to the principles of human equality, treats everyone with dignity, and is able to effectively and compassionately work with people from diverse backgrounds
• Has experience representing detained noncitizens and demonstrates a commitment to exceptional client-focused representation
• Demonstrates empathy, is an active listener, exhibits excellent problem-solving abilities, understands the importance of constructive feedback, and easily builds trust with colleagues
• Is organized, efficient, and has a keen eye for detail while remaining focused on larger strategic priorities,
• Enjoys handling multiple tasks running in parallel and can triage to meet time-sensitive deadlines while working toward desired outcomes
• Is team-oriented and fosters relationships with RMIAN colleagues, co-counsel, pro bono attorneys, and community partners
• Has a strong commitment to serving low-income and underserved communities, with an ability to relate to and communicate with a broad range of clients and colleagues
• Acts with courtesy, patience, and poise, and is excited to share RMIAN’s work with others
• Appreciates the need to be responsive and act promptly on time-sensitive inquiries
• Enjoys finding and creating efficiencies – this person naturally conceptualizes workflow through a systems approach and thrives on innovating to make tasks more streamlined
• Is able to work autonomously and independently with minimal supervision

RMIAN offers a generous benefits package which includes:

• Paid time off with 15 days of vacation in the first year of employment and an additional 2 days for each additional year of employment, 10 sick days, 11 Federal holidays, plus an annual week-long holiday office closure;
• Excellent health insurance (100% covered by RMIAN);
• Dental & vision insurance (90% covered by RMIAN);
• Life insurance & professional liability insurance (100% covered);
• Professional development funds and opportunities;
• Eligibility to participate in RMIAN’s Simple IRA retirement plan (RMIAN matches 4%);
• Eligibility to participate in RMIAN’s flexible spending plan; and
• Eight-week sabbatical after five years of employment

Professional proficiency in English and Spanish sufficient to represent clients without an interpreter