Staff Attorney/Full DOJ Representative, Centralized Legal Services

Organization General Description

The Resurrection Project (TRP) builds trusting relationships to educate and propel individuals,

immigrants, and families to achieve their social and economic aspirations, stable homes, and equitable participation in their community. TRP is a leading provider of affordable housing, financial education, and immigration services on Chicago’s Southwest side.

During the past three decades TRP, has worked to improve the lives of individuals and families by creating wealth,building assets, and engaging residents to be catalystsfor change. Rootedin the Pilsen community, TRP’s impact now extends across the City of Chicago and through the State of Illinois; we

are making steady progress towards leveraging and preserving more than $1 billion in community wealth by 2025.

General Job Description:

TRP’s Immigrant Justice Legal Clinic seeks a passionate and collaborative staff attorney/Full DOJ rep to join the Centralized Legal Services (CLS)team. The staff attorney/Full DOJ Rep will work with CLS team members at centralized legal services workshops as well as on clients represented by the team. The staff attorney/Full DOJ rep will maintain their own caseload.

Primary Job Duties and Responsibilities

Case Management and Data Collection Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, and interns.
• Actively participate in case review and other meetings needed to effectively provide excellent quality service to all clients.
• Maintain reporting and case management systems as required by internal policies and grant requirements.
• Keep current on changes in immigration law and procedures through research and trainings.
• ​

Direct Legal Services:

• Conduct legal intake interviews for cases referred from CLS workshops to assess a client’s

immigration status, eligibility, and admissibility issues.

• Conduct legal intake interviews for detained individuals
• Provide expert consultation and representation to clients and potential clients including case preparation and follow-up.

• Work with managing attorney, CLS team members, program managers, and partner organizations to assist applicants on-site at large-scale workshops, including but not limited to: supervision, review, and RFE support.
• Maintain a case load of affirmative and defensive cases under the supervision of the Managing Attorney or Senior Attorney.
• Prepare immigration applications, attend USCIS interviews and ICE/ISAP check-ins, research applicable law, and write client affidavits as needed.
• Make appropriate referrals as necessary for immigration legal services beyond the scope of the program.
• Maintain comprehensive up-to-date notes of client contact, indicating date, subject matter, and resolution in the client file, per TRP’s Immigration Legal Services Program procedures, and notify client of all activity regarding their case in a timely manner.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Maintain required job skills and core professional competencies;
• Maintain open and ongoing communication;
• Attend and participate in required educational programs and staff meetings; and
• Perform other duties asassigned.

Performance Measures

• Timely and accurate completion of immigration case work
• Timely response/communication with clients
• Accurate tracking of data in our case management system
• Support for workshop team leads

Essential Knowledge and Skills

• Two or more years practicing immigration law strongly preferred. Experience handling asylum and removal defense strongly preferred.
• Ability to represent clients before EOIR required.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish required.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work effectively with people of diverse social, faith, economic and racial/ethnic backgrounds.
• Excellent verbal, analytical, writing, and organization skills.
• Proficient knowledge of MS Office and case management software.
• Highly motivated and demonstrated ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances
• Ability to succeed in a fast-paced community nonprofit.
• Ability to work well with people of diverse cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds

Special Working Conditions and Demands

• • Willingness to work flexible hours as needed; some evenings and weekends required.
  • On-site work schedule: as needed, and no less than 3 days per week

• Medical HDHP, HMO, and PPO.
• Dental HMO and PPO
• Vision
• Life Insurance and ADD, Company Paid
• Short- and Long-Term Disability: Company Paid
• 403(B) retirement savings plans
• Flexible Spending account and Dependent care account
• Transit Benefit