SIJS Habeas Project Attorney

Organizational Background:

The National Immigration Project is a national membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members who believe that all people should be treated with dignity, live freely, and flourish. For over 50 years, the organization has litigated, educated, advocated, and built bridges across movements so that those who are most harmed by the immigration and criminal systems are uplifted and supported.

The End SIJS Backlog Coalition, a project of the National Immigration Project, is a national group of impacted youth and over 100 allied advocacy organizations working together to end the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJS”) backlog and to protect the rights of SIJS youth to remain safely in the United States. Through multi-faceted advocacy, coordinating and training attorneys, and youth organizing, our Coalition provides resources and support to attorneys in defending SIJS youth from detention and deportation, uplifts the stories and voices of SIJS youth, and educates members of Congress about the harmful impacts of visa caps on immigrant youth. The Coalition’s ultimate goal is to achieve permanent legal protection in the United States for immigrant youth who have survived abuse, abandonment, and neglect.

Position Overview:

The National Immigration Project has an immediate opening for an attorney experienced in detention and habeas litigation to join our team to develop and lead a new SIJS Habeas Project. The attorney will litigate SIJS habeas petitions, provide mentorship and training to other attorneys, coordinate the development of pipelines for SIJS habeas referrals, and develop litigation and legal advocacy to challenge unlawful detention of SIJS approved youth. The attorney will focus primarily on building and supporting the SIJS Habeas Project in close collaboration with other habeas projects the National Immigration Project is coordinating. The SIJS Habeas Project Attorney will be a member of the National Immigration Project legal team and a core participant and leader in the End SIJS Backlog Coalition’s broader strategic work.

The attorney will be a key part of our programs team and will work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure that organizational and movement goals are advanced. Expertise in immigration detention and habeas litigation are required for this position.

Key Responsibilities:

• Litigate habeas petitions on behalf of detained SIJS youth, particularly ones that raise complex or novel legal theories;
• Cultivate and maintain effective relationships with key partners including Coalition members and law firms;
• Train, mentor, and develop networks of attorneys who are equipped to provide habeas representation to detained SIJS youth and/or who can serve as local counsel;
• Develop and maintain written resources and materials to assist attorneys representing detained SIJS youth in federal court;
• Serve on the End SIJS Backlog Coalition’s leadership team as a member of the Steering Committee and by co-leading relevant working groups. Partner with impacted SIJS youth leaders in visioning and building out this project;
• Represent the National Immigration Project and End SIJS Backlog Coalition in collaborations with partner organizations;
• Other similar duties.

Qualifications:

• Experience: 4-8 years of experience in federal litigation, legal advocacy, and movement lawyering. Significant experience representing detained immigrants, particularly in habeas litigation, is a must. Experience working with immigrant youth, particularly SIJS youth, is preferred.
• Skills: Excellent federal litigation, research, writing, and communication skills.
• Trauma-informed lawyering.
• Knowledge: Strong familiarity with the immigration detention system.
• Languages: Proficiency in Spanish or other widely spoken languages in immigrant communities is highly desirable.
• Education: J.D. or equivalent and admission to at least one state bar and one federal court.
• Attributes: Community-oriented, proactive, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Highly organized and self-driven. Committed to an advocacy model that centers SIJS youth voices and leadership.

Excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, and generous vacation and leave time. This is a full-time term-limited exempt union position. All National Immigration Project union staff are represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO. This position is fully remote. Periodic travel is required for in-person meetings and court appearances.

Proficiency in Spanish or other widely spoken languages in immigrant communities is highly desirable.