Staff Attorney, Temporary

SUMMARY:

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks a full-time, temporary Staff Attorney to work in the Detained Immigrant Advocates (DIA) unit based out of our Tacoma office. This attorney will play a key role in coordinating with various individuals involved in both NWIRP’s response to large-scale immigration raids and in the legal follow-up at detention centers.

English and Spanish fluency is preferred, and additional languages are welcomed. The applicant must be able to start the position as soon as possible. We have secured funding for one year for this role and will seek to renew funding.

As a staff attorney, you will also offer direct representation, individual consultations, and community outreach and education to immigrant community members seeking immigration protections before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and immigration courts.

ABOUT NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT:

Founded in 1984, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) is a nationally-recognized legal services organization on the front lines of defending and advancing the rights of immigrants. With over 180 employees, NWIRP provides direct legal representation and assistance in immigration matters to thousands of people with low incomes who come from over 150 countries and speak over 60 different languages.

NWIRP challenges unjust policies through high-impact lawsuits and advocates for laws and policies that respect the rights of immigrants. NWIRP is also a trusted provider of immigration-related community education for immigrant communities and social service providers. NWIRP serves the community through four offices in Washington State (Granger, Seattle, Tacoma and Wenatchee), but the impact of our work is felt nationwide.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

For this Specific Role: With flexibility depending on need and circumstances, this individual will serve as both a legal responder on the ground at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma and as the point person for NWIRP’s large-scale raid response. As the point person, you will interact with NWIRP and volunteer attorneys, ICE/DHS officials, and impacted individuals. You will receive information collected at the raid site by the response team, and both provide and organize additional legal help, such as declarations needed later for suppression cases. In some cases, you may organize community forums to provide information about the raid.

The breakdown of this role’s work is expected as follows:

• Coordinating Legal Responses - We anticipate the attorney spending approximately 10% of their time serving as the coordinating attorney for NWIRP’s legal response to large-scale raids and another approximately 5% of their time coordinating with other rapid response teams in the state in the event of large-scale raids.
• Data Collection & Reporting Coordination: The attorney will spend approximately 5% of their time collecting information from legal staff and volunteers at raid sites where NWIRP participates in the legal response.
• Direct Legal Response - The attorney will spend the bulk of their time (approximately 70%) providing legal representation for individuals detained at the NW ICE Processing Center in Tacoma and coordinating closely with other NWIRP staff who work at the detention center to both provide and coordinate the legal response for individuals detained through large-scale raids.
• Pro Bono Support - This individual will also work, as needed, with NWIRP’s existing staff who coordinate pro bono attorneys in order to support the mobilization of the legal response team to large-scale raids.

All NWIRP staff attorneys are expected to:

• Provide direct representation to individuals in removal proceedings before the Immigration Court, on appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals or before the federal courts, and before the Department of Homeland Security;
• Provide direct representation to persons submitting affirmative applications with USCIS and the Department of State;
• Conduct presentations, workshops, legal clinics, and intakes, by phone and in person;
• Conduct case analysis to determine eligibility for immigration protections/status under the immigration laws;
• Maintain a working knowledge of significant policies, laws, practices, and trends in immigration law, particularly as it impacts low-income immigrants and those impacted by the criminal justice system;
• Establish, organize, and maintain files up to date;
• Perform administrative tasks related to grant reporting such as timekeeping, submitting timesheets, tracking training, and other duties in a timely manner;
• Participate in NWIRP’s outreach, community education, and development efforts; and,
• Perform other tasks and responsibilities assigned by supervisory staff depending upon NWIRP’s needs.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Law degree;
• Admission to the bar of any state in the U.S.;
• At least 2 years of immigration legal services experience is preferred;
• Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights and eagerness to support NWIRP’s mission, vision and values;
• Excellent writing, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills;
• Ability to provide trauma-informed and culturally-inclusive legal representation;
• Commitment to creating a welcoming, professional, and inclusive environment for staff and clients, and to working with a diverse community in a challenging environment;
• Fluency in English and Spanish is preferred, and additional languages are welcomed;
• Strong ability to work independently, as well as in a team environment;
• Proficiency in use of web-based software, Microsoft Office applications (including Word and Excel), and web peer-to-peer communication platforms; familiarity with G-suite tools (Google Docs, Google Sheets and Gmail);
• Prior removal defense experience is preferred;
• Prior experience working with survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault is preferred;
• Experience handling a high-volume caseload is preferred;
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Ability to take on a substantive caseload; and
• The applicant must have a valid driver’s license as the position involves some travel.

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear; utilize a phone, computer, keyboard, pen, and paper. Occasional work on night and weekend hours. Travel may be required. Travel reimbursements apply.

Emotional demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to discuss topics including, but not limited, to discrimination; child abuse, neglect, abandonment; domestic abuse; violence, and psychological trauma. Occasional work in a detention center environment.

The anticipated hours of work are Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm, with a 30 – 60 minute unpaid lunch, but occasional evening and weekend work hours may be required.

At the time of this posting, NWIRP staff is operating in a hybrid model, and some in-office work will be expected of this position (at least two full days per week).

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION:

This is an exempt, salaried position, and the minimum annual salary for licensed candidates with no experience is $84,002.81. Salaries increase for staff attorneys with specific experience. For example, candidates with 2 years of relevant experience will earn $88,115.04 annually; 5 years of experience, $94,619.00 annually; and the current maximum salary, based on 40 years of experience, is $149,245.00 annually.

While temporary positions like this are not part of the Union, NWIRP is proud to be a unionized employer, and chooses to provide most of the same benefits as provided to Union members under our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This currently includes:

• Fully paid health, vision and dental plans for employee-level coverage with employer-funded HRA and HSA options;
• FSA and Dependent Care accounts;
• Automatic, employer contribution of 3% to 403(b) retirement plan (without requiring employee contributions);
• Generous paid health-related leave (12 days per year);
• Generous paid vacation (16 days during your first year);
• 14 paid Holidays with the ability to float 5 holidays;
• Employer-paid disability, life, AD&D and long-term care insurance;
• Eligibility to earn compensatory time;
• Opportunities for paid professional development;
• Subsidized transit pass is available for the Tacoma office; and
• Free onsite parking for Tacoma office.

NWIRP is an eligible employer under the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project is an equal opportunity employer committed to having a diverse staff, board, and volunteer base reflective of the communities we serve and that enhances our ability to create a vibrant environment where all members of the NWIRP community thrive.

NWIRP is committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. NWIRP does not discriminate on the basis of class, race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, political ideology, age, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability. Excepting any undue hardship, NWIRP will provide reasonable accommodations upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please contact HR@nwirp.org.

REPORTS TO:

Supervising Attorney

TO APPLY:

Please upload a single-file document on our Careers Page containing your cover letter, resume, and a list of 3 references.

In your cover letter, please address:

1. How your personal or professional experiences qualify you for this role, and;
2. What challenges you recognize as barriers to providing legal advocacy to immigrant community members.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. We hope to hire as soon as possible. This position will be left open until filled.

While temporary positions like this are not part of the Union, NWIRP is proud to be a unionized employer, and chooses to provide most of the same benefits as provided to Union members under our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This currently includes:

• Fully paid health, vision and dental plans for employee-level coverage with employer-funded HRA and
• HSA options;
• FSA and Dependent Care accounts;
• Automatic, employer contribution of 3% to 403(b) retirement plan (without requiring employee
• contributions);
• Generous paid health-related leave (12 days per year);
• Generous paid vacation (16 days during your first year);
• 14 paid Holidays with the ability to float 5 holidays;
• Employer-paid disability, life, AD&D and long-term care insurance;
• Eligibility to earn compensatory time;
• Opportunities for paid professional development;
• Subsidized transit pass is available for the Tacoma office; and
• Free onsite parking for Tacoma office.

NWIRP is an eligible employer under the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.