Special Projects Attorney

On December 11, 2023, the U.S. government settled the Ms. L. class action lawsuit more than five years after thousands of families were separated under the Zero Tolerance Policy. As part of the settlement, the U.S. government created a new, special pathway for separated parents and children to temporarily access asylum in the United States. Separated families have less than two years to navigate the complex legal process of applying affirmatively for asylum. If they don’t make this deadline, they will lose the opportunity to do so. The Special Projects Attorney is a full-time, one-year position that will work to implement these key provisions of the Ms. L. settlement agreement by providing training, technical assistance, mentorship, and legal resources to the attorneys and accredited representatives for the Ms. L. class members. 

This position is remote, but may involve some travel for in-person meetings or presentations.  

This position currently has a duration of one year; however, there is a possibility of extension.

Organizational Background

The National Immigration Project is a national membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members driven by the belief 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 work of the organization has included a focus on workplace rights and the ability of laborers who are non-citizens to assert and protect their rights.

Supervised by the Executive Director and in collaboration with NIPNLG staff and partners, the Special Projects Attorney will accomplish these objectives:

• Field questions on the Ms. L. settlement agreement and immigration court and asylum office procedures
• Strategize about the legal theory of the families’ asylum cases, including innovative theories focused on their Ms. L. class membership, FCTA payouts, and climate migration
• Assist with the formulation of particular social groups based on current case law
• Provide detailed feedback on legal representatives’ work product, such as draft declarations and briefs
• Create and share specific resources for our mentees, including filing checklists and an asylum declaration-drafting guide
• Offer webinars on relevant topics, such as drafting declarations
• Hold bi-weekly office hours
• Participate in meetings and serving as a liaison to NIPNLG partner organizations and other external stakeholders, including the government

Through webinars, office hours, group emails, and engagement with the field, the Special Projects Attorney will endeavor to create a sense of community and cultivate a movement lawyering approach within the broader field of lawyers engaged in border and asylum work.

Qualifications Required

• JD degree and active membership in good standing in a state bar associations
• 5 - 8 years of immigration law practice experience

Qualifications Desired

• Experience in movement lawyering (whether legal or non-legal)
• Experience in providing direct services to immigrants
• Knowledge of other languages

All National Immigration Project union staff are represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO. We are headquartered in Washington, DC. This is a full-time limited term one-year exempt union position. This position is remote. 

To apply: Submit the following in a single PDF to jobs@nipnlg.org.  Include “Special Projects Attorney” in the subject of the email. Position open until filled; applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible. No phone calls please. 

• Cover letter
• Resume 
• Short writing sample
• Name and contact information of three references

National Immigration Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively recruits women, Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse gender and sexual identities, immigrants, and formerly incarcerated persons.