Senior Staff Attorney, Direct Legal Services

The Human Trafficking Legal Center is seeking a Senior Staff Attorney to manage the organization’s direct legal services program. The Senior Staff Attorney will provide direct legal representation to trafficking survivors seeking T visas and other forms of affirmative immigration relief. The Senior Staff Attorney will conduct intake screenings of potential clients, make referrals, and collaborate with other service providers for non-legal support and case management for existing clients. The Senior Staff Attorney will also provide attorney trainings and hands-on technical assistance to partner organizations and pro bono counsel. The Senior Staff Attorney will participate in coalitions, networks, and working groups and participate in advocacy on immigration issues of direct relevance to the direct legal services program.

Responsibilities:

• Provide direct legal representation to clients in affirmative immigration petitions before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including T visas, continued presence, deferred action, adjustment of status, work authorizations, and naturalization.
• Manage the Human Trafficking Legal Center’s direct legal services program, including supervision of all of the organization’s direct representation immigration cases and of the organization’s paralegal and summer legal fellows.
• Provide support and accompaniment to survivors of trafficking in law enforcement reporting and investigations, including (where applicable) facilitating reports to law enforcement, working with law enforcement agencies, and providing criminal victim-witness accompaniment to survivors.
• Supervise the organization’s intake procedures, reviewing requests, engaging new clients for immigration representation, and assisting in referrals to pro bono counsel and other services, where appropriate.
• Cultivate and maintain partnerships with organizational partners to develop a robust referral network for social and legal services for trafficking survivors.
• Collaborate with case managers at local partner social service agencies to provide wrap-around services to the Human Trafficking Legal Center’s clients.
• Provide training and technical assistance to pro bono counsel, including counsel representing the Human Trafficking Legal Center’s clients in defensive or other immigration proceedings.
• Provide referrals for related matters (e.g., housing, employment, and family law) to trafficking survivors.
• Participate in coalitions, networks, and working groups and participate in advocacy on immigration issues of direct relevance to the direct legal services program.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school with a strong academic record.
• Admission to a U.S. State bar, in good standing (eligible for D.C. Bar membership).
• 6 years of legal experience involving immigration representation.
• Prior experience in a legal services organization or providing direct legal services in a nonprofit setting.
• Prior experience working with pro bono counsel at law firms.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Prior experience working with survivors of trauma and/or representing vulnerable populations.
• Cultural humility and an ability to work with persons from cultures and backgrounds different from one's own.
• Ability to work collaboratively with partner organizations, NGOs, pro bono law firms, agency officials and staff, law enforcement, legislators, attorneys, and advocates.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and communication skills.
• Strong case management skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Prior experience supervising staff including paralegals and junior attorneys.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Ability to work well under pressure while managing multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative.
• Ability and willingness to collaborate across teams and cultures.
• Experience working with or representing vulnerable populations.
• A sense of humor.

Preferred but not required qualifications:

• Prior experience providing immigration know your rights education to clients.
• Prior experience providing immigration removal defense.
• Fluency in a second language (preferably Spanish)

This is a full-time, salaried position. Regular hours are 9:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday. Benefits include three weeks of paid vacation each year, one floating holiday per calendar year, your birthday as a holiday, and five days of sick leave per year. We offer up to twelve weeks of parental leave through the DC Paid Family Leave Program. We observe all federal holidays as paid days off, including the Friday after Thanksgiving. The Human Trafficking Legal Center office is closed for a mental health week one week in August each year. The office is also closed between Christmas and New Year; these weeks are considered paid time off.

The Human Trafficking Legal Center makes an annual contribution equal to 2% of each employee’s annual earnings to an Ascensus Trust SIMPLE IRA. Employees may also make voluntary contributions to this account each month from pre-tax earnings.

The Human Trafficking Legal Center provides 100%-employer-paid medical, dental, and vision care insurance for employees. Employees have the option to pay for coverage of dependents through salary deductions.