Staff Attorney (Youth Advocacy Program)

Staff Attorney, Youth Advocacy Program

Job Title:        Staff Attorney

Program:        Immigrant Youth Advocacy Program

Supervisor:    Program Supervising Attorney

Status:            Full-time, Exempt (35 hours a week)

Location:        Philadelphia, PA (HYBRID)

Salary:            $56,500 – $61,500 (commensurate with experience) 

HIAS Pennsylvania’s Mission: Driven by the Jewish value of welcoming the stranger, HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) Pennsylvania provides legal, resettlement and supportive services to immigrants and refugees from all backgrounds in order to assure their fair treatment and full integration into American society. 

HIAS Pennsylvania is the largest non-profit immigration legal service providers in Pennsylvania. The organization assists low income immigrants with adjustment of status, removal defense, family unification, citizenship, and other forms of humanitarian relief. HIAS Pennsylvania prioritizes providing services to vulnerable populations including survivors of interpersonal violence and unaccompanied youth.

Immigrant Youth Advocacy Program: HIAS Pennsylvania’s Immigrant Youth Advocacy Program is the statewide leader in providing legal services to immigrant children and youth. This work includes providing legal services to youth facing removal proceedings in Immigration Court; those involved in the domestic child welfare system; and to unaccompanied children in the custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in facilities in Pennsylvania. We seek a Staff Attorney to join our dynamic team of legal professionals dedicated to protecting the rights of immigrant youth.

Primary Responsibilities

• Direct Representation: The Staff Attorney will represent unaccompanied minors in immigration matters. Using a “universal representation” model, our program provides legal representation to certain children regardless of their eligibility for relief. As such, the Staff Attorney will represent youth seeking humanitarian forms of relief such as Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visas, and T visas, as well as children who have no relief options or who may seek voluntary departure or an order of removal. The Staff Attorney will represent children before USCIS, the Newark Asylum Office, the Philadelphia Immigration Court, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. If barred in Pennsylvania, the Staff Attorney may have an opportunity to appear in state court proceedings for matters related to SIJS.  
• Know Your Rights Presentations and Intake: The Staff Attorney will provide Know Your Rights presentations regarding immigration procedures and options to immigrant youth in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. The Staff Attorney will provide individualized screenings to evaluate each case and discuss options with youth and will also review intakes completed by non-attorney Immigrant Youth Advocacy Program staff. 
• Pro Bono and Stakeholder Training: The Staff Attorney will assist periodically with HIAS PA’s efforts to recruit, train and mentor pro bono attorneys. The Staff Attorney will at times be called on to provide trainings in order to educate various stakeholders about the legal rights of immigrant youth. The Staff Attorney will maintain strong relationships with partner organizations. 
• Administrative: The Staff Attorney will maintain clear and detailed records to facilitate reporting to grantors.  
• Additional Duties as Assigned: The Staff Attorney will complete other tasks as assigned in support of the overall work and mission of HIAS PA and the Immigrant Youth Advocacy Program.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in working with youth. Prior experience in immigration or child welfare law, experience serving victims of trauma or other vulnerable populations, and experience with a public interest organization is preferred. Spanish proficiency is not required. The Staff Attorney will have access to virtual interpreters for work with non-English speaking clients. Candidates who are not proficient in Spanish should have a desire to learn. This position includes funding for Spanish language instruction with built-in time for language study and practice. 

Minimum Qualifications: The candidate should be passionate about HIAS PA’s mission and roots, and have a demonstrated ability to work with diverse collaborators and stakeholders. In addition, the candidate should possess:

• J.D. degree and license to practice law in any state (preference for Pennsylvania license), or ability to obtain licensure within 6 months of beginning employment;
• Prior experience in immigration or child welfare law (this could include law school coursework or clinical experience);
• Prior experience working with youth, trauma survivors or other vulnerable populations;
• Excellent organizational skills, time management and records keeping skills, including the ability to work independently, assess priorities, take initiative, handle multiple assignments and meet deadlines;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively and to effectively interact with young people, management, program staff, and community partners;
• Spanish proficiency, or desire to learn Spanish;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and ability to work with databases;
• Ability to work in a team of diverse professionals and human service workers;

Other Information: HIAS PA is currently working on a hybrid model. HIAS Pennsylvania requires all staff be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the exception of those who have medical or religious beliefs exemptions.