Children’s Attorney

JOB OVERVIEW: 

IRC Washington seeks a Children’s Attorney to join its Children’s Legal Services program at its Spokane office to provide legal services to unaccompanied children who have been released from the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The attorney will meet with unaccompanied child clients to conduct legal relief eligibility determinations, advise them on their options, and provide direct legal representation. Relief will include filing for special immigrant juvenile classification, asylum, T Visas and U Visas, requiring the attorney to appear in Washington State courts, Immigration Court in Seattle, Washington, and before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Asylum Office. The Children’s Attorney will bring a passion for this area of work and experience with immigration legal services. Working closely with the Supervising Attorney, Children’s Legal Services, as well as IRC’s HQ Immigration Technical Unit and a host of external partners, the Children’s Attorney will play a key role in developing this program area for IRC Washington, especially in the Spokane County, and surrounding counties, area. This position will report to the Supervising Attorney, Children’s Legal Services, and may supervise a Legal Assistant and/or interns.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Conduct intakes with child clients, identify relief, and provide direct representation for unaccompanied children released to sponsors in Spokane County and the Washington State counties adjacent to Spokane County.
• Handle moderate to heavy caseload of children’s cases before the Immigration Court and USCIS.
• Initiate and represent children in state court proceedings for children who are eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile classification, including dependencies, Vulnerable Youth Guardianships, parenting plans, and minor guardianships.
• Prepare, file, monitor, and represent child clients with applications for immigration relief including, but not limited to, applications for Special Immigrant Juvenile Classification, asylum, U “Crime Victim” visas, and T “Trafficking Victim” visas.
• Represent child clients before the Immigration Court in Seattle, WA, including attending Master Calendar and Merits Hearings; filing motions, notices of appearance, change of address forms, and briefings; and communicating with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Chief Counsel regarding clients’ matters before the Court. This will likely require periodic travel to Seattle for these hearings.
• Coordinate closely within IRC’s multidisciplinary teams to identify needs and facilitate referrals to social services offered in-house and through partnerships with external providers.
• Ensure client and program data is collected and recorded consistently, managed appropriately, and reported accurately in accordance with program reporting requirements set by IRC.
• Position may supervise legal assistants and/or interns.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge and expertise of changing asylum and immigration policies as they relate to unaccompanied children through regular trainings and peer-to-peer consultation.
• Serve as a strong advocate for humanitarian immigrants.

JOB REQUIREMENTS: 

• Law degree (JD or LLM) from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and admission to the Washington bar, required;
• At least one year experience providing direct representation in Immigration Court and/or before USCIS to asylum applicants and other immigrants seeking humanitarian relief; law school graduates with clinical legal experience may be considered;
• Fluency in Spanish/English required.
• Experience providing legal services to children and/or working with children preferred;
• Lived experience with the immigration legal system highly desired, but not required;
• Excellent legal research, writing, analytical, and organizational skills;
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally in a courtroom setting and in writing;
• Deep commitment to immigrant rights and working with humanitarian immigrants;
• Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills;
• Personal integrity in handling ethically complex and confidential situations;
• Evidence of capacity to be a strong team member in a highly collaborative and fast-paced multidisciplinary environment;
• Commitment to anti-racism and ongoing learning;
• Strong computer literacy, research and analysis skills; and

• Must have a valid driver’s license, reliable vehicle, active insurance policy and ability to travel frequently in and around the service area to attend hearings and interviews and engage with clients and community partners.

Position Start Date: The position is scheduled to start on September 30, 2024, and is contingent upon the approval of funding.

Working Environment:   

• Standard office environment with occasional participation in community outreach and legal assistance events. Hybrid, flexible work options available.
• May require occasional weekend and/or evening work.
• If applicant chooses to work a hybrid work schedule, applicant must have a home or alternate workspace they can effectively complete their work from during regularly scheduled hours.

Compensation: Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.  Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

US Benefits: The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plans: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12 month time period. 
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