Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney

Requirements

• J.D. and admitted to the local state.
• Fluent in English and Spanish.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience practicing immigration law, which should include representation of clients in humanitarian immigration claims such as asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U visas, and T visas.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience working with children, preferably immigrant and refugee children, and/or working with vulnerable populations, survivors of abuse, human trafficking, or other trauma.
• Experience working with law firm attorneys and/or other legal volunteers if the majority of the caseload is working directly with pro bono attorneys.
• Strong record of cultural competence and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suites (such as Teams, Excel, etc.).
• Ability to work collaboratively and multi-task in our KIND environment, managing numerous priorities and emerging opportunities.
• Excellent organizational skills with ability to work on multiple projects in a deadline-oriented environment. Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate as appropriate.
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles.
• Committed to prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as embracing transparency and authenticity in daily work life.
• Be disciplined and nimble to ensure delivery on our core mission of access to justice and protection of children’s wellbeing and rights.
• Showing the ability to multi-task and work with a sense of urgency in a dynamic, fast paced environment.
• Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
• Experience working and communicating in a remote environment.

Responsibilities

• Provides both mentoring to KIND pro bono attorneys and direct legal representation to KIND clients.
• In the pro bono mentoring function, provides robust consultation and technical assistance to pro bono attorneys who have accepted a KIND case.
• In the direct representation function, perform ordinary functions of legal counsel including legal research and formulating the legal strategy for the case, conducting client interviews, appearing before immigration and/or state courts or agencies and drafting and filing court pleadings and applications for benefits.
• Supervises interns and/or other non-attorney staff as needed including, onboarding, skills training, daily support and coaching, review and quality assurance of filings, regular check-ins and performance evaluations, and provision of consistent and effective supervision and oversight.
• Places cases with pro bono attorneys and actively builds relationships between KIND and the pro bono community.
• In coordination with KIND’s Training and Technical Assistance Team and the local field office Senior Attorney/s, as needed, helps develop pro bono training resources and local training curriculum, including sample filings and guidance packets; with supervision, presents trainings to pro bono attorneys and community groups.
• Contributes to overall office functioning, including actively participating in field office and KIND-wide calls and meetings, field office and KIND-wide committees, and assisting with office events.
• Ensures entry of timely, accurate, and detailed case data into KIND’s case management systems.
• Represents KIND at local coalitions, courts, and agencies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with diverse populations and a commitment to wellbeing and work-home life balance.