Senior Attorney, School Based Help Desk

About NIJC: The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC's team of 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.

About the Role

For two years, NIJC has led a pilot project providing legal services in one Chicago Public High School, offering immigration legal orientation and direct representation to students and families. NIJC is expanding this onsite school helpdesk model to screen, offer legal assistance and consultations, educate individuals about their rights, and identify and accept representation of students and their families in three additional high schools.

NIJC seeks four Senior Attorneys to provide legal orientation, Know Your Rights (KYR) presentations, and direct representation to immigrant children and families. Each Senior Attorney will offer regular onsite screening and intake hours, as determined in consultation with their assigned school, as well as a regular schedule of KYR presentations and educational sessions for school staff, students, and parents. Each Senior Attorney will maintain an individual caseload of clients for direct representation before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), focusing on rapid response serving individuals in the school community. Direct representation will include complex cases involving children and families, and a mixture of detained and non-detained cases, depending on the needs of the school community.

Responsibilities

• Provides onsite intake, education, and legal consultations for students and school community members in Spanish and English.
• Develops and maintains relationships with relevant stakeholders, including students, school staff and administration, community organizations, and government agencies.
• Has in-depth knowledge of legal and other resources; makes appropriate referrals through the school or other agencies for students' and families' holistic needs, including housing, food insecurity, mental health, and other needs.
• Documents work and processes to ensure compliance with deliverables and establish a replicable model for the project.
• Ensures consistent application of immigration law best practices through mentoring, case consultation, staff training, and regular case audits.
• Reviews cases for legal accuracy, strategic alignment, and compliance with current law.
• Ensures timely and accurate data entry to meet program and funding requirements; conducts periodic case audits.
• Develops and implements complex case strategies in consultation with supervisor.
• Maintains a caseload and workload appropriate to the needs of the department.
• Prepares cases as needed for interviews or hearings, including drafting legal papers, conducting client advocacy, and presenting evidence, in accord with the Code of Professional Responsibility for the legal profession.
• Remains current on immigration law, policies and procedures, as well as the implications of criminal and civil law as they apply to the representation of immigrants.
• Participates in training on immigration procedures as assigned by the Supervisor; may conduct training sessions and develop materials.
• Identifies trends and recurring legal and social concerns; recommends strategies for solutions and other needed advocacy.

Qualifications

• A law degree (JD) and license to practice law in the United States.
• A minimum of three years' experience practicing in immigration law.
• Experience working with children and families, survivors of violence, or other vulnerable populations is required.
• Experience working with schools, and/or with young people in the city of Chicago is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively on a variety of projects with non-lawyers, community organizations, and government stakeholders.

Skills

• Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish is required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, work independently, and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365; familiarity with legal software applications.
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced environments and adapt quickly to change.
• Self-motivated and committed to immigrant advocacy.
• Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with colleagues internally and outside of the organization.
• Meticulous attention to detail, clear communication, and effective time management.
• Excellent public speaking and interpersonal skills.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• Occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine.
• Work is performed in office and school-based settings and requires regular travel to school sites.