Supervising Attorney, Detention Team, NIJC

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.

Job Summary:

NIJC seeks an energetic, visionary, and committed legal supervisor to join our detention team. We are the largest provider of legal services to detained immigrants in the Midwest. Our team provides direct representation in removal defense, appellate work before the Board of Immigration Appeals, and litigation in federal courts. We also empower immigrants to advocate for themselves through legal orientation presentations, pro se workshops, and Know Your Rights (KYR) sessions.

In this role, the supervisor will manage a team of lawyers and/or paralegals, ensure high-quality legal services, support casework, and oversee intake with detained individuals and their families. The supervisor will collaborate with other teams, including management, litigation, policy, and communications.

The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of immigration law, especially the intersection of criminal and immigration law, and relief options for detained immigrants such as cancellation of removal, asylum, and criminal grounds of removability.

The role will involve 30% staff management, 60% casework (independently and with supervisees as co-counsel), and 10% project management. Success Objectives will guide individual responsibilities and work volume.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee and coordinate legal services schedule to ensure intake coverage
• Ensure timely case preparation, including case opening process, preparing filings, trial preparation, appeals, case closures, and other case management practices
• Work with the detention supervisory team to build a strong team and oversee the team's projects
• Provide recommendations based on case trends to inform project-based strategic decisions
• Maintain and develop strategic partnerships with key stakeholders
• Conduct factual and legal research.
• Provide legal representation to immigrants in immigration proceedings, including before an immigration officer, an immigration judge, and in federal court, as appropriate.
• Draft correspondence and documents, including applications, briefs and reports.
• Improve delivery of legal services, including use of technology to improve efficiency
• Train lawyers and non-lawyers in the field of immigration law.
• Conduct legal presentations regarding law and case(s) to NIJC staff, managing attorney(s) and members of the immigrant community.
• Maintain accurate, thorough and timely records.
• Maintain current knowledge regarding immigration law and policies and procedures.
• React to change productively and handles other essentials duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Education and/or Experience: A law degree (JD), license to practice law and at least 3 years' experience in the legal field, preferably in the field of immigration law, with a focus on removal defense. Applicants with significantly more experience are encouraged to apply, and total years of relevant experience will be considered as part of the final salary determination.
• Language Skills: Fluency in English and Spanish is required. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Demonstrated competency in public speaking and strong interpersonal skills required. Additional non-English language skills are preferred.
• Computer Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Windows operating systems.
• Reasoning Ability: Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. The ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Physical Abilities Statement

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• The person in this position 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.

It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status.