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Attorney in Houston, TX

Human Rights First May 02,2017 Dec 05,2016 Location Houston TX
This job is expired...

Public Interest

Attorney

Litigation - Civil Rights

Litigation - Whistleblower - CFTC

Min 5 yrs required

Profile

Managing Attorney Duties: Provide high-quality legal guidance to Human Rights First’s pro bono attorneys and oversee the day-to-day management of work. Ensure that the Refugee Representation team’s values, vision, strategies, projects, and activities are aligned with the team’s overall mission. Lead office’s day-to-day operations and serve as a Refugee Representation team leader, which includes modeling leadership, contributing to the development and implementation of team-wide strategic and operational plans, and helping implement team-wide policies and procedures; Work with the legal director and other members of Refugee Representation’s leadership team to continuously develop and refine a vision and strategic direction for ongoing operations; and Supervise staff attorneys, legal services coordinators, and social worker by providing mentoring, coaching and professional development opportunities; oversee team selection and supervision of volunteers and interns; develop and retain a high-performance staff. Case Selection, Placement, and Management: Ensure that clients accepted into First’s pro bono representation program receive high-quality legal representation from Refugee Representation staff and pro bono attorneys by providing comprehensive legal training, guidance, advice, and updates on asylum and immigration law; Review and supervise case management and quality control systems for pro bono cases; Identify cases appropriate for pro bono and in-house representation; Participate in efforts to assist asylum seekers detained at area detention facilities, including conducting intakes; Spot, analyze, and respond to legal or procedural changes that affect asylum seekers, including statutory changes, proposed regulations, and decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals or federal courts; Oversee the recruitment of pro bono attorneys and the assignment of cases to volunteer attorneys; Provide support to pro bono attorneys and Refugee Representation staff in other offices as needed, and work with the entire Refugee Representation team to ensure inter-office support and team collaboration; and Sustain modest caseload of mentored and direct representation cases. Operational Planning and Management: Ensure effective systems to qualitatively and quantitatively track progress and regularly evaluate program components; Oversee and assist with development of training materials for volunteer attorneys, including the online Pro Bono Attorney Library, and other manuals, memoranda, videos, or other training media; Continue to integrate social work with provision of legal services; and Partner with the legal director and Human Resources team to source and staff open positions. Advocacy: Participate in national advocacy efforts relating to asylum seekers and refugees through engagement with the media and participation in meetings with government officials; Fund-Raising and Resource Development Assist in efforts to secure and maintain funding for the organization and Refugee Representation team; Collaborate with the legal director and other teams, as necessary, to write and submit proposals, letters of intent, case statements, and acknowledgement letters; Play a leading role in expanding and maintaining strong relationships with local law firms, law school clinics, volunteer attorneys, and legal-service organizations; Promote the organization’s mission by participating in local community events, promotional events, and other professional networking events in an effort to elevate the organization’s community profile; and Other duties as requested based on department and/or organizational need.

Qualification and Experience

Qualifications: A U.S. Law Degree (JD Degree ) and active Bar membership; 5+ years of experience in representing asylum applicants at all levels of the administrative process; Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff; develop and manage high-performance teams; and set and achieve strategic objectives; Experience in mentoring other attorneys, preferably on immigration law matters; Excellent and engaging written and oral communicator with ability to communicate patiently, respectfully, and empathetically with individuals and diverse audiences of varying backgrounds, including survivors of trauma or torture; Ability to manage numerous tasks simultaneously; work under pressure and meet deadlines; devise, entertain, and embrace creative solutions; and identify and analyze legal issues; and Fluency in one or more relevant second languages, particularly Spanish, is highly desired.

Company info