Attorney-in-Charge / Director, Immigration Legal Services

10-10 yrs required

Full-time

No

# Attorney-in-Charge / Director, Immigration Legal Services

Organization is looking for an experienced Attorney-in-Charge / Director for their Immigration Legal Services division. The Attorney-in-Charge will be responsible for leading and providing guidance, mentorship, and professional development for legal staff members. The position will involve day-to-day operations, staff management, contract administration oversight, program refinement, practice expansion, and compliance assurance.

## Responsibilities

* Lead and provide direction, mentorship, guidance, and professional development for legal program directors, managing attorneys, operations directors, supervising attorneys, managers and coordinators in the direct supervision of attorneys, fellows, pro bono volunteer attorneys, migration counselors, case managers, migration assistants, interns, externs, and volunteers.
* Coordinate legal programming with broader CCCS agency section.
* Engage with agency executive staff, including CCCS, CC, and affiliate agencies, and assist in implementation and communication of agency policy, programming and initiatives within the legal programs.
* Assist in the development and direct oversight of new programs and programming and initiatives, including planning, staffing, implementation, quality assurance/reporting requirements, budgeting, community relations, and provide direct supervision to the legal program directors and senior program staff.
* Work closely with the Agency’s Human Resource Department and the legal program directors and managing attorneys in recruitment and hiring efforts for legal teams at every staff level across multiple locations.
* Review and refine onboarding protocols and ensure high quality training for new legal staff, as well as ongoing training to support the needs of existing staff in the legal programs.
* Monitor legal practice across all programs to ensure a high standard of representation and client services, and lead practice-wide legal management and decision making through the analysis of legal issues, developing legal strategy, and strengthening and supervising the implementation of supervision and practice protocols for all legal staff.
* Coordinate intra-agency communication, foster and encourage teamwork and communication, and ensure unity of vision, purpose, and mission identity for legal staff.
* Oversee the coordination and supervision of the Division’s immigration benefits, state court and federal court practice, legal clinic programming, and all removal defense work.
* Lead continuous quality improvement processes throughout the legal practice. Review and improve internal practices relating to intake programs, contract-based case enrollment and case closing protocols, and case productivity tracking to create Division-wide systems for legal management.
* Monitor revenue and expenses for all legal programs and make any necessary budget adjustments. Work with legal program directors, managing attorneys, and assigned staff in the Finance department to review and adjust monthly staff allocations to ensure contractual and budgetary compliance, and to facilitate prompt and accurate tracking, invoicing, claims, forecasting and budgeting.
* Serve as primary contact for legal programs in the preparation of new proposals and contract renewals to ensure high quality proposal, compliance with solicitation requirements and timely submission. Negotiate with government and private revenue sources in connection with renewal contracting and newly funded legal programming as well as associated deliverables.
* Identify systemic issues faced by the Agency’s immigrant clients and explore creative and alternative approaches for legal practice, including affirmative litigation. Evaluate existing program needs and identify necessary resources for effective delivery of services. Collaborate with practitioners and immigration legal services organizations throughout New York State and across the country to develop and participate in litigation and law reform initiatives.
* Work collaboratively with Division Director and managing attorneys to promote the Division's visibility and impact within the governmental, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Serve as the primary legal program contact for funders; improve, monitor, and oversee compliance and submission of grant and other required reporting materials.
* Develop and maintain community support and relationships with community-based organizations, advocates, government agencies, elected officials and the courts.
* In coordination with the Division Director, represent the Division’s legal practice and policy perspectives through media and press relations, in collaborative and coalition representation, guided by internal Agency partners and in collaboration with external partners.

## Qualifications

* Juris Doctor and active status as member in good standing of the bar in any State or the District of Columbia
* Ten (10) years of post-JD experience in immigration law and community legal engagement/service delivery.
* Experience supervising and mentoring others.
* Comprehensive knowledge of immigration law and experience litigating cases in immigration court.
* Strong interest in and familiarity with legal management principles.
* Demonstrated leadership ability.
* Grant-writing and fundraising experience preferred.
* Demonstrated commitment to and experience in public interest law and immigration legal services.
* Demonstrated commitment to policy advocacy and administrative reform.
* Commitment to exploring alternative approaches for improving legal practice.
* Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required.
* Specialization in both substantive and/or regional immigrant areas.
* Excellent oral, research, writing, analytical and organizational skills.
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
* Ability to prioritize and handle multiple complex tasks.
* Ability to convene and lead meetings.
* Ability to work both independently and in a highly collaborative team environment.
* Ability to work with pro bono lawyers.
* Pro bono, government, public service, and academic experience is desirable, but not required.
* Ability to work in a fast?paced environment.
* Ability and experience working with diverse individuals and communities.

## Pay

$150,000-170,000 per year

Supervising and mentoring, Comprehensive knowledge of immigration law, Litigating cases in immigration court, Legal management principles, Leadership ability, Grant-writing and fundraising, Policy advocacy and administrative reform, Alternative approaches for improving legal practice, Excellent oral, research, writing, analytical and organizational skills, Interpersonal and communication skills, Ability to prioritize and handle multiple complex tasks, Ability to convene and lead meetings, Ability to work with pro bono lawyers, Experience working with diverse individuals and communities.

Juris Doctor

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Qualification and Experience Juris Doctor and active status as member in good standing of the bar in any State or the District of Columbia, 10 years of post-JD experience in immigration law and community legal engagement/service delivery.

Legal