Immigration - General Attorney in Houston, TX

Public Interest

Houston, TX

Immigration - General Attorney in Houston, TX

Attorney

2-5 yrs required

No

Job Title: Temporary Lead Attorney

Job Responsibilities:

1. Direct Representation:
- Provide direct representation to immigrant clients before USCIS, Asylum Office, or Immigration Court, as well as state courts on various immigration matters including affirmative asylum and removal defense.
- Conduct legal intake and screening, interview clients and relevant parties, draft and prepare relevant immigration petitions, conduct legal research, and write memoranda of law, motions, or briefs.
- Prepare clients for interviews and court hearings.

2. Case Management:
- Maintain client physical and electronic files, including case notes, correspondence, filings, calendars, and dockets.
- Maintain a case status list and case service statistics.
- Participate in case reviews with attorney staff and support staff.

3. Meetings:
- Attend and participate in mandatory unit and department staff meetings, and other agency meetings.
- Participate in calls and meetings organized by funders, advocacy groups, local service providers, and national support centers.

4. Contract and Agency Compliance:
- Comply with all contract requirements.
- Provide data and statistical information for grant, contract, and other reporting purposes.
- Participate in trainings, meetings, and calls as required by funders or to serve program needs.

5. Outreaches:
- Participate in legal consultations and community legal education and outreach efforts related to immigration law.
- Conduct legal workshops and engage pro bono counsel in providing legal services.

6. Personnel:
- Provide day-to-day leadership for the legal team, including mentoring and training team members.
- Monitor and review assigned team members’ cases and files, oversee data and reporting, and provide progress notes for team members being mentored.

7. Substantive Expertise:
- Identify specialty areas of expertise and develop training and mentorship materials.
- Continue to develop expertise in general immigration law and related areas.

8. Advocacy:
- Identify policy issues and coordinate with other units in advancing advocacy agenda to promote immigrant rights.

9. Meeting Funder Requirements and Data Needs:
- Organize and oversee funder contract requirements for representation, data collection, training, and legal assistance.
- Evaluate program efficacy and engage in priority setting in line with client and funder needs.

10. Shelter Team:
- Oversee the staffing and operation of the assigned shelter team.
- Conduct regular team meetings to organize shelter schedule, allocate resources, and manage stakeholder relationships.

11. Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience Information:

- Doctor of Jurisprudence (.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
- Licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas and membership in the State Bar of Texas, or take the earliest available bar exam and obtain license no later than one year of employment date.
- Bilingual in Spanish and English.
- Excellent legal research and writing skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation skills.
- Ability to handle a high-volume caseload, multiple deadlines, and other tasks simultaneously.
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office.
- Experience working with immigrant communities is an asset.
- Demonstrated multicultural understanding and experience.

Salary Information:

The text does not provide specific salary information for this position.

Additional Information:

- The organization is an equal opportunity employer, fostering an environment free of racism, discrimination, bias, and harassment.
- Successful applicants must comply with federal contractor vaccine mandate requirements.
- The role contributes to advocating for vulnerable individuals and providing a network of support services to people of all ages and religious backgrounds.