The University of Minnesota Law School seeks a visionary leader, committed to immigration advocacy and justice, to lead the Binger Center for New Americans. The Executive Director is the primary staff administrator responsible for (1) leading the Center in the ongoing development and implementation of its vision and core mission, especially the Education & Outreach Program, (2) leading partnership collaboration and communication necessary to promote and engage in the Center’s work, and (3) fostering connections with a broad constituency of networks, community partners and immigrant advocates in the region and nationally. The Executive Director works in collaboration with the Center’s faculty director and engages clinical faculty, staff, and law students together with the Center’s partners and stakeholders, the Director of the Law Clinics, and Law School leadership in order to set and carry out the Center’s priorities. 

The Center’s  Education and Outreach Program connects the Center’s clinics to community needs and goals, which inform the development of the Center’s programs and litigation to protect immigrants and impact the immigration system. Through legal education, organizing, pro bono legal services, and capacity building, the Education and Outreach Program supports community efforts to break down systemic barriers and empower communities.

The Executive Director will be a skilled and experienced community-driven leader, with expertise in immigration advocacy and a thoughtful eye for partnership opportunities to advance immigrant rights work across the Law School, the Twin Cities community and beyond. They will be adept at encouraging broad community-building, engagement, and action-oriented results. 

Job Duties:

Lead and Implement Strategic Planning & Initiatives – 20%

• Lead the overall vision, strategic planning, and execution of initiatives for the Binger Center, in partnership with the Binger Center’s faculty director, clinical faculty, and staff, partners, and stakeholders, as well as the broader Clinic and Law School leadership. 
• Engage and foster connections with a broad constituency of networks, community partners and immigrant advocates in the region and nationally with Binger Center initiatives.
• Develop partnership opportunities to advance the Binger Center’s work across the Law School, the Twin Cities community and beyond. 
• Engage in development opportunities, in partnership with the Law School’s Advancement team, that align with the Binger Center’s and Law School’s needs. 

Direct the Education & Outreach Program - 50% 

• Direct the Binger Center’s Education and Outreach Program and the program’s initiatives, including supervising the Community Outreach & Program Coordinator.
• Provide oversight and implement the Education and Outreach programs alongside Center outreach staff and law students and volunteers. A range of activities include: large-scale community workshops to designed to help immigrants understand their legal rights, working collaboratively with community partners to develop advisories, guides, and other tools to support new immigrants and the agencies that serve them, an annual full-day continuing legal education conference, educational seminars designed to train pro bono lawyers and law students for immigration-related public service, general public events, and student-led presentations. 
• Lead existing Education and Outreach programs, including: Rural Immigrant Access Initiative, Afghan Evacuee Project, Translation and Interpretation Program, Human Rights Defender Court Observation Project, and law student service learning trips.
• Lead or, in partnership with an adjunct faculty member, manage the semester-long Rural Immigrant Access Clinic, including working with clinical law students to develop pop-up legal clinics in rural communities that have limited access to immigration attorneys and have experienced dramatic increases in immigration apprehension and detention.
• Lead the Binger Center’s Immigration Law Field Placement course and identify opportunities for law student experiential learning opportunities in the area of immigration law and policy.

Lead and Oversee Operations for the Center - 20% 

• Serve as the primary liaison for the Center with Clinic and Law School Leadership, as well as with the University of Minnesota and the greater community.
• Oversee operations for the Binger Center, including coordinating adjunct faculty, graduate and undergrad interns, and student and community volunteers.
• Maintain the Binger Center’s discretionary budget and set budget priorities in consultation with Clinic and Law School leadership. 
• Develop and implement internal procedures for planning, outcome tracking, and communication, including leading planning sessions and community needs assessments with external partners.

Lead and Oversee Communications for the Center - 10%

• Develop and lead the Center’s communication's plan, including public messaging and media outreach on an ongoing and as-needed basis.
• Implement the Binger Center’s media strategy in collaboration with the Law School’s Communications Department and Clinic Leadership, including the annual report and ongoing messaging.

About the University of Minnesota Law School 

One of the country’s top public law schools, the University of Minnesota Law School is a leader in preparing students to solve the complex social, economic and business issues of our time. Our exceptional faculty, innovative curriculum and unmatched clinical and experiential learning opportunities equip students for the demands of the 21st century. The Law School draws a talented, diverse student body from every part of the United States and numerous countries.

At the Law School, the Law School’s nationally ranked clinical training program provides 26 diverse and wide-ranging legal clinics to the local, national, and global community. 

About the Binger Center for New Americans 

Established in 2013, the James H. Binger Center for New Americans (BCNA) is a nationally-renowned  immigration and human rights law center and educational program comprised of four interrelated clinics: the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic, the Detainee Rights Clinic, the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, and the Rural Immigrant Access Clinic. Students in each Clinic represent clients at all levels of their immigration cases. In addition to the clinics, the Center is home to an integrated Education and Outreach Program.  

The Center is unique among law school immigration clinical programs because it was designed and operates as a formal partnership with the pro bono programs of several of Minnesota's preeminent law firms, as well as three of our state's leading immigration nonprofits: The Advocates for Human Rights, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. Using this unique model, the Center serves as a community hub and an innovation training center for the next generation of immigration advocates, while pursuing systemic reform and high-impact litigation at all levels. 

Applications must be submitted online.  To be considered for this position, please go to  - https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/347632.  You can also apply directly via the UMN job board here - Job ID ##347632. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-UOHR (8647).

Required 

• BA/BS with at least 6 years of experience in community-driven work 
• Demonstrated understanding of U.S. immigration law and policy 
• Experience and skills in advocacy, activism, or community-driven work that aligns with the core values of the Binger Center 
• Demonstrated commitment to building and sustaining relationships
• Capacity to effectively communicate, work collaboratively, directly supervise, and engage with staff and stakeholders at all levels 
• Excellent interpersonal, cross-cultural, and public communication skills; leadership, problem-solving, and consensus-building capacity; professional judgment and discretion 

Preferred 

• J.D. from an A.B.A. accredited law school or other advanced professional degree with at least 4 years of professional experience dedicated to immigration-related community education and outreach, or a bachelors or higher degree with at least 8 years of professional experience dedicated to immigration-related community education and outreach
• Nonprofit or higher education leadership experience