Job Title:          Staff Attorney

Department:     Immigration

Reports to:       Legal Director

Hours:              35

FLSA:              Salary

Qualifications

• BA/BS and JD required
• Must be a member in good standing of state bar (Massachusetts preferred)
• Previous experience in Immigration Law, Family/Custody or Dependency Law, Criminal Law, or Federal Practice preferred
• Experience or training working with survivors of trauma, crime, or abuse preferred
• Enthusiasm and commitment to serving low-income immigrant communities, with experience in non-profit sector preferred
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Computer skills with the ability to perform daily tasks within LawLogix Case Management system, Outlook, Microsoft Word, and Excel
• A reliable, insured vehicle and valid driver’s license required

• Bi-lingual preferred

Job Summary

The Legal Department ILEAP (Immigration Law Education and Advocacy Project) provides free and low-cost legal services to low-income immigrants in Southeastern Massachusetts.  Representing immigrants and their families applying for green cards, defense from deportation, asylum protection, citizenship and other lawful statuses.  The ILEAP department conducts outreach for counseling, education, training to the immigrant community, health and human service providers and local partners who serve immigrants.

The ILEAP Staff Attorney will carry an independent caseload centered largely on removal defense and asylum.  Collegial and interpersonal skills are critical to share in the supervision of paralegals, law student’s, interns, and volunteers.  Additionally, the Staff Attorney will participate in community outreach while supporting all activities related to the daily operations of the department, while promoting agency culture, respect and dignity.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Staff Attorney is responsible for ensuring the functions of the program are met while providing services that are safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and client-centered.

• Must demonstrate honesty, integrity, and professionalism at all times
• Must exemplify our mission in action:  which is helping those in need and treating others with compassion, dignity and respect.
• Must comply with all rules of legal ethics and professional responsibilities.
• Responsible for supervising and mentoring paralegals, AmeriCorps members, volunteers and interns
• Must be able to take initiative, function independently and work collaboratively
• Maintain an effective working relationship with referral sources, community agencies, donors and volunteers as well as with colleagues, supervisors, employees and other agency programs
• Must exhibit positive leadership and role modeling, including program development and agency mission
• Attend all agency, program and community related meetings
• Responsible for the accurate and timely documentation, and  reporting requirements for the program  
• Must exhibit strong assessment skills, excellent documentation skills, organization, and communication skills
• Meet with Legal Director for weekly supervision and updates  
• Respond to inquiries, phone calls, correspondence, and e-mails in a timely manner
• Complete all tasks as assigned by the Legal Director

Additional Responsibilities

• Work with the Legal Director on any additional projects/matters for which he/she requests related to the program
• Attend all required program trainings and assigned in-service trainings to comply with annual training requirements
• Comply with all safety regulations, CSS policies and adhere to agency confidentiality policy
• Report all safety and ethical concerns to Legal Director
• Responsible for reporting all incidents to the Legal Director

Working Conditions

The work environment described, represents what may be encountered while performing the essential functions of the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to assist individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

• Travels by automobile and is exposed to varying weather conditions
• Must be able to travel to Boston, satellite offices and any assigned sites as required
• Sits, stands, bends, lifts, grasps, kneels, crouches, reaches, climbs, and moves intermittently during the business hours
• Works in office areas as well as throughout individual CSS facilities including the community
• May be exposed to emotionally upset clients, family members, staff and visitors
• May be exposed to frequent interruptions, loud noise, extreme heat/cold
• Spends time greeting clients/family members, courteously answering telephone calls and responding to emails.
• Ability to make sensory perceptions to evaluate environmental conditions

Ability to work and promote a flexible schedule based on programmatic coverage, weekends, holidays, and program emergencies