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About NIJC

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC's team of over 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.

Job Summary:

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) seeks an energetic, visionary, and committed legal supervisor to join our Immigrant Legal Defense Project in our Chicago office. The team provides legal representation and counseling to immigrants appearing before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of State (DOS), and if appropriate, before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

In this role, the supervisor will supervise a team of attorneys, paralegals, and interns to ensure high-quality legal services, as well as the ongoing training and professional development of team members. The supervisor will collaborate with other teams, including management, litigation, policy, and communications.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supervises legal services and oversees paralegals, attorneys, interns and support staff providing legal services; including the development of case strategy, preparation, and representation before governmental agencies.
• Ensure accurate data entry by paralegals, attorneys, and interns.
• Oversees and reviews legal intakes; makes legal assessments and determinations regarding representation. Ensure timely case preparation, including case opening process, preparing filings, trial preparation, appeals, case closures, and other case management practices.
• Works with a supervisory team to build a strong team and oversee the team's projects. Provides recommendations based on case trends to inform project-based strategic decisions. Maintains and develops strategic partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Conducts factual and legal research.
• Provides legal representation to immigrants in immigration proceedings, including before an immigration officer, an immigration judge, and before the Board of Immigration Appeals as appropriate.
• Drafts correspondence and documents, including applications, briefs, and reports.
• Improves delivery of legal services, including the use of technology to improve efficiency. Trains lawyers and non-lawyers in immigration law.
• Conducts legal presentations regarding law and case(s) to NIJC staff and members of the immigrant community. Maintains accurate, thorough, and timely records.
• Identifies trends and emerging issues and responses to issues.
• Maintains current knowledge regarding immigration laws, policies, and procedures. Advances an anti-racist organization that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion Reacts to change productively and handles other essentials duties as assigned.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong legal research, writing, and argumentation skills.
• Stays up to date on current knowledge regarding immigration law, policies and procedures.
• Effectively manages cases ensuring accuracy, efficiency and timely decision-making in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Exhibits sound, independent legal judgment and the ability to work autonomously while maintaining strong collaborative relationships with teammates, supervisors and cross‑functional teams.
• Experience analyzing the impact of laws on vulnerable populations and advocating for improved laws and policies.
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced environments and adapt quickly to change.
• Adept at delivering trainings and presentations, conveying complex legal concepts to diverse audiences including legal practitioners, community partners, and impacted immigrant communities.
• Demonstrates cultural awareness and actively contributes to an anti-racist, inclusive organizational culture.

Qualifications:

• Education and/or Experience: Department of Justice fully accredited representative with 3 years of immigration legal experience. Previous supervisory experience preferred but not required.
• Language Skills: This position requires regular communication with clients in Spanish. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written Spanish. Demonstrated competency in public speaking and strong interpersonal skills required. Additional non-English language skills are preferred.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Technology Knowledge/Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications

Physical Abilities Statement

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time
• The person in this position occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operating a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine.

It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

For any technical issues please contact recruiting@immigrantjustice.org