Goal of the Position
The position will work with staff and volunteers to expand Voces’ BIA accredited legal services, asylum services, citizenship clinics, labor rights services, and multilingual legal services to City of Milwaukee immigrants and refugees and our statewide chapters. The position will work on policy initiatives that better integrate and support immigrants and refugees in our community, and develop and or review multilingual community education materials on Know Your Rights or other issues.
Job Description/Responsibilities
- Train key staff and volunteers to screen and prepare immigration applications and increase the numbers of BIA accredited persons. Applications include asylum initial applications, family petitions, consular processing, adjustment of status, U-visa, VAWA, removal defense cases, and deferred action labor rights.
- Review cases to identify simple cases that can be handled by trained volunteers and those that are more complicated and might need legal referral and representation.
- Meet regularly, coordinate and network with Voces’ pro bono attorneys’ that are part of our referral list and legal clinic to maximize legal services and impact
- Train attorneys, volunteers and staff for large scale legal clinics.
- Supervise law students, paralegals, and legal fellows to build Voces’ legal capacity
- Provide ongoing staff training to assess individuals’ eligibility for immigration benefits at consultations.
- In some cases, provide legal representation for clients in immigration court proceedings and other legal proceedings related to immigration and refugee status.
- Perform legal research and regularly monitor developments in immigration law and labor law
- Conduct community presentations on immigration topics such as “Know Your Rights
- Serve as legal/policy expert in coalitions with external partners
- Strategically, creatively, and boldly use plaintiff-drive, community-grounded impact litigation in combination and partnership with Voces other core strategies of policy advocacy, communications, and movement building to advance Voces vision and mission.
- Collaborate with staff across the organization, including the communications, essential workers department, youth and adult organizing departments.
- Advance Voces legislative advocacy by providing legal analysis and technical assistance to Voces colleagues, government officials and staff, the media, and organizers. Provide support to other staff on issues of subject-matter expertise.
- Submit Timesheets: Ensure that timesheets are submitted on time according to the schedule provided by HR. Supervisors, managers, and directors are responsible for reviewing and approving their team's timesheets within the specified timeframe.
- Supervisory Responsibilities: Supervisors, managers, and directors are responsible for conducting annual employee performance reviews for the members of their teams.
- Mandatory Attendance: Attend mandatory meetings and events, including but not limited to all-staff meetings, directors' meetings, May Day, the annual Gala, retreats, and other organizational events as required.
Qualifications and Experience
- Education: JD Required
- Written and oral fluency in English/Spanish required
- At least 2 years’ experience working in immigration legal services, immigration court
- Possess advanced interpersonal communication skills and passion for social and economic justice, and sensitivity to challenges of the immigrant community
- Sensitivity to the needs and legal issues affecting people of diverse backgrounds
- Ability to stay organized, manage a high-volume workload, and work under strict deadlines
- Strong proofreading and detail-oriented research and writing skills
- Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from members, clients and the general public
- Ability to manage and organize multiple tasks simultaneously and independently, often under pressure and in a fast-paced environment
- Must be proactive, a self-starter with a solution-oriented mindset, and a willingness to take initiative
- Well organized with high attention to details and deliver accurate work within strict deadlines
- Ability to manage and prioritize time and responsibilities, including the ability to work independently
- Adapt to change and respond to unexpected issues
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
