General Job Description:
TRP seeks a passionate, collaborative, and innovative attorney to join our Immigrant Justice team to provide rapid response support to changes in immigration policy and priorities that impact our community members. The senior or staff attorney will collaborate with the State Director of Legal Defense as well as across TRP’s Immigrant Justice department to respond to immediate needs of TRP clients and community members, particularly in response to federal law enforcement actions leading to increased detention or other detrimental effects upon the community.
Primary Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Represent detained clients before EOIR on an emergency basis such as, but not limited to, filing motions to reopen, stays of removal.
- Representing detained clients in federal district court by filing habeas petitions on emergency
- Assist with triage of incoming detained referrals into the centralized referral system for screening and case placement internally and with external partners.
- On an as-needed, emergency basis, respond to ICE actions and other rapid response community needs, including quickly arriving on site to observe, learn, take notes, and provide community guidance during ICE or other government agency interactions with the community.
- Work with State Director and IJ leadership to develop TRP responses to ICE or government agency actions against the community.
- Work with IJ team and communications team to respond to media inquiries with accurate and concise
- Represent TRP at city and statewide meetings as
- Lead in material and system development to quickly respond to urgent actions, including intakes, triaging, community-facing materials, and trainings.
- Keep current on changes in immigration law and procedures through research and
Essential Knowledge and Skills:
- Juris Doctorate degree Familiarity with removal defense and experience handling removal cases strongly preferred. 1-2 years of immigration experience required. Detained removal and federal district
court experience is a plus. Senior Staff Attorney position will be considered for candidates with 4 or more years’ experience.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work effectively with people from diverse social, faith, economic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds.
- Ability to succeed in a fast-paced community
- Excellent verbal, analytical, writing, and organization
- Proficient knowledge of MS Office and case management
- Highly motivated and demonstrated ability to work independently as well as part of a
- Strong attention to
Special Working Conditions and Demands:
- On-site work schedule: as needed, and no less than 3 days per week
- Ability to quickly arrive on-site to respond to enforcement actions across Chicago
- Willingness to work flexible hours as needed; some evenings and weekends required
