Senior Counsel and Director of Legal Services

Torture Abolition and Survivor Support Coalition International (TASSC) • Full-time • Washington, DC, US • $80k - $95k / year • 20h ago

Senior Counsel and Director of Legal Services

Washington, DC Metro Area · Hybrid · Full-time (37.5 hrs/week) · $80,000–$95,000/year

A unique opportunity for a committed, resourceful lawyer to lead and continue building an immigration legal services program serving survivors of torture and persecution in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

About TASSC

The Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC) International is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides services to survivors of torture. Our mission is to provide compassionate services that empower individuals to rebuild their lives and secure protection under international and domestic law. TASSC recognizes the psychological effects of torture and assists survivors with their immediate medical, psychological, legal, housing, and employment needs. Four programs are the cornerstones of our work and address the main areas of concern for many survivors: social, legal, career, and advocacy. TASSC’s wraparound services encourage and supplement the efforts of survivors who come to us seeking independence, self-sufficiency, and healthy futures.

TASSC’s integrated services also empower survivors to become leaders in our organization and our broader community. TASSC is proud to be survivor-led, with survivors serving as Board Members and the present Executive Director. TASSC has thrived because of countless hours of volunteer work from survivors who have taken leading roles in advocacy and community support.

Position Overview

TASSC is seeking a Senior Counsel and Director of Legal Services to lead the Legal Services Program (LSP), provide immigration representation to survivors of torture, supervise the LSP team, and guide the program’s continued growth. Reporting to the Executive Director, this full-time role (37.5 hours/week) offers flexible scheduling and a hybrid work arrangement, with some on-site services in Washington, DC and substantial remote work. The successful candidate will reside in the DC metro area.

The Director is both a practicing attorney and a program leader: alongside a modest direct caseload, the Director supervises legal staff, oversees program operations, develops pro bono and institutional partnerships, and contributes to the organization’s advocacy, communications, grant, and policy work.

Primary Responsibilities

Direct Legal Representation

Provide legal representation in affirmative and defensive asylum matters and related proceedings for asylum seekers and asylees, including work permits, adjustment of status, relative petitions, and appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Provide additional humanitarian and family-based immigration services for survivors who are seeking or have sought asylum, including TPS, VAWA, T visas, U visas, and family-based adjustment of status.
Monitor and respond to legal and procedural developments affecting survivors of torture and other asylum seekers, including statutory changes, executive orders, regulations, and decisions from the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal courts.
Counsel clients and adapt case strategy in real time in response to a rapidly changing enforcement environment, including heightened detention risk, shifting work-permit eligibility, and accelerated interview scheduling.

Program Leadership & Operations

Supervise and support the LSP team including up to two staff attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives, paralegal/legal assistant staff, legal interns, fellows, and pro bono attorneys, providing case advice, regular check-ins, and periodic performance reviews.
Strengthen the program’s DOJ-accredited representative capacity, supporting representatives in obtaining and maintaining accreditation as a means of expanding and sustaining service delivery.
Foster a collaborative, empowering team culture that incorporates staff and survivor voice, and support staff well-being, including attention to vicarious trauma and burnout.
Recruit, onboard, and train staff and interns; maintain onboarding and training resources; and support continuing legal education and mentorship to build substantive expertise, particularly in removal defense.
Expand and manage the pro bono program, including law-firm partnerships for complex and removal-defense referrals, attorney trainings, and client outplacement to extend the program’s reach and capacity.
Maintain relationships with nonprofit partners, coalitions, clinical evaluators, and peer legal-services providers to support referrals and case support and represent TASSC in DC-area legal-services networks.
Oversee core program operations, including the case management system, client records, intake and scheduling processes, and volunteer engagement, ensuring legal ethical rules are understood and followed.

Organizational Contributions

Prepare and submit regular programmatic and grant reports for LSP, including compliance tracking, goal monitoring, and identification of emerging needs and risks.
Support development, compliance, and organizational policy work—for example, by contributing to grant applications, grant-related and insurance requirements, and program policies—in partnership with colleagues and pro bono counsel where appropriate.
Oversee survivor-facing legal communications and education, including Know Your Rights presentations and the LSP newsletter.
Support TASSC’s advocacy by coordinating with Advocacy and Development on policy efforts, contributing relevant case data, and representing survivors in public forums where appropriate.

Qualifications & Job Requirements

Law degree from an ABA-accredited US institution and admission to any state or DC bar.
Three or more years of experience representing asylum seekers before USCIS Asylum Offices and EOIR Immigration Court. Experience before the Board of Immigration Appeals or in federal court, including removal defense and habeas practice, is a strong plus.
Management experience in immigration legal services, or similar experience, including supervising staff and building program systems. Experience supervising or working alongside DOJ-accredited representatives is a plus.
Demonstrated ability to develop external partnerships and lead initiatives with minimal direction.
Commitment to working with survivors of torture and/or trauma, to learning about the effects of torture on survivors, their families, and communities, and to delivering client-centered, trauma-informed, zealous advocacy.
Commitment to the well-being of staff and to understanding and preventing vicarious trauma and burnout.
Ability to communicate patiently, respectfully, and empathetically with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including survivors from many different countries.
Ability to manage numerous tasks simultaneously, work under pressure, and identify and properly analyze legal issues while meeting deadlines.
Excellent oral and written communication skills characterized by clarity and accuracy.
Experience working with interpreters and translators desired; fluency in a second language is a plus (particularly Amharic, French, Spanish, or Arabic).

Additional Requirements

Flexibility, sense of humor, and resourcefulness.
Personal integrity in handling ethically complex and confidential situations.
Self-motivated and comfortable working in stressful, rapidly changing conditions.
Strong research and analysis skills.
Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills.

Compensation

Salary: $80,000–$95,000/year (commensurate with experience).

Benefits: A competitive benefits package, including 80% covered medical and dental, 403(b) and Roth 403(b) options, 120 hours of vacation in the first year, 96 hours of personal/sick time, 13 paid holidays, and a week off between Christmas and New Year’s.

To Apply

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to info@tassc.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled

TASSC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity and strongly encourages applications from candidates who can contribute to that goal. TASSC International is an equal-opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. TASSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, religion, political orientation, genetic information, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability.