Managing Attorney, Detained Adult Program- National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP)
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing legal assistance to adult and child immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
Role Description:
A Managing Attorney in the Detained Adult Program focuses on ensuring that the program staff providing excellent and efficient services to clients, implementing long-term plans for the program, providing direct legal services to immigrant adults, and supervising junior staff with a focus on professional development.
General Duties and Responsibilities [1]:
Representation:
- Provides oversight and management of significant aspects of the program in coordination with the Program Director.
- Take on direct legal representation of detained clients in removal proceedings before the Arlington and/or Baltimore Immigration Courts. This includes representation types such as Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Protection under the Convention against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Board of Immigration Appeals, U-Visas, T-Visas, and Cancellation of Removal.
- Ensure that the program is kept abreast of new developments in the law and that junior staff are adequality trained on the law.
- Provide oversight and mentoring to staff attorneys on direct representation cases, including supervision and assistance of (i) case strategy, (ii) trial preparation, and (iii) case load management.
- Provide expert mentoring to outside attorneys representing detained immigrants on a pro bono basis.
- Manage a caseload of in-house direct representation case and pro bono mentorship cases to ensure timely completion and submission of all filings, forms, etc.
- Preparation of Post Release Plans and social service plans, in coordination with social services staff.
- Research, engage, and prepare experts on health, behavioral health, and country conditions.
Detention Facility Services:
- Conduct oversight of visits to government detention facilities.
- Ensure that staff members in the program perform Know-Your-Rights presentations correctly and efficiently.
- Conduct individual intakes with immigrants at the detention facilities. Provide necessary follow-up after intakes to evaluate eligibility for relief, including performing research, securing criminal/juvenile delinquency records and obtaining additional information from family and community members.
Organizational Services:
- Work with program management to set long-term program plans.
- Interface with leadership with of other CAIR Coalition programs to ensure cross-program information and strategy sharing.
- Oversee the inputting and accuracy of data and case information into shared databases in a timely fashion for program staff.
- Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low-bandwidth periods.
- Take part in stakeholder relationship activities, including in-person and telephonic meetings with community groups, governmental bodies and representatives, and other legal service providers.
- Oversee and conduct trainings and stakeholder meetings with detention center staff.
- Lead internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to lend a voice to the growth and strategy of the organization.
- Undertake own administrative functions, including for casework (e.g., preparation of all aspects of filings). CAIR Coalition attorneys do not have dedicated paralegals for assistance on cases and non-attorney staff time is dedicated to client-facing tasks (e.g, jail visits, pro se assistance).
Program-Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Members of the Detained Adult program, in addition to the responsibilities above, also:
- Coordinate with all internal DAP Programs (e.g., LOP, NQRP, Safe Cities) to ensure all programs are kept abreast of developments and clients.
- Oversee pro se assistance by legal assistants.
[1] This list is illustrative and not intended to be a complete classification of all job functions or tasks.
Our Work Environment
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program is a highly collaborative work environment. Each team lead works directly with a focused team, but all colleagues are interconnected through, for example, case workshopping or staff-run committees such as Equity and Inclusion Committee.
DAP staff has been a source of expertise in the highly complex and ever-changing immigration system. They have persisted through administration changes, policy shifts, and attacks on the rights and freedoms of immigrants through project-focused cohorts that arise to address challenges or to brainstorm and implement affirmative strategies.
We center impacted people in our advocacy and media. We embrace the movement in our work while also staying focused on the practicalities we trained for, as well as where we are most useful in this movement. We grow our reach and skill set when resources permit and there is passion. We do not limit our push or dreams for this world based on the limits we know but try to imagine how to navigate around them.
We value our brain trust and are constantly finding ways to ensure that we maintain and grow, in ways that acknowledge those with expertise but also sets up new advocates for success.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The employee demonstrates a mastery of the law and legal procedure and can deploy innovative and thoughtful approaches to assisting clients. The employee stays abreast of developments in the law and ensures that their supervisees are trained in new developments.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The employee proficiently helps to manage all of the program’s in-jail, client, and in-office programmatic obligations. The employee proficiently manages their caseloads and the caseloads of the staff they supervise. The employee skillfully supervises their staff and ensures that staff are in a position to grow professionally.
Administrative
The employee ensures that all administrative aspects of their position (and their staffs’ positions), attendant to the provision of services to clients, are carried out without managerial intervention, including timekeeping, file upkeep, database upkeep, etc.
Qualifications Required:
- JD and relevant experience in immigration law.
- Must be licensed to practice law in or be willing to sit for the next scheduled bar exam.
- Written and oral Spanish fluency strongly preferred.
- Driver’s license required
What Else You Should Know:
Position Type:
Full-time, exempt
Supervisory Responsibility:
Responsible for directly supervising a limited number of staff on the NQRP team (senior staff and/or staff carrying out key program functions, may be attorneys, legal assistants or administrative staff) and providing overall team leadership and back up support to other supervisors on the team.
Reports To:
Deputy Program Director for the Detained Adults Program
Timeline:
Deadline to Apply: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Start Date: Spring 2023
Salary:
$79,500-$97,500
Salary is commensurate with experience per CAIR Coalition’s salary scale.
Location:
This position will be based from the Washington, D.C. Office. Due to business related travel expectations, it is recommended candidates live within 30-miles of their assigned primary office.
Telework:
All CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers whose positions are not fully remote are working a hybrid-work model in compliance with CAIR Coalition’s COVID-19 policies. Due to the duties and responsibilities of the NQRP Managing Attorney role, this position will follow a hybrid-work model and may be required to live within 30 miles of their assigned primary office.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. To be fully vaccinated means having completed the full dosages required for the type of vaccine obtained as designated by the CDC. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility to access the boosters.
Benefits:
- CAIR coalition’s benefits package includes:
- Free gym access located in Washington, D.C.;
- Flexible working hours after successful completion of trainings and with approval of supervisor;
- Pre-tax commuter benefits for those living in the DMV;
- Subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information);
- An annual data reimbursement of $240
- life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability;
- the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account; and
- the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for non-profits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid time off includes:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
- 12 weeks of parental leave
How to Apply:
Submit your resume, a cover letter that explains your interest in this role, and a writing sample with your Paylocity application.
EEO Statement:
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, homeless status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Anti-Racism Statement:
https://www.caircoalition.org/cair-coalitions-statement-becoming-anti-r…
Paralegal, Detained Children's Program
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing free legal assistance to child and adult immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
The Detained Children’s Program provides legal orientation and screening to migrant children detained in the Maryland and Virginia region. We also offer free legal services to children released from Office of Refugee Resettlement custody to the greater Washington/DC Baltimore region.
Role Description:
A paralegal in the Detained Children’s Program works collaboratively with legal and social services staff to:
- coordinate and participate in visits to detention centers for the purpose of conducting know your rights presentations and legal screenings with detained children;
- support attorneys in providing legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children, including assisting with paperwork and case preparation; and
- contribute to the program’s provision of services as a whole, including administrative tasks such as database maintenance and reporting to funders.
- ensure clients receive high-quality, culturally competent legal services while detained and after release
General Duties and Responsibilities[1]
Client Services:
- Participates in the preparation and breakdown of detention facility visits.
- Conducts detention facility visits in Virginia and Maryland, as needed, for the provision of know your rights presentations, intakes, and follow-up conversations with immigrant children.
- Prepares case summaries and contributes to case evaluation including teamwide case reviews, research, securing records, and obtaining additional information from family members to assist with relief assessments and pro bono placement.
- Conducts administrative tasks, including database maintenance and reporting to funders.
- Supports attorneys representing detained and released clients before USCIS, Baltimore, Arlington Immigration, and Hyattsville Immigration Courts and local state courts in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. This includes representation in the following types of cases: Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Protection under the Convention against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U-Visas and T-Visas, in addition to limited social services assistance.
Organizational Services:
- Ensures the timely and accurate entry of case information into shared databases.
- Assists other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low-bandwidth periods.
- Assists with stakeholder relationship activities.
- Engages with internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to lend a voice to the growth and strategy of the organization.
1 This list is illustrative and not intended to be a complete classification of all job functions
Our Work Environment:
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Children’s Program (DUCs) is a highly collaborative work environment. We are committed to providing high-quality, trauma-informed legal and social services, and a culture of professional growth and support for staff. Although aspects of our work are completed in smaller teams, we work towards integrated and client-focused services across the program by embracing interconnectivity. We strive to create systems that provide structure while actively fostering innovation and adaptability. Supervisors in our program share a commitment to teaching, mentorship, and work life balance.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The paralegal demonstrates an understanding of basic eligibility for types of immigration relief to allow for meaningful contribution to client intake, follow-up, and casework with moderate supervision. The LA works towards self-sufficiency in client-facing activities and demonstrates an advancing knowledge of trauma-informed practices. The LA demonstrates an understanding of legal information versus legal advice. The LA demonstrates an increasing understanding in the preparation of legal filings under attorney supervision.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The LA will skillfully and clearly present legal information and know your rights presentations to detained children and clients with moderate supervision. The LA has, and continually improves upon, trauma-informed interviewing and rapport building skills. The LA will demonstrate effective time and resources management.
Administrative
The LA will ensure that all administrative aspects attendant to the provision of services to clients and jail visits are carried out with moderate supervision, including facility visit preparation and breakdown, file, and database upkeep, etc.
Qualifications Required:
- Written and oral Spanish fluency required.
- 1 year of professional experience, strongly preferred.
- Experience in immigration law and/or working with clients; ideally children, preferred.
- Driver’s license required
- Favorable results on background check including driving record, Child Protection Registry, and state and federal criminal records.
What Else You Should Know:
Position Type
Non-Exempt Full-Time
Supervisory Responsibility
None
Reports To
Staff Attorney
Timeline
Deadline to Apply: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Start Date: Spring 2023
Salary
$47,500- $51,350 commensurate with experience
Location
This position will be based from the Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, M.D. Office.
Telework
All CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers are working remotely. However, due to the duties and responsibilities of certain positions, certain staff members will be required to live within 30 miles of their assigned primary office. Staff have the option to work from the office following a hybrid model, as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. To be fully vaccinated means having completed the full dosages required for the type of vaccine obtained as designated by the CDC. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility to access the boosters.
Benefits
- CAIR coalition’s benefits package includes:
- Free gym access located in Washington, D.C.;
- Flexible working hours after successful completion of trainings and with approval of supervisor;
- Pre-tax commuter benefits for those living in the DMV;
- Subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information);
- An annual data reimbursement of $240
- life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability;
- the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account; and
- the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for non-profits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid time off includes:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
- 12 weeks of parental leave
How to Apply:
Submit your resume and a cover letter that explains your interest in this role with your Paylocity application.
EEO Statement:
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Anti-Racism Statement:
https://www.caircoalition.org/cair-coalitions-statement-becoming-anti-racist-organization
Senior Attorney, Detained Adult Program
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing free legal assistance to child and adult immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
Position Summary:
A Senior Attorney in the Detained Adult Program focuses on (i) the provision of direct legal services under a universal representation model to immigrant adults held in facilities in Virginia and Maryland, (ii) the supervision of staff attorneys and legal assistants (also including supervision of interns and fellows); and (iii) the mentoring of pro bono attorneys. This position is based in our Baltimore, Maryland office and will work primarily with our Maryland focused universal representation project/public defender model. This project provides legal representation to detained immigrants regardless of their criminal history and immigration procedural postures.
Our Work Environment:
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program (DAP) is a highly collaborative work environment. We work in smaller focused teams around various direct representation and legal orientation projects, but all DAP colleagues are interconnected through, for example, case workshopping, appeals management, advocacy initiatives, and staff-run committees such as our Equity & Inclusion Committee.
DAP staff have been a source of expertise in the highly complex and ever-changing immigration system. We have persisted through administration changes, policy shifts, and attacks on the rights and freedoms of immigrants through collaborations that arise to address challenges or to brainstorm and implement affirmative strategies.
We center impacted people in our advocacy and media. We embrace the movements to bring universal representation, an end to detention, and meaningful due process to the U.S. immigration system in our work, which also staying focused on the practical work we are trained to do and where we are most useful in this space. We grow our reach and skill set when resources permit and there is interest!
General Duties and Responsibilities:
Representation:
- Manages caseload of direct legal representation of detained clients in removal proceedings primarily before the Arlington and/or Baltimore Immigration Courts. This includes representation types such as Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Protection under the Convention against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U-Visas, T-Visas, and Cancellation of Removal.
- Provide direct supervision to staff attorneys on direct representation cases, including supervision and assistance of (i) case strategy, (ii) trial preparation, and (iii) case load management.
- Provide expert mentoring to outside attorneys representing detained immigrants on a pro bono basis.
- Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low bandwidth periods.
- Participates in stakeholder relationship activities.
- Engages with internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to lend a voice to the growth and strategy of the organization.
- Written and oral Spanish fluency strongly preferred, but experienced supervisors will be considered with no Spanish language.
- Driver’s license required.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The Senior Attorney demonstrates a solid understanding of legal concepts at a level that allows them to provide services to clients with limited supervision. The Senior Attorney clearly and skillfully employs the law in written and oral presentations and assists junior staff in doing the same. The Senior Attorney has taken on multiple hearings or interviews for clients with limited supervision. The Senior Attorney is able to competently supervise Staff Attorneys on client interaction matters and legal strategy, research, and writing. The Senior Attorney demonstrates cultural competency and trauma-informed practices.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The Senior Attorney competently handles, and supervises, all required programmatic obligations (staff supervision, program reporting requirements, intake, follow-up, relief eligibility memos for pro bono placement, etc.). The Senior Attorney manages their supervision responsibilities and in-house and pro bono mentoring caseload to allow for proper prioritization and thoughtful use of time and resources. The Senior Attorney supervises junior staff to ensure programmatic efficiency and efficacy. The Senior Attorney exercises sound judgment and decision-making skills and identifies when issues must be elevated to management.
Administrative
The Senior Attorney ensures that all administrative aspects of their position (and of their supervisees’), attendant to the provision of services to clients, are carried out without managerial intervention, including timekeeping, file upkeep, database upkeep, etc.).
Qualifications Required:
- JD and 3-5 years of relevant experience in immigration law.
- Must be licensed to practice law and in good standing with a state bar.
- Written and oral Spanish fluency strongly preferred, but experienced supervisors will be considered with no Spanish language.
- Driver’s license required.
What Else You Should Know:
Salary
Commensurate with experience working in legal services. The salary range is $65,300-$80,750.
Travel
This position may require travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with all CAIR Coalition safety protocols.
Position Location
Baltimore, MD or Washington, DC
While local applicants are preferred, we will also consider qualified remote non-local applicants to work remotely through September 2022.
Telework
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers are working remotely. However, due to the duties and responsibilities of certain positions, certain staff members may be required to live within daily commuting distance of their assigned primary office. Staff have the option to work from the office following a hybrid model, as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies.
Benefits:
CAIR Coalition’s benefits package includes (a) subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information); (b) life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability; (d) the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account (beginning January 1, 2022); and (d) the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for nonprofits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid Time-Off:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
To Apply:
Complete the application in its entirety. Be sure to upload a cover letter, resume, and writing sample focused on an immigration related legal issue.
EEO Statement
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, homeless status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Senior Attorney, Detained Adult Program- Legal Orientation Program (LOP)
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing free legal assistance to the adult and children immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
The Detained Adult Program (DAP) works with hundreds of adults who are detained by ICE each year, providing information, support, and legal representation. We provide trauma-sensitive, person-centered services, and deeply value the autonomy of the people we work with in detention as they navigate the fundamentally inhumane immigration system.
Role Description:
A senior attorney in the Detained Adult Program’s Legal Orientation Program (LOP) focuses on the provision of direct legal services to immigrant adults held in facilities in Virginia who are unrepresented and cannot afford private counsel. These services include: (i) delivering Know Your Rights presentations and workshops, (ii) conducting intakes with all unrepresented persons, (iii) triaging and screening cases for pro bono placement with internal teams at CAIR Coalition and external partners, and liaising with these partners, (iv) mentoring external pro bono attorneys, and (v) providing pro se assistance to individuals CAIR Coalition is unable to match with pro bono counsel.
In this work, LOP attorneys are responsible for identifying trends and emerging issues faced by the people we work with in detention and coordinating responses. Attorneys in this program also occasionally directly represent detained clients in their immigration proceedings, however this is not the focus of the role.
General Duties and Responsibilities [1]:
Direct Services to Detained Unrepresented People ~85%:
- Plan and lead visits to government detention facilities throughout Virginia (approximately 2-4 full days per month, including 2-day overnight visits), including oversight and supervision of staff and volunteers during visits and assistance in preparation and breakdown from visits.
- Perform Know-Your-Rights presentations and pro se workshops in Spanish, English, and (with interpretation) other languages to help detained individuals navigate the immigration court system. Coordinate efforts to ensure every newly arrived person at the detention center has the opportunity to attend presentations. Assist in adapting presentations and workshops to respond to changes in the law and legal needs of the people we work with in detention.
- Conduct individual intakes with immigrants at the detention facilities to evaluate and provide the necessary information and assistance needed to understand their cases. Work with the team to ensure that every unrepresented person at the detention center has the opportunity to complete an intake.
- Participate in and/or lead team sessions to review new intakes to triage for follow up services. Screen for eligibility for all forms of relief and/or release from detention, including asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention against Torture, cancellation of removal, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U and T visas, and termination as well as appeals, bond and habeas petitions. Analyze immigration consequences of criminal convictions or allegations. Develop tailored messages providing further legal information that detained individuals need to navigate their cases pro se.
- Conduct further follow up tasks to evaluate eligibility for relief and pro bono placement, including performing legal research, securing criminal/juvenile delinquency records, obtaining additional information from family and community members, and writing case summaries. Make appropriate referrals to in-house programs for legal representation. Liaise with external partners at law schools, non-profit organizations, and firms in coordination with pro bono coordinating attorney for the purpose of securing and furthering access to legal services for detained individuals.
- Provide one-on-one pro se education and assistance to certain individuals who remain unrepresented, including family outreach, country conditions research, gathering evidence, and preparing the individual to navigate their hearing pro se. Provide resources, assistance, and information to individuals from a wide array of backgrounds and needs, including people who speak a range of languages (with interpreters available for languages other than Spanish), have varying degrees of literacy, and experience mental disability or illness.
- Identify and track trends and emerging issues faced by the people we work with in detention affecting their immigration cases. Coordinate with others in the organization to help detained people respond to and access better information on issues. Make appropriate referrals and provide necessary insight to in-house and external teams working on responding to the emergent issues identified.
- Provide supervision on legal matters and other support to paralegals and junior staff in the program.
Mentoring and Representation ~15%:
- Manage a caseload of pro bono mentorship cases to ensure competent, zealous representation and timely completion and submission of all filings by external partners. Provide expert mentoring to outside attorneys representing detained immigrants on a pro bono basis by orienting teams to cases, providing necessary client access information and assisting in troubleshooting accessibility concerns, providing feedback on filings, answering complex legal questions, and assisting with mooting and trial preparation.
- Occasionally represent in a small number of in-house cases for detained clients that can include merits (trial) representation, bond, negative fear interview reviews, appeals and/or habeas petitions.
- Prepare and guide pro bono teams through putting together post release and social service plans, in coordination with social services staff.
- Research, engage, and prepare experts on health, behavioral health, and country conditions and pro bono teams working with these experts.
Organizational Services:
- Actively engage in CAIR Coalition’s training and advocacy efforts, as needed.
- Take part in stakeholder relationship activities, including in-person and telephonic meetings with community groups, governmental bodies and representatives (including ICE, jail and court officials), and other legal service providers.
- Interface with the community of support for clients and unrepresented people.
- Engage with internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to lend a voice to the growth and strategy of the organization.
- Coordinate with all internal CAIR Coalition Programs (e.g., Impact Lab, National Qualified Representative Program, Safe Cities/Universal Representation Programs) to ensure all programs are kept abreast of detention developments, clients, and referrals.
- Ensure the inputting and accuracy of data and case information into shared databases in a timely fashion.
- Undertake own administrative functions, including for case and follow up work (e.g., preparation of all aspects of filings). CAIR Coalition attorneys do not have dedicated paralegals for assistance on cases and non-attorney staff time is dedicated to client-facing tasks (e.g, jail visits, pro se assistance).
- Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low-bandwidth periods.
[1] This list is illustrative and not intended to be a complete classification of all job functions or tasks.
Our Work Environment:
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program is a highly collaborative work environment. Each team lead works directly with a focused team, but all colleagues are interconnected through, for example, case workshopping or staff-run committees such as Equity and Inclusion Committee.
DAP staff has been a source of expertise in the highly complex and ever-changing immigration system. They have persisted through administration changes, policy shifts, and attacks on the rights and freedoms of immigrants through project-focused cohorts that arise to address challenges or to brainstorm and implement affirmative strategies.
We center impacted people in our advocacy and media. We embrace the movement in our work while also staying focused on the practicalities we trained for, as well as where we are most useful in this movement. We grow our reach and skill set when resources permit and there is passion. We do not limit our push or dreams for this world based on the limits we know but try to imagine how to navigate around them.
We value our brain trust and are constantly finding ways to ensure that we maintain and grow, in ways that acknowledge those with expertise but also sets up new advocates for success.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The employee demonstrates a solid understanding of legal concepts at a level that allows them to provide services to clients with limited supervision. The employee clearly and skillfully employs the law in written and oral presentations and assists junior staff in doing the same. The employee has taken on multiple Individual hearings or interviews for clients with limited supervision. The employee is able to competently supervise Staff Attorneys on client interaction matters and legal strategy, research, and writing.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The employee satisfactorily handles, and supervises, all required in-jail and in-office programmatic obligations (intake, follow-up, case summaries, etc.). The employee manages their in-house and pro bono mentoring caseload to allow for proper prioritization and thoughtful use of time and resources. The employee supervises junior staff to ensure programmatic efficiency and efficacy.
Administrative
The employee ensures that all administrative aspects of their position (and of their supervisees’), attendant to the provision of services to clients, are carried out without managerial intervention, including timekeeping, file upkeep, database upkeep, etc.).
Qualifications Required:
- JD and relevant experience in immigration law or comparable field.
- Must be licensed to practice law or have recently taken the bar exam.
- Oral and written Spanish working proficiency required, fluency preferred.
- Driver’s license required.
- Must have 1-3 years of immigration law and litigation experience
What Else You Should Know:
Position Type
Exempt, full-time
Supervisory Responsibility
Opportunity to supervise paralegal
Reports To
Managing Attorney
Timeline
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Salary
$67,800- $96,500 commensurate with experience
Location
This position will be based from the Washington, D.C. office.
Telework
All CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers are working a hybrid work model.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. To be fully vaccinated means having completed the full dosages required for the type of vaccine obtained as designated by the CDC. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility to access the boosters.
Benefits:
- CAIR coalition’s benefits package includes:
- Free gym access located in Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, MD (dependent on employee's primary office);
- Flexible working hours after successful completion of trainings and with approval of supervisor;
- Pre-tax commuter benefits for those living in the DMV;
- Subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information);
- An annual data reimbursement of $240
- life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability;
- the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account; and
- the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for non-profits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid time off includes:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
- 12 weeks of parental leave
How to Apply:
Submit your resume, a cover letter that explains your interest in this role, and a writing sample with your Paylocity application.
EEO Statement:
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, homeless status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Anti-Racism Statement:
https://www.caircoalition.org/cair-coalitions-statement-becoming-anti-racist-organization
Senior Attorney, Detained Children's Program
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing free legal assistance to child and adult immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
The Detained Children’s Program provides legal orientation and screening to detained migrant children in the Maryland and Virginia region. We also offer free legal services to children released from Office of Refugee Resettlement custody to the greater Washington/DC Baltimore region.
Our Work Environment:
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Children’s Program (DUCs) is a highly collaborative work environment. We are committed to providing high-quality, trauma-informed legal and social services and a culture of professional growth and support for staff. Although aspects of our work are completed in smaller teams, we work towards integrated and client-focused services across the program by embracing interconnectivity. We strive to create systems that provide structure while fostering innovation and adaptability. Supervisors in our program share a commitment to teaching,?mentorship, and work life balance.
Position Summary:
A Senior Attorney in the Detained Children’s Program works collaboratively with staff and leadership to:
- ensure clients receive high-quality, culturally competent legal services while detained and after release;
- participate in visits to detention centers for the purpose of conducting legal intakes and Know Your Rights (KYR) presentations to detained children,
- provide direct legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children;
- mentor pro bono attorneys providing legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children;
- supervise legal assistants, interns, and staff attorneys (depending on experience level); and
- promote a team culture of equity and inclusion.
General Duties and Responsibilities:
Representation:
- Manage a caseload including representation of both detained and released clients. This includes representation before the local immigration courts, USCIS, and state courts in the following types of cases: Asylum, Withholding of Removal, protection under the Convention against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U visas, and T visas.
- Participate in legal screenings and follow-up interviews to determine eligibility for legal relief and facilitation of case placement with in-house or pro bono attorneys.
- Support the program’s efforts to remain abreast of new developments in the law and to train staff on immigration and relevant aspects of family law.
- Supervise legal assistants, interns, and staff attorneys on aspects of case work. Supervision of other attorneys is dependent on experience.
- Provide expert mentoring to pro bono attorneys from law firms handling children’s immigration cases.
- Undertake own administrative tasks, including for casework (e.g., preparation and submission of filings, file maintenance, and recordkeeping), and social services referrals.
Organizational Services:
- Assist program leadership with the implementation of long-term program plans and contract / grant compliance.
- Facilitate and/or participate in regular facility visits for the purpose of conducting legal intakes and KYR presentations for detained children.
- Ensure a smooth operation of administrative aspects of the program such as processing referrals and the internal case placement process.
- Ensure the timely and accurate entry of case information into shared databases.
- Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low- bandwidth periods.
- Participate in stakeholder relationship activities, including trainings and meetings with community groups, government agencies, detention center staff, and other legal service providers.
- Engages with internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to participate in the growth and strategy of the organization.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The Senior Attorney demonstrates a solid understanding of legal concepts, allowing them to provide competent and client-centered services with limited supervision. The Senior Attorney effectively advocates through written and oral work and assists junior staff in doing the same. The Senior Attorney has experience litigating and preparing for hearings or interviews for clients with limited supervision. The Senior Attorney competently supervises aspects of the work of staff attorneys, legal assistants and interns on client relationships and legal strategy, research, and writing. The Senior Attorney demonstrates cultural competency and trauma-informed practices.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The Senior Attorney competently handles, and supervises, all required program obligations (including KYRs, legal intakes, follow-up interviewing, case placement, direct representation services, and pro bono mentorship). The Senior Attorney manages their in-house and pro bono mentoring caseload to allow for appropriate prioritization and thoughtful use of time and resources. The Senior Attorney supervises junior staff to ensure programmatic efficiency and efficacy. The Senior Attorney exercises sound judgment and decision-making skills and identifies when issues must be elevated to leadership.
Administrative
The Senior Attorney ensures that all administrative aspects of their position (and that of their supervisees) are carried out without managerial intervention, including timekeeping, file maintenance, database entries, etc.
Qualifications Required:
- JD and 3-5 years relevant experience in immigration law (SIJS experience a plus).
- Experience working with child clients preferred.
- Prior supervision experience preferred but not required.
- Written and oral Spanish fluency.
- Must be licensed to practice law in Maryland or Virginia, eligible to waive into the Maryland or Virginia bar, or willing to sit for the next scheduled bar exam.
- Driver’s license.
- Commitment to principles of equity and inclusion.
- Favorable results on background check including driving record, Child Protection Registry, and state and federal criminal records.
- Ability to work remotely temporarily but fulfill job responsibilities in-person as required.
What Else You Should Know:
Position Type
Full-time exempt
Supervisory Responsibility
Yes
Reports To
Managing Attorney
Timeline
Deadline to Apply: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Start Date: Spring 2023
Salary
$67,800-$83,750
Location
This position will be based from the Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, M.D. Office. This job can be performed fully remotely for the right candidate.
Telework
All CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers are working remotely. However, due to the duties and responsibilities of certain positions, certain staff members will be required to live within 30 miles of their assigned primary office. Staff have the option to work from the office following a hybrid model, as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. To be fully vaccinated means having completed the full dosages required for the type of vaccine obtained as designated by the CDC. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility to access the boosters.
Benefits
- CAIR coalition’s benefits package includes:
- Free gym access located in Washington, D.C.;
- Flexible working hours after successful completion of trainings and with approval of supervisor;
- Pre-tax commuter benefits for those living in the DMV;
- Subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information);
- An annual data reimbursement of $240
- life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability;
- the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account; and
- the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for non-profits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid time off includes:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
- 12 weeks of parental leave
How to Apply:
Submit your resume and a cover letter that explains your interest in this role with your Paylocity application.
EEO Statement
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, homeless status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Anti-Racism Statement:
https://www.caircoalition.org/cair-coalitions-statement-becoming-anti-r…;
Staff Attorney, Detained Adult Program
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing free legal assistance to child and adult immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
Position Summary:
A staff attorney in the Detained Adult Program focuses on: (i) screening individuals for program eligibility and immigration relief, (ii) managing a caseload of direct legal services to immigrant adults held in facilities in Virginia, Maryland and outside the DMV region, (iii) maintaining client and stakeholder information up to date in the organization’s database, (iv) advocating with stakeholders and community representatives for program and clients, and (v) the mentoring of pro bono attorneys.
General Duties and Responsibilities [1]:
Representation:
- Manage a caseload of in-house direct legal representation of detained clients in removal proceedings before the Arlington and/or Baltimore Immigration Courts and out-of-state courts via remote appearance as needed. This includes representation in cases such as Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Protection under the Convention against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Board of Immigration Appeals, U-Visas, T- Visas, and Cancellation of Removal. An average staff attorney’s docket consists of four trial level cases going to individual hearing and other removal defense cases.
- Provide expert mentoring to outside pro bono attorneys representing detained immigrants on a pro bono basis.
- Prepare Post Release Plans and social service plans, in coordination with social services staff.
- Research, engage, and prepare experts on health, behavioral health, and country conditions.
Detention Facility Services:
- Conduct government detention center visits as needed to prepare clients for their immigration hearings.
- Conduct individual intakes with immigrants at the detention facilities or remotely. Provide necessary follow-up after intakes to evaluate program eligibility and eligibility for relief, including performing research, securing criminal/juvenile delinquency records and obtaining additional information from family and community members.
Organizational Services:
- Ensure the inputting and accuracy of data and case information into shared databases in a timely fashion.
- Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low- bandwidth periods.
- Take part in stakeholder relationship activities, including in-person and telephonic meetings with community groups, governmental bodies and representatives, and other legal service providers.
- Conduct trainings and stakeholder meetings with detention center staff.
- Engage with internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to lend a voice to the growth and strategy of the organization.
- Undertake own administrative functions, including for casework (e.g., preparation of all aspects of filings). CAIR Coalition attorneys do not have dedicated paralegals for assistance on cases and non-attorney staff time is dedicated to client-facing tasks (e.g, jail visits).
Program-Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Members of the Detained Adult program, in addition to the responsibilities above, also:
- Coordinate with all internal DAP Programs (e.g., LOP, NQRP, Safe Cities) to ensure all programs are kept abreast of developments and clients.
Our Work Environment
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program is a highly collaborative work environment. Each team lead works directly with a focused team, but all colleagues are interconnected through, for example, case workshopping or staff-run committees such as Equity and Inclusion Committee.
DAP staff has been a source of expertise in the highly complex and ever-changing immigration system. They have persisted through administration changes, policy shifts, and attacks on the rights and freedoms of immigrants through project-focused cohorts that arise to address challenges or to brainstorm and implement affirmative strategies.
We center impacted people in our advocacy and media. We embrace the movement in our work while also staying focused on the practicalities we trained for, as well as where we are most useful in this movement. We grow our reach and skill set when resources permit and there is passion. We do not limit our push or dreams for this world based on the limits we know but try to imagine how to navigate around them.
We value our brain trust and are constantly finding ways to ensure that we maintain and grow, in ways that acknowledge those with expertise but also sets up new advocates for success.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The Staff Attorney demonstrates a developing understanding of legal concepts at a level that allows them to provide services to clients with moderate supervision. The Staff Attorney clearly and skillfully employs the law in written and oral presentations with limited supervision and input from supervisors. The Staff Attorney contributes substantively to case assessment discussions. The Staff Attorney is working towards self-sufficiency in client hearings, interviews, and legal research and writing.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The Staff Attorney satisfactorily handles all required in-jail and in-office programmatic obligations (intake, follow-up, case summaries, case development, etc.) with limited supervision. The Staff Attorney manages their in-house and pro bono mentoring caseload to allow for proper prioritization and thoughtful use of time and resources.
Administrative
The Staff Attorney ensures that all administrative aspects of their position, attendant to the provision of services to clients, are carried out without managerial intervention, including timekeeping, file upkeep, database upkeep, etc.
Qualifications Required:
- JD and 1 -3 years of relevant experience with at least one year of immigration law preferred.
- Certification: Licensed to practice law or expecting attorney bar exam results in the fall of 2022.
- Written and oral Spanish fluency strongly preferred.
- Ability to manage a docket of detained removal defense cases.
- Strong trial advocacy skills preferred.
- Driver’s license required.
What Else You Should Know:
Position Type:
Full-time, exempt
Supervisory Responsibility:
This position does not include primary supervision of other staff. However, may involve the supervision of legal assistants or interns depending on case specific needs.
Reports To:
DAP Managing Attorney
Timeline:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Start date TBD.
Salary:
$61,500 - $75,800
Salary is commensurate with experience per CAIR Coalition salary scale.
Location
This position will primarily be based in the Baltimore, Maryland office, though the Washington, D.C. office may be available as a less preferred second option. Due to business related travel expectations, it is recommended candidates live within 30-miles of their assigned primary office.
Telework
All CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers are working remotely. However, due to the duties and responsibilities of Staff Attorney certain staff members will be required to live within 30 miles of their assigned primary office. Staff are expected to work from the office once per week following a hybrid model, as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. To be fully vaccinated means having completed the full dosages required for the type of vaccine obtained as designated by the CDC. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility to access the boosters.
Benefits
CAIR coalition’s benefits package includes:
- Free gym access located in Washington, D.C.;
- Flexible working hours after successful completion of trainings and with approval of supervisor;
- Pre-tax commuter benefits for those living in the DMV;
- Subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information);
- An annual data reimbursement of $240
- life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability;
- the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account; and
- the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for non-profits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid time off includes:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
- 12 weeks of parental leave
How to Apply:
Submit your resume, a cover letter that explains your interest in this role, and a writing sample with your Paylocity application.
EEO Statement
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Anti-Racism Statement:
https://www.caircoalition.org/cair-coalitions-statement-becoming-anti-racist-organization
Staff Attorney, Detained Adult Program- Legal Orientation Program (LOP)
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing free legal assistance to the adult and children immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
The Detained Adult Program (DAP) works with hundreds of adults who are detained by ICE each year, providing information, support, and legal representation. We provide trauma-sensitive, person-centered services, and deeply value the autonomy of the people we work with in detention as they navigate the fundamentally inhumane immigration system.
Role Description:
A staff attorney in the Detained Adult Program’s Legal Orientation Program (LOP) focuses on the provision of direct legal services to immigrant adults held in facilities in Virginia who are unrepresented and cannot afford private counsel. These services include: (i) delivering Know Your Rights presentations and workshops, (ii) conducting intakes with all unrepresented persons, (iii) triaging and screening cases for pro bono placement with internal teams at CAIR Coalition and external partners, and liaising with these partners, (iv) mentoring external pro bono attorneys, and (v) providing pro se assistance to individuals CAIR Coalition is unable to match with pro bono counsel.
In this work, LOP attorneys are responsible for identifying trends and emerging issues faced by the people we work with in detention and coordinating responses. Attorneys in this program also occasionally directly represent detained clients in their immigration proceedings, however this is not the focus of the role.
General Duties and Responsibilities [1]:
Direct Services to Detained Unrepresented People ~85%:
- Plan and lead visits to government detention facilities throughout Virginia (approximately 2-4 full days per month, including 2-day overnight visits), including oversight and supervision of staff and volunteers during visits and assistance in preparation and breakdown from visits.
- Perform Know-Your-Rights presentations and pro se workshops in Spanish, English, and (with interpretation) other languages to help detained individuals navigate the immigration court system. Coordinate efforts to ensure every newly arrived person at the detention center has the opportunity to attend presentations. Assist in adapting presentations and workshops to respond to changes in the law and legal needs of the people we work with in detention.
- Conduct individual intakes with immigrants at the detention facilities to evaluate and provide the necessary information and assistance needed to understand their cases. Work with the team to ensure that every unrepresented person at the detention center has the opportunity to complete an intake.
- Participate in and/or lead team sessions to review new intakes to triage for follow up services. Screen for eligibility for all forms of relief and/or release from detention, including asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention against Torture, cancellation of removal, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U and T visas, and termination as well as appeals, bond and habeas petitions. Analyze immigration consequences of criminal convictions or allegations. Develop tailored messages providing further legal information that detained individuals need to navigate their cases pro se.
- Conduct further follow up tasks to evaluate eligibility for relief and pro bono placement, including performing legal research, securing criminal/juvenile delinquency records, obtaining additional information from family and community members, and writing case summaries. Make appropriate referrals to in-house programs for legal representation. Liaise with external partners at law schools, non-profit organizations, and firms in coordination with pro bono coordinating attorney for the purpose of securing and furthering access to legal services for detained individuals.
- Provide one-on-one pro se education and assistance to certain individuals who remain unrepresented, including family outreach, country conditions research, gathering evidence, and preparing the individual to navigate their hearing pro se. Provide resources, assistance, and information to individuals from a wide array of backgrounds and needs, including people who speak a range of languages (with interpreters available for languages other than Spanish), have varying degrees of literacy, and experience mental disability or illness.
- Identify and track trends and emerging issues faced by the people we work with in detention affecting their immigration cases. Coordinate with others in the organization to help detained people respond to and access better information on issues. Make appropriate referrals and provide necessary insight to in-house and external teams working on responding to the emergent issues identified.
- Provide supervision on legal matters and other support to paralegals and junior staff in the program.
Mentoring and Representation ~15%:
- Manage a caseload of pro bono mentorship cases to ensure competent, zealous representation and timely completion and submission of all filings by external partners. Provide expert mentoring to outside attorneys representing detained immigrants on a pro bono basis by orienting teams to cases, providing necessary client access information and assisting in troubleshooting accessibility concerns, providing feedback on filings, answering complex legal questions, and assisting with mooting and trial preparation.
- Occasionally represent in a small number of in-house cases for detained clients that can include merits (trial) representation, bond, negative fear interview reviews, appeals and/or habeas petitions.
- Prepare and guide pro bono teams through putting together post release and social service plans, in coordination with social services staff.
- Research, engage, and prepare experts on health, behavioral health, and country conditions and pro bono teams working with these experts.
Organizational Services:
- Actively engage in CAIR Coalition’s training and advocacy efforts, as needed.
- Take part in stakeholder relationship activities, including in-person and telephonic meetings with community groups, governmental bodies and representatives (including ICE, jail and court officials), and other legal service providers.
- Interface with the community of support for clients and unrepresented people.
- Engage with internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to lend a voice to the growth and strategy of the organization.
- Coordinate with all internal CAIR Coalition Programs (e.g., Impact Lab, National Qualified Representative Program, Safe Cities/Universal Representation Programs) to ensure all programs are kept abreast of detention developments, clients, and referrals.
- Ensure the inputting and accuracy of data and case information into shared databases in a timely fashion.
- Undertake own administrative functions, including for case and follow up work (e.g., preparation of all aspects of filings). CAIR Coalition attorneys do not have dedicated paralegals for assistance on cases and non-attorney staff time is dedicated to client-facing tasks (e.g, jail visits, pro se assistance).
- Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low-bandwidth periods.
[1] This list is illustrative and not intended to be a complete classification of all job functions or tasks.
Our Work Environment:
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program is a highly collaborative work environment. Each team lead works directly with a focused team, but all colleagues are interconnected through, for example, case workshopping or staff-run committees such as Equity and Inclusion Committee.
DAP staff has been a source of expertise in the highly complex and ever-changing immigration system. They have persisted through administration changes, policy shifts, and attacks on the rights and freedoms of immigrants through project-focused cohorts that arise to address challenges or to brainstorm and implement affirmative strategies.
We center impacted people in our advocacy and media. We embrace the movement in our work while also staying focused on the practicalities we trained for, as well as where we are most useful in this movement. We grow our reach and skill set when resources permit and there is passion. We do not limit our push or dreams for this world based on the limits we know but try to imagine how to navigate around them.
We value our brain trust and are constantly finding ways to ensure that we maintain and grow, in ways that acknowledge those with expertise but also sets up new advocates for success.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The employee demonstrates a developing understanding of legal concepts at a level that allows them to provide services to clients with moderate supervision. The employee clearly and skillfully employs the law in written and oral presentations with limited supervision and input from supervisors. The employee contributes substantively to case assessment discussion. The employee is working towards self-sufficiency in client hearings, interviews, and legal research and writing.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The employee satisfactorily handles all required in-jail and in-office programmatic obligations (KYRs, intake, follow-up, case summaries, case development, etc.) with limited supervision. The employee manages their in-house and pro bono mentoring caseload to allow for proper prioritization and thoughtful use of time and resources.
Administrative
The employee ensures that all administrative aspects of their position, attendant to the provision of services to clients, are carried out without managerial intervention, including timekeeping, file upkeep, database upkeep, etc.
Qualifications Required:
- JD and relevant experience in immigration law or comparable field.
- Must be licensed to practice law or have recently taken the bar exam.
- Oral and written Spanish working proficiency required, fluency preferred.
- Driver’s license required.
What Else You Should Know:
Position Type
Exempt, full-time
Supervisory Responsibility
Opportunity to supervise paralegal
Reports To
Senior Attorney
Timeline
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Salary
$61,500- $82,000 commensurate with experience
Location
This position will be based from the Washington, D.C. office.
Telework
All CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers are working a hybrid work model.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. To be fully vaccinated means having completed the full dosages required for the type of vaccine obtained as designated by the CDC. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility to access the boosters.
Benefits:
- CAIR coalition’s benefits package includes:
- Free gym access located in Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, MD (dependent on employee's primary office);
- Flexible working hours after successful completion of trainings and with approval of supervisor;
- Pre-tax commuter benefits for those living in the DMV;
- Subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information);
- An annual data reimbursement of $240
- life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability;
- the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account; and
- the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for non-profits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid time off includes:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
- 12 weeks of parental leave
How to Apply:
Submit your resume, a cover letter that explains your interest in this role, and a writing sample with your Paylocity application.
EEO Statement:
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, homeless status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Anti-Racism Statement:
https://www.caircoalition.org/cair-coalitions-statement-becoming-anti-racist-organization
Staff Attorney, Detained Adult Program- Removal Defense
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing free legal assistance to child and adult immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
Position Summary:
A staff attorney in the Detained Adult Program focuses on: (i) screening individuals for program eligibility and immigration relief, (ii) managing a caseload of direct legal services to immigrant adults held in facilities in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia and outside the DMV region, (iii) maintaining client and stakeholder information up to date in the organization’s database, (iv) advocating with stakeholders and community representatives for program and clients, and (v) the mentoring of pro bono attorneys.
General Duties and Responsibilities [1]:
Representation:
- Manage a caseload of in-house direct legal representation of detained clients in removal proceedings before the Arlington and/or Baltimore Immigration Courts and out-of-state courts via remote appearance as needed. This includes representation in cases such as Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Protection under the Convention against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Board of Immigration Appeals, U-Visas, T- Visas, and Cancellation of Removal. An average staff attorney’s docket consists of four trial level cases going to individual hearing and other removal defense cases.
- Provide expert mentoring to outside pro bono attorneys representing detained immigrants on a pro bono basis.
- Prepare Post Release Plans and social service plans, in coordination with social services staff.
- Research, engage, and prepare experts on health, behavioral health, and country conditions.
Detention Facility Services:
- Conduct government detention center visits as needed to prepare clients for their immigration hearings.
- Conduct individual intakes with immigrants at the detention facilities or remotely. Provide necessary follow-up after intakes to evaluate program eligibility and eligibility for relief, including performing research, securing criminal/juvenile delinquency records and obtaining additional information from family and community members.
Organizational Services:
- Ensure the inputting and accuracy of data and case information into shared databases in a timely fashion.
- Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low- bandwidth periods.
- Take part in stakeholder relationship activities, including in-person and telephonic meetings with community groups, governmental bodies and representatives, and other legal service providers.
- Conduct trainings and stakeholder meetings with detention center staff.
- Engage with internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to lend a voice to the growth and strategy of the organization.
- Undertake own administrative functions, including for casework (e.g., preparation of all aspects of filings). CAIR Coalition attorneys do not have dedicated paralegals for assistance on cases and non-attorney staff time is dedicated to client-facing tasks (e.g, jail visits).
Program-Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Members of the Detained Adult program, in addition to the responsibilities above, also:
- Coordinate with all internal DAP Programs (e.g., LOP, NQRP, Safe Cities) to ensure all programs are kept abreast of developments and clients.
[1] This list is illustrative and not intended to be a complete classification of all job functions or tasks.
Our Work Environment
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program is a highly collaborative work environment. Each team lead works directly with a focused team, but all colleagues are interconnected through, for example, case workshopping or staff-run committees such as Equity and Inclusion Committee.
DAP staff has been a source of expertise in the highly complex and ever-changing immigration system. They have persisted through administration changes, policy shifts, and attacks on the rights and freedoms of immigrants through project-focused cohorts that arise to address challenges or to brainstorm and implement affirmative strategies.
We center impacted people in our advocacy and media. We embrace the movement in our work while also staying focused on the practicalities we trained for, as well as where we are most useful in this movement. We grow our reach and skill set when resources permit and there is passion. We do not limit our push or dreams for this world based on the limits we know but try to imagine how to navigate around them.
We value our brain trust and are constantly finding ways to ensure that we maintain and grow, in ways that acknowledge those with expertise but also sets up new advocates for success.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The Staff Attorney demonstrates a developing understanding of legal concepts at a level that allows them to provide services to clients with moderate supervision. The Staff Attorney clearly and skillfully employs the law in written and oral presentations with limited supervision and input from supervisors. The Staff Attorney contributes substantively to case assessment discussions. The Staff Attorney is working towards self-sufficiency in client hearings, interviews, and legal research and writing.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The Staff Attorney satisfactorily handles all required in-jail and in-office programmatic obligations (intake, follow-up, case summaries, case development, etc.) with limited supervision. The Staff Attorney manages their in-house and pro bono mentoring caseload to allow for proper prioritization and thoughtful use of time and resources.
Administrative
The Staff Attorney ensures that all administrative aspects of their position, attendant to the provision of services to clients, are carried out without managerial intervention, including timekeeping, file upkeep, database upkeep, etc.
Qualifications Required:
- JD and 1 -3 years of relevant experience with at least one year of immigration law preferred.
- Certification: Licensed to practice law or expecting attorney bar exam results in the fall of 2022.
- Written and oral Spanish fluency strongly preferred.
- Ability to manage a docket of detained removal defense cases.
- Strong trial advocacy skills preferred.
- Driver’s license required.
What Else You Should Know:
Position Type:
Full-time, exempt
Supervisory Responsibility:
This position does not include primary supervision of other staff. However, may involve the supervision of legal assistants or interns depending on case specific needs.
Reports To:
DAP Managing Attorney
Timeline:
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Deadline to apply is July 15, 2023 for Fall 2023 Positions.
Salary:
$61,500 - $75,800
Salary is commensurate with experience per CAIR Coalition salary scale.
Location
This position will primarily be based in the Baltimore, Maryland office, though the Washington, D.C. office may be available as a less preferred second option. Due to business related travel expectations, it is recommended candidates live within 30-miles of their assigned primary office.
Telework
All CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers are working remotely. However, due to the duties and responsibilities of Staff Attorney certain staff members will be required to live within 30 miles of their assigned primary office. Staff are expected to work from the office once per week following a hybrid model, as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. To be fully vaccinated means having completed the full dosages required for the type of vaccine obtained as designated by the CDC. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility to access the boosters.
Benefits
CAIR coalition’s benefits package includes:
- Free gym access located in Washington, D.C.;
- Flexible working hours after successful completion of trainings and with approval of supervisor;
- Pre-tax commuter benefits for those living in the DMV;
- Subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information);
- An annual data reimbursement of $240
- life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability;
- the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account; and
- the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for non-profits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid time off includes:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
- 12 weeks of parental leave
How to Apply:
Submit your resume, a cover letter that explains your interest in this role, and a writing sample with your Paylocity application.
EEO Statement
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, homeless status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Anti-Racism Statement:
https://www.caircoalition.org/cair-coalitions-statement-becoming-anti-r…
Staff Attorney, Detained Children's Program
Who We Are:
The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is the only non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. area focused exclusively on providing legal assistance to adult and child immigrants detained by the government in the Capital Region.
The Detained Children’s Program provides legal orientation and screening to detained migrant children detained in Maryland and Virginia. We also offer free legal services to children released from Office of Refugee Resettlement custody to the greater Washington/DC Baltimore region.
Role Description:
- A Staff Attorney in the Detained Children’s Program works collaboratively with staff and leadership to:
- provide high-quality, culturally competent direct legal services to detained and released unaccompanied immigrant children,
- coordinate and carry out visits to detention centers for the purpose of conducting legal intakes and Know Your Rights presentations to detained children,
- mentor pro bono attorneys providing legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children,
- contribute to the success of the program, building a culture of collaboration and learning, and
- promote a team culture of equity and inclusion.
General Duties and Responsibilities[1]:
Representation:
- Manage a caseload, with supervision, of direct legal representation of detained and released clients in removal proceedings before local state and immigration courts and USCIS in the following types of cases: Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Protection under the Convention against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U-Visas, and T-Visas.
- Participate in client intake and follow-up to determine eligibility for legal relief, facilitation of case placement with in-house or pro bono attorneys, and social services referrals.
- Remain abreast of new developments in the law by actively participating in legal trainings, reviewing written resources, and conducting legal research.
- Supervise legal assistants and interns on aspects of their work.
- Mentor pro bono attorneys from area law firms handling immigration cases, as needed.
- Handle own administrative tasks for casework (e.g., preparation and submission of filings, file maintenance, and recordkeeping).
Organizational Services:
- Participate in regular facility visits for the purpose of conducting legal intakes and know your rights (KYR) presentations for detained children.
- Ensure the timely and accurate entry of case information into shared databases.
- Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high-work/low- bandwidth periods.
- Participate in stakeholder relationship activities, including meetings with community groups, government agencies, and other legal service providers
- Engage with internal CAIR Coalition committees and working groups to participate in the growth and strategy of the organization.
[1] This list is illustrative and not intended to be a complete classification of all job functions or tasks.
Our Work Environment:
CAIR Coalition’s Detained Children’s Program (DUCs) is a highly collaborative work environment. We are committed to providing high-quality, trauma-informed legal and social services and a culture of professional growth and support for staff. Although aspects of our work are completed in smaller teams, we work towards integrated and client-focused services across the program by embracing interconnectivity. We strive to create systems that provide structure while fostering innovation and adaptability. Supervisors in our program share a commitment to teaching, mentorship, and work life balance.
Competencies Required:
Legal Proficiency
The Staff Attorney demonstrates a developing understanding of legal concepts at a level that allows them to provide client-centered services to clients with moderate supervision. The Staff Attorney clearly and skillfully employs the law in written and oral presentations with limited input from supervisors. The Staff Attorney is working towards self-sufficiency in hearings, interviews, and legal research and writing.
Client and Programmatic Proficiency
The Staff Attorney satisfactorily handles all required programmatic obligations (including KYRs, legal intakes, follow-up interviewing, case placement, and direct representation services) with limited supervision. The Staff Attorney manages their in-house and pro bono mentoring caseload to allow for appropriate prioritization and thoughtful use of time and resources. The Staff Attorney demonstrates a growing understanding of cultural competency and trauma-informed practices. The Staff Attorney demonstrates sound judgment and decision-making skills and identifies when issues must be elevated to a supervisor.
Administrative
The Staff Attorney ensures that all administrative aspects of their position are carried out with minimal managerial support, including timekeeping, file maintenance, and database entries.
Qualifications Required:
- JD and 0-3 years relevant experience in immigration law (family law experience helpful but not required)
- Must be licensed to practice law in Maryland or Virginia, eligible to waive into the Maryland or Virginia bar, or willing to sit for the next scheduled bar exam
- Written and oral Spanish professional proficiency required; fluency preferred
- Driver’s license
- Favorable results on background check including driving record, Child Protection Registry, and state and federal criminal records
- Ability to work remotely temporarily but fulfill job responsibilities in-person as required.
What Else You Should Know:
Position Type
Full-time, exempt
Supervisory Responsibility
Opportunity to supervise paralegals
Reports To
Senior Attorney
Timeline
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Salary
$61,500- $82,000 commensurate with experience
Location
This position will be based from the Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, M.D. Office. This job can be performed fully remotely for the right candidate.
Telework
All CAIR Coalition staff, interns, and volunteers are working remotely. However, due to the duties and responsibilities of certain positions, certain staff members will be required to live within 30 miles of their assigned primary office. Staff have the option to work from the office following a hybrid model, as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies.
COVID-19 Vaccination:
All employees are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. To be fully vaccinated means having completed the full dosages required for the type of vaccine obtained as designated by the CDC. If boosters are subsequently recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) then employees will be required to receive the booster within thirty (30) days of their eligibility to access the boosters.
Benefits
CAIR coalition’s benefits package includes:
- Free gym access located in Washington, D.C.;
- Flexible working hours after successful completion of trainings and with approval of supervisor;
- Pre-tax commuter benefits for those living in the DMV;
- Subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision subsidized health, dental insurance, and vision insurance (CAIR Coalition pays a very high rate of the insurance package, for which we can provide additional information);
- An annual data reimbursement of $240
- life insurance valued at $50,000, as well as long and short term disability;
- the option to set up a Flexible Spending Account; and
- the option to set up a 403(b) account (the equivalent of a 401(k) account for non-profits) which the organization has the option, for all employees on an annual basis, to match at a certain percentage after one year of continuous employment.
Paid time off includes:
- 23 personal days per calendar year
- Up to 20 days of sick time per calendar year
- 7 hours of volunteer time
- Federal holidays
- Winter break closure
- 12 weeks of parental leave
How to Apply:
Submit your resume, a cover letter that explains your interest in this role, and a writing sample with your Paylocity application.
EEO Statement
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with anti-discrimination law, it is the purpose of this policy to effectuate these principles and mandates. CAIR Coalition prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, homeless status, or any other characteristic protected by law. CAIR Coalition conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.
Anti-Racism Statement:
https://www.caircoalition.org/cair-coalitions-statement-becoming-anti-racist-organization
