Careers

Who We Are:

CAIR Coalition fights every day alongside immigrant children and adults who are detained and facing deportation. We provide legal and social services to immigrants in the Capital Region and beyond. 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.

 

Position Summary:

 A direct representation managing attorney in the Detained Adult Program focuses on ensuring that program staff provide 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: 

• Provide oversight and management of significant aspects of the program in coordination with the program directors and other managers. 
• Take on direct legal representation of detained clients in removal proceedings before immigration courts in Maryland, Virginia and remote locations (virtually or in-person), USCIS, ICE and local federal or state courts. This includes representation in cases such as: Bond, Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Protection under the Convention Against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U-Visas, T-Visas, and Cancellation of Removal, as well as appeals and other corollary litigation.   
• 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 and senior attorneys and paralegals 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 and pro bono mentorship cases to ensure timely completion and submission of all filings, forms, etc. 
• 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 Visits: 

• Conduct oversight of visits to government detention facilities. 
• Conduct individual intakes and client meetings, including trial preparation, with immigrants at the detention facilities, and support and supervise junior staff in the same. Provide and supervise junior staff in providing 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. 
• Coordinate with all internal DAP Programs (e.g., LOP, social services) to ensure all programs are kept abreast of developments and clients. 
• Interface with leadership 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 remote meetings with community groups, governmental bodies and representatives, detention center staff, and other legal service providers. 
• 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 all cases and non-attorney staff time is also dedicated to other programmatic responsibilities.   

 [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 case workshopping or staff-run committees.

 

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 immigration 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 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 supervisees’ 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 active license to practice law; 
• Relevant experience in immigration law, including removal defense; 
• Written and oral Spanish proficiency required; 
• Relevant experience in supervision and project management.   
• It is expected that the candidate will need to travel for work-related business. As a result, the candidate must possess a valid driver's license and be comfortable operating a vehicle upon hiring. This role requires travel, but qualified individuals with disabilities may be accommodated in a reasonable manner under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

 

What Else You Should Know:

Position Type 

Full-time, exempt 

 

Supervisory Responsibility 

Responsible for directly supervising a limited number of staff on a direct representation team (generally senior staff and/or staff carrying out key program functions, may be attorneys, paralegals 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 Adult Program 

 

Timeline:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

 

Salary

This is a full-time exempt position. The salary range is $79,500-$109,000.

 

Travel

This position may require travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with all CAIR Coalition safety protocols.

 

Position Location

This position will be based from the Baltimore, MD or Washington, DC 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 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. and/or Baltimore, MD;
• 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.

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/1705212 

 

 

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 

 

CAIR Coalition fights every day alongside immigrant children and adults who are detained and facing deportation. We provide legal and social services to immigrants in the Capital Region and beyond. 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.
 

• Written and oral Spanish proficiency required; 
• It is expected that the candidate will need to travel for work-related business. As a result, the candidate must possess a valid driver's license and be comfortable operating a vehicle upon hiring. This role requires travel, but qualified individuals with disabilities may be accommodated in a reasonable manner under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

• Strong candidates will have experience working in the immigrant community, particularly in immigration law, and/or experience working with people in detention. 

Who We Are:

CAIR Coalition fights every day alongside immigrant children and adults who are detained and facing deportation. We provide legal and social services to immigrants in the Capital Region and beyond.

 

Role Description:

A Program Associate in the Detained Adult Program works collaboratively with staff and leadership to:

• Contribute to the program’s provision of services, including administrative tasks such as database maintenance and reporting to funders. 
• A Program associate in the Detained Adult Program works with attorneys on legal and non-legal administrative tasks, and assists with programmatic and operational tasks with the DAP program. 
• The Program associate assures all systems are up to date, finances are reconciled on time, and that purchases for staff are documented as well as for funders.

 

General Duties and Responsibilities [1]:

 

Administration: 40%

• Work with Development and DAP leadership in carrying out tasks including database maintenance and reporting to funders, including training staff on reporting requirements.
• Effectively communicate with invoicing and data points of contact for major grantors. 
• Actively engage in CAIR Coalition’s training efforts, as needed. 
• Ensure the timely and accurate entry of data and case information into shared databases.
• Assist program leadership in planning and implementation of program goals. 

 

Finance: 30%

• Primary Point of Contact for DAP Credit Card usage and reconciliation; 
• Creating and maintaining programmatic systems to support finance coordination; 
• Ensure internal finance reporting complies with the reporting requirements of various funding streams;
• Effectively communicate with invoicing and data points of contact;
• Travel coordination for DAP staff, including hotel and airline bookings for jail visits and conferences; 
• Organization of data; 
• Monitoring small budgets and communicating with staff regarding budget status and availability of funds; 
• Coordinating legal service provider subcontractors, ensuring contracts and payments are organized and timely; 
• Support emergency client needs outside normal working hours on occasion or as departmental needs arise; 
• Discrete projects as needed. 

 

Educate Funders 15%

• Attendance at in-person events as required by program. 
• Arrange speaking engagements with impacted people, logistical support 

 

Organizational Services: 15%

• Assist other program staff in completion of their workload during high work/low bandwidth periods. 
• Actively participate and contribute to stakeholder relationship activities as needed for grant management. 
• Discrete projects as required by program leadership.

 

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 case workshopping, appeals management, advocacy initiatives, and staff-run committees.

 

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! 

 

Competencies Required:

Substantive Proficiency 

The Program Associate is able to understand the basic requirements of DAP’s various contracts and grants such that they are able to provide meaningful support to team leads and the Grants and Programs Manager, in internal tracking and external reporting. The Program Associate will maintain systems of internal reporting and will liaise with legal and social services regarding complying with systems requirements. The PA will implement new systems when areas for improvement are identified. The Program Associate will demonstrate a growing understanding of CAIR Coalition’s practices in the culturally competent provision of legal services and will support the Grants Manager and other staff in formal and informal advocacy for grant opportunities.

 

The Program Associate demonstrates a growing understanding of financial, operational, and grant management concepts at a level that allows them to function with moderate supervision. The Program Associate will be required to interact with internal staff and external stakeholders in regard to expenses, invoicing, and other administrative functions related to the day-to-day expenditures of the DAP team, The program associate will put into practice newly learned concepts and techniques. 

 

Programmatic Proficiency

The Program Associate properly prioritizes tasks and projects with minimal oversight and carries out tasks and projects effectively and efficiently. These tasks include including depositing funds on detention center accounts for legal and social service needs; engaging in group bookings for conferences and other functions; streamlining access to DAP Credit Card for ad hoc client and staff purchases; and timely reconciling the same. The Program Associate demonstrates a firm understanding of contractual obligations and self-sufficiency in program management responsibilities. 

 

Administrative

The Program Associate ensures that all administrative aspects of their position are carried out with limited supervisory support, including file and database upkeep, reporting requirements, and facility visit preparation and breakdown, etc.

 

Qualifications Required:

• Written and oral Spanish fluency preferred
• Detail-oriented with excellent problem-solving, organizational, and time-management 
• skills. 
• Strong ability to plan and prioritize tasks, time management skills with the ability to prioritize and maintain deadlines. 
• Competency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and database management. 
• No experience necessary but prefer 1-3 years of relevant experience in program management support or at an immigration legal services organization. 
• Favorable results on background check including driving record, and state and federal criminal records. 
• High school diploma or GED required, but bachelor’s degree or relevant equivalent experience preferred. 
• Ability to pass a government background check- required. 
• Ability to work independently. 
• Handle and prioritize a large volume of requests. 
• Basic booking-keeping. 
• Prefer some experience working in an office setting, but not required. 
• Detailed oriented and organized. 
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills. 
• Strong desire to contribute to a team environment.
• It is expected that the candidate will need to travel for work-related business. As a result, the candidate must possess a valid driver's license and be comfortable operating a vehicle upon hiring. This role requires travel, but qualified individuals with disabilities may be accommodated in a reasonable manner under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

 

What Else You Should Know:

Position Type

Full-time, non-exempt

 

Timeline

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. 

 

Salary

$47,500-$63,800 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 a hybrid-work model (in-person and virtual/remote) as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies. 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. 

 

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. and/or Baltimore, MD 
• 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. 

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/1717187 

 

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 

 

Who We Are:

CAIR Coalition fights every day alongside immigrant children and adults who are detained and facing deportation. We provide legal and social services to immigrants in the Capital Region and beyond. 

 

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, case workshopping or staff-run committees.    

 

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.
• It is expected that the candidate will need to travel for work-related business. As a result, the candidate must possess a valid driver's license and be comfortable operating a vehicle upon hiring. This role requires travel, but qualified individuals with disabilities may be accommodated in a reasonable manner under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

• 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. 

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/1620438/Capital-Area-Immigrants-Rights-Coalition/Senior-Attorney-Detained-Adult-Program--Legal-Orientation-Program-LOP 

 

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 

Who We Are:

CAIR Coalition fights every day alongside immigrant children and adults who are detained and facing deportation. We provide legal and social services to immigrants in the Capital Region and beyond.

 

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 case workshopping or staff-run committees.   

 

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.
• It is expected that the candidate will need to travel for work-related business. As a result, the candidate must possess a valid driver's license and be comfortable operating a vehicle upon hiring. This role requires travel, but qualified individuals with disabilities may be accommodated in a reasonable manner under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

 

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 be based from the Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, M.D. 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 are working a hybrid-work model (in-person and virtual/remote) as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies. 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.  

 

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.

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/1159989/Capital-Area-Immigrants-Rights-Coalition/Staff-Attorney-Detained-Adult-Program 

 

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 

Who We Are:

CAIR Coalition fights every day alongside immigrant children and adults who are detained and facing deportation. We provide legal and social services to immigrants in the Capital Region and beyond.

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, case workshopping or staff-run committees.    

 

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. 
• It is expected that the candidate will need to travel for work-related business. As a result, the candidate must possess a valid driver's license and be comfortable operating a vehicle upon hiring. This role requires travel, but qualified individuals with disabilities may be accommodated in a reasonable manner under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

 

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 (in-person and virtual/remote) as long as they are in compliance with CAIR Coalition's COVID-19 policies. 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. 

 

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. 

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/1620406/Capital-Area-Immigrants-Rights-Coalition/Staff-Attorney-Detained-Adult-Program--Legal-Orientation-Program-LOP 

 

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