Immigration Staff Attorney

Full-time position starting at $70,600 - $78,500/yr (D.O.E) with COMPETITIVE BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability
• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account
• Generous PTO, paid sick time, 15 days of paid vacations, 13 days of paid holidays, plus a personal holiday
• CCS/CHS 403(b) Employee Saving Plan
• Employee assistance program

Program Description

Catholic Immigration Legal Services (CILS) is a U.S. Department of Justice recognized program offering high quality immigration legal services. We have locations in both Seattle and Mount Vernon, WA and serve immigrant communities around the Puget Sound. Our office consists of both Staff Attorneys and Department of Justice accredited representatives.

Position Description

The CILS Immigration Staff Attorney’s primary duty is to represent clients in their immigration matters according to the priorities of the CILS program.  Current priorities are humanitarian-based forms of relief such as affirmative asylum, U-visas, VAWA, humanitarian parole, Temporary Protected Status, and Special Immigrant Visas.

The CILS Immigration Staff Attorney will offer direct representation services to immigrants requiring legal assistance. This attorney will also help design and implement an infrastructure to help increase CILS’ humanitarian-based legal service capacity. This attorney will also help keep CILS staff updated about changes in laws, procedures and policies relevant to immigrants. Duties also include directed advocacy, program development, program representation with public and private stakeholders, limited teaching and speaking, community legal clinics, and outreach.

• Conduct client intake and evaluate matters for purposes of issue spotting and placement.
• Maintain a sensible caseload, proportional to other job duties, which will include screening, advising, and representing individuals needing humanitarian-based forms of relief such as affirmative asylum, U-visas, VAWA, humanitarian parole, Temporary Protected Status, and Special Immigrant Visas, and more.
• With CILS staff, develop responses and strategies in response to emerging issues.
• Develop and provide in-house and outreach trainings, presentations, and workshops.
• Develop and update materials for case placements.
• Participate in community immigration legal clinics.
• Participate in CCS’ Asylum Seeker Subcommittee quarterly meetings.
• Maintain and update electronic files in Cerenade eImmigration, as well as physical case files.
• Comply with program reporting requirements, such as maintaining monthly statistics and case reports.
• Be available for other related duties as assigned by the Program Director.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.
• Admitted to the practice of law in a U.S. state.
• 1+ years of experience practicing U.S. immigration law.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Excellent organizational and computer skills.
• Ability and experience working with diverse individuals and communities.
• Ability and experience working with domestic violence victims and trauma survivors.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a staff team.
• Support and uphold the mission, beliefs and values of Catholic Community Services of Western Washington.
• Criminal history background checks are required prior to employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual in Dari, Pashto, Ukrainian, or Spanish.
• Experience with humanitarian forms of immigration relief.

Note to Internal Candidates: HR reviews internal compensation and determines any increase based on their experience and also agency internal equity factors.

Catholic Community Services and Catholic Housing Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please let us know if you need special accommodations to apply or interview for this position.