ABOUT ERIE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE
Since 1870, Erie Neighborhood House (ENH) has been impacting the lives of immigrant and low-income communities in Chicago, enabling children to develop to their full potential and families to meet the challenges of poverty and build brighter futures. Erie House's mission is to empower our community—Latinx immigrants alongside individuals and families of all backgrounds—through education, access to critical services, and advocacy, working together to create a just and inclusive society.
ABOUT THE CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT
Erie House’s Citizenship and Immigration department (C&I) addresses the scarcity of affordable, accessible legal counsel for immigrants by providing critical legal services and resources to primarily low-income, Latinx immigrants. We have over 20 years of experience providing immigration case management, legal representation, and citizenship instruction, becoming recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2011. Our legal services team provides consultations and representation out of ENH’s West Town and Little Village offices for a variety of immigration benefits, including: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Naturalization and Citizenship, family-based applications, VAWA, U-visas, Asylum, and removal defense.
FELLOWSHIP DESCRIPTION
ENH seeks to sponsor a post-graduate candidate for a two-year period for an externally-funded fellowship, beginning in the fall of 2020. The fellow will provide consultations and represent individuals in their immigration proceedings. The fellow will also work with community partners to provide outreach and education to low-income immigrants, as well as support in capacity building for the department. ENH will assist in the preparation of fellowship applications to funders as needed.
Potential Projects: We welcome any other proposals that support the ENH’s work and our staff will work with candidates to develop their proposals for submission. However, ENH has identified the following project ideas, which have arisen out of identified needs in our client community:
• Developing and implementing a pro bono volunteer project, engaging volunteer attorneys and clients in a particular area of immigration law (i.e. U-visas, VAWA, or asylum depending on the need of our clients)
• Providing consultation and representation for detained or non-detained immigrants in removal proceedings
• J.D. or awarding of a J.D by the spring of 2020;
• Spanish language proficiency;
• Membership to Illinois bar (preferred but not required);
• Experience in immigration removal defense or have completed an immigration law course;
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest and social justice;
• Strong organizational, case management, legal research, and legal writing skills;
• Experience working with vulnerable client populations, particularly with low-income, immigrant children, families, individuals with mental health issues and/or detained individuals.
Please forward cover letter, resume, and a list of three professional references to:
Jane Lombardi
Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services
via e-mail: [email protected]
and
Viviana Mendez
Supervising Attorney
via e-mail: [email protected]
We ask that the cover letter describe one or more project ideas or areas of interest. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, but priority consideration will be given to those who contact us no later than July 31st. Erie Neighborhood House will work with the selected candidate in preparing their fellowship application.