For over 50 years, Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys, volunteers, and staff help resolve civil legal problems, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation, regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice.
Legal Aid Chicago offers a hybrid work environment. Our office, located in downtown Chicago at 120 S. LaSalle Street, is ADA accessible and has convenient access to public transportation and local expressways. This position may require travel to court or other outreach events.
Position: Legal Aid Chicago’s Immigrants and Workers’ Rights Practice Group (IWR) seeks a full-time Supervisory Attorney in the Immigration Project. This position will work directly with clients, engage in detained and non-detained representation, and co-manage the project with existing immigration supervisors. The Supervisory Attorney will have extensive experience representing individuals in detained and non-detained hearings before the Executive Office of Immigration Review and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
The Immigration Project seeks to ensure that both longstanding and newly arrived immigrants have access to quality direct legal services, reliable legal information, and limited scope defensive representation. The team defends immigrants against deportation and advocates for affirmative benefits, with a focus on survivors of crimes, persecution, and domestic violence.
Responsibilities:
Supervise attorneys and paralegals, including editing written work, providing guidance on case strategy, co-counseling complex cases, conducting regular case reviews, providing training in substantive areas of law, and completing performance evaluations
Maintain an individual caseload, with a focus on removal defense
Supervise comprehensive screening and application preparation workshop shifts in Chicago as a funded organization within the statewide Immigrant Legal Services Program
Work with other IWR disciplines (Employment, Trafficking & Migrant Farmworker) when legal work intersects, and with additional staff in other Legal Aid Chicago Practice Groups where multi-issue representation arises, e.g., public benefits, family law, medical legal partnerships
Maintain accurate time records and ensure supervised staff do as well Assist in reporting and administering applicable grants
Participate in training agencies, advocates, clients, or community groups about legal services and rights impacting low-income immigrants
Participate in other activities related to poverty law including, permissible legislative and administrative advocacy, media relations, and fundraising
Participate in Legal Aid Chicago program activities
Represent Legal Aid Chicago on relevant community task forces, committees, or other government or non-profit bodies connected with our work
Collaborate on projects that could involve outreach to community groups, developing new strategies for serving our clients, or addressing systemic issues through litigation, negotiation or advocacy
Other duties assigned by the Director and Associate Director
Salary and Benefits:
The budgeted salary range for this position is $89,704 - $99,704, which reflects an applicant with a law school graduation date between 2020 and 2010.
Legal Aid Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:
Medical, dental, and vision insurance, effective the first day of employment
Time Off: 21 vacation days and 18 sick days accrued within the first year of employment
19 paid holidays, including four floating holidays
Twelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of the salary after six months of employment
401(a) retirement plan with an employer contribution after 3 months of employment
$100,000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance, at no cost
Access to Employee Assistance Program resources, at no cost
Chicago Bar Association Membership, at no cost
Reimbursement of annual ARDC registration fees
Monthly internet reimbursement
Legal Aid Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is an eligible employer for the federal public service loan forgiveness program
Legal Aid Chicago encourages applications from individuals with relevant experience, particularly those who have direct experience with communities we serve or perspectives that help us understand and serve our clients better.
Applicants must have a valid law license. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of three years extensive immigration law experience, including U and T visas, VAWA, Asylum and detained and non-detained removal defense practice. Must have excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills, and desire to work in a highly collegial team environment. Experience working with individuals or communities experiencing poverty strongly preferred. The applicant’s personal background, experience, or professional background should reject an ability to work effectively in cross-cultural situations with clients, co-workers and the community we serve. Spanish language proficiency is required.
Submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and the contact information of two primary professional references and one alternative professional reference. For applicants with previous work experience, at least one reference must be a former supervisor. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled.
Legal Aid Chicago is firmly committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital or parental status, alienage, disability, political affiliation or belief, military or military discharge status, ex-offender status, family responsibilities, reproductive health decisions or any other protected status.
If an accommodation is needed to complete this application, contact Human Resources at [email protected].
Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding an application status. We will contact candidates who are selected for the next stage of the hiring process.
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