Position title: Bilingual Staff Attorney (Spanish English) | Reports to: Managing Counsel & Executive Director | Worksite: Norristown, PA, plus weekly clinics in PA/DE/NJ | Hours: Full-time, Exempt, some evenings and weekend events may be required. Compensation: Salaried. $55,000 per year plus benefits.
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION: Justice for Our Neighbors of the Delaware Valley (JFON-DV) provides immigration legal services to low-income immigrants and refugees in Southeast Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, especially to those who are most vulnerable, rural farmworkers. It was founded in 2019 to develop a practical response to the legal challenges immigrants face in the U.S. As a community-based 501(c)(3) organization (pending) located in Norristown, PA, JFON-DV provides low-cost and no-cost immigration legal services to hundreds of low-income immigrants and refugees of all faiths and nationalities. Through direct services and collaborative strategies, JFON-DV will empower immigrants to build their own capacity and resources to become more self-sufficient, stable, and independent. In addition to direct legal services, JFON-DV educates community leaders, organizations, and potential clients through presentations about immigration law and policies.
JFON-DV is an equal opportunity employer. JFON-DV does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.
POSITION: A “Justice for Our Neighbors” (JFON) staff attorney is responsible for the provision of immigration legal services at each immigration clinic and for the supervision and training of volunteers and support staff assisting with this provision of legal services. In addition, the staff attorney may work in coordination with each clinic to promote community education and advocacy of immigrants’ rights and “know your rights” popular legal education.
Immigration Legal Services
- The staff attorney will provide legal counsel and advice to clients who attend JFON-DV immigration legal clinics and may assist them with the preparation of immigration petitions and applications.
- Volunteer attorneys, law students and other volunteers from each clinic site may assist the attorney with this work, but all work performed by volunteers and other assistants shall be reviewed by the staff attorney.
- The staff attorney has discretion to determine the number of clients and nature of cases he/she can undertake.
- The staff attorney’s primary responsibility is to serve each JFON-DV clinic in his/her region, but he/she may also take on immigration cases outside the clinic setting or pursue other professional interests related to the advocacy of immigrants’ rights as time and resources permit.
Coordination with National JFON
- The staff attorney’s professional performance is subject to review by the Regional Attorney of National JFON.
- The staff attorney will participate in case review meetings via videoconference, telephone, list serve, and occasional in-person meetings with other JFON attorneys. JFON encourages the staff attorney to communicate as frequently as he/she wishes to discuss cases and programmatic issues.
- At least once a year, the staff attorney may be required to participate in a national organizing and training conference of the Justice for Our Neighbors network.
Clinic Management and Administration
- The JFON staff attorney reports to the JFON Site Board.
- The JFON national staff will provide general guidelines for clinic management. It is the staff attorney’s shared responsibility with the clinic organizers (task forces and staff board) to ensure that clinic guidelines and policies are followed.
- The staff attorney is responsible for ensuring that case management practices comply with the principles and rules of professional responsibility for lawyers; this may require knowledge of each state’s rules of professional ethics as well as the rules of professional responsibility in the jurisdiction in which the staff attorney is licensed. JFON staff attorney must observe JFON Practice Standards and policies. In addition, the attorney should be familiar with the ABA Rules of Professional Responsibility and the Board of Immigration Appeals Regulations on Professional Ethics.
- The staff attorney is not responsible for recruitment of volunteers or logistical organization of the immigration clinics. However, the attorney is expected to participate in outreach and educational efforts as much as the legal workload may permit and as deemed appropriate pursuant to consultation with the task forces and JFON Site Board.
Time Allocation and Travel
- The staff attorney will allocate his/her time and resources using his/her judgment as to the needs of each clinic site.
- The staff attorney should allow sufficient time for legal research and continuing legal education.
- The staff attorney is required to travel to each clinic site within his/her region at least once a month and as needed to complete casework and follow-up client consultations. (Vacation and breaks for both clinic volunteers and the attorney should be considered.)
- Travel may also be required to local USCIS district offices and to the immigration court.
General Requirements
- The staff attorney should have a strong commitment to public interest legal service and to the enfranchisement and empowerment of newcomer immigrant communities.
- Justice for Our Neighbors is more than a legal service project. It is a faith-based ministry of service involving many diverse individuals, cultures and faiths who come together through the United Methodist Church to welcome newcomers to our community. As such, the staff attorney should have an appreciation of the spiritual principles of this work and an ability to work sensitively with numerous volunteers and clients having diverse personalities, lifestyles, cultures, political orientations and various faiths.
- General knowledge of immigration and nationality law and prior experience in this field is strongly preferred.
- Fluency in Spanish is a requirement for this position.
Staff Attorney Salary and Benefits
- The starting salary for this position is $55,000/yr.
- As a Justice for Our Neighbors staff attorney, the staff attorney will be covered by the JFON national program’s professional liability insurance.
- A Health/Dental/Vision program is provided. JFON-DV pays 75% of premiums for full-time employees.
- Four weeks of paid time off, parental leave, and a retirement account are offered.
Interested parties should email their resume and a brief writing simple to tom@jfondv.org