Go Back
Job Description
POSITION TITLE: Lead Attorney
REPORTS TO: Associate Legal Director
WORKSITE: Omaha or Lincoln, NE
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:
In 2022, Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center merged, and the combined nonprofit organization is now the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA). CIRA’s mission is to empower immigrants and refugees to live confidently through high-quality legal representation, resettlement, and social work and to create welcoming communities through education and advocacy.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Each CIRA Lead Attorney is an integral part of our legal department. The core functions of this position are: (1) management; (2) specialization; (3) direct representation; and (4) education and advocacy. This lead attorney role will partner with the other lead attorney positions responsible for overseeing CIRA’s asylum-focused team and maintaining expertise in asylum law and related relief. This lead attorney will supervise a team that includes staff attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives, paralegals, and legal assistants. The ideal candidate for this position is a leader and self-starter who is passionate about providing excellent legal representation in a complex area of law and mentoring colleagues as they gain practice experience.
CORE FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:
Management
Specialization
QUALIFICATIONS:
WORKING CONDITIONS
COMPENSATION
TO APPLY
Salary
REPORTS TO: Associate Legal Director
WORKSITE: Omaha or Lincoln, NE
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:
In 2022, Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center merged, and the combined nonprofit organization is now the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA). CIRA’s mission is to empower immigrants and refugees to live confidently through high-quality legal representation, resettlement, and social work and to create welcoming communities through education and advocacy.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Each CIRA Lead Attorney is an integral part of our legal department. The core functions of this position are: (1) management; (2) specialization; (3) direct representation; and (4) education and advocacy. This lead attorney role will partner with the other lead attorney positions responsible for overseeing CIRA’s asylum-focused team and maintaining expertise in asylum law and related relief. This lead attorney will supervise a team that includes staff attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives, paralegals, and legal assistants. The ideal candidate for this position is a leader and self-starter who is passionate about providing excellent legal representation in a complex area of law and mentoring colleagues as they gain practice experience.
CORE FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:
Management
- Set goals and develop strategies for maximizing efficiencies and serving as many asylum applicant clients as possible, without compromising the quality of the representation.
- Supervise, train, and evaluate a team of staff attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives, paralegals, and legal assistants who collaboratively serve our clients.
- Maintain strong interpersonal communication with supervisees and others on the team through regular scheduled check-ins, follow-ups, and feedback on assignments.
- Address supervisees’ areas of improvement through proactive, constructive feedback and provide necessary support for supervisees’ growth.
- Collaborate with legal directors to strategize around our intake system, waitlist management, and service delivery model for asylum applicants.
- Report on developments relevant to CIRA’s asylum work at management, legal team, and staff meetings.
- Assist with the preparation and presentation of reports to board members and funders, when relevant
Specialization
- Serve as a resource and provide technical assistance to CIRA caseworkers on complex and novel issues that arise in asylum-related representation.
- Provide internal training and develop toolkits to assist CIRA caseworkers in maintaining and advancing our knowledge of developments in asylum law.
- Manage a caseload of affirmative and defensive asylum cases, including other humanitarian and family-based case types that asylum applicants and their immediate family members may pursue.
- Offer guidance and strategic direction to attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives who are representing asylum applicants before the Asylum Office, Omaha Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, and in federal courts.
- Collaborate with CIRA’s social work department to ensure that asylum applicant clients who are “Unaccompanied Children” receive supportive case management services.
- Provide legal counsel, advice, and direct representation before Nebraska State Courts and federal district court as necessary.
- Represent clients before all immigration-related agencies, including the Asylum Office, Omaha Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, Department of State, etc.
- Maintain complete and accurate client records in physical files and in CIRA’s case management software, including but not limited to logging all new activities, filing receipts, correspondence, and filings in the case file, tracking reminders and deadlines, meeting those deadlines, etc., as described in detail in CIRA’s Legal Procedures Manual.
- Effectively and efficiently track open and closed cases using CIRA’s case management software.
- Maintain regular contact with clients and promptly return calls in accordance with the Legal Procedures Manual; keep clients aware of the status of their case; accurately advise clients of the risks and benefits of applying for immigration relief; maintain an accurate record of every client communication within CIRA’s case management system.
- Contribute to outreach and education programs related to asylum, other forms of humanitarian protection, and the rights of noncitizens under U.S. law.
- Engage in community education and advocacy to promote an accurate understanding of immigration law and policy and to advocate for changes that will positively benefit humanitarian and family-based immigrants.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Must have a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited school of law in the United States.
- Licensed to practice law in Nebraska or able to obtain a license to practice law in Nebraska.
- A minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience practicing immigration law in the United States.
- A minimum of 2 to 5 years of experience supervising others in a legal practice setting is strongly preferred.
- Advanced knowledge of immigration and nationality law and procedure is required, preferably including knowledge of asylum and related relief.
- Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred but not required.
- Exceptional legal research and writing ability and impeccable organizational skills.
- Ability to manage confidential documents and communications in a professional manner.
- Strong interpersonal communication and people skills.
- Commitment to CIRA’s mission and values in serving immigrants, refugees, and newcomers, and a demonstrated commitment to public interest law.
- Deep understanding of and ability to work sensitively and well with people of diverse national, ethnic, cultural, religious, and gender identities, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Fluency in using Office 365 applications (ex. Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, etc.) and the ability to learn new data management software.
- Exhibits responsibility through consistent attendance, effective time management, dependability, self-discipline, flexibility, and working independently.
- Ability to work in a team and handle multiple tasks in an organized and timely manner.
- Impeccable integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed.
- Ability to think strategically, problem-solve, exercise good judgment, and lead change.
- Openly supports departmental and organizational changes and demonstrates comfort working in a rapidly growing and evolving organization.
- Ability to take initiative and make difficult decisions when necessary.
- Ability to pass all required background checks.
- Must be authorized to work in the United States.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- This job consists of regularly sitting at a desk and using a computer and phone.
- Workdays pertain to a Monday – Friday schedule, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
COMPENSATION
- Salary range of $75,000 – 85,000, commensurate with experience.
- Excellent benefits including:
- Unlimited paid time off (including employee birthday); 9 paid holidays with year-end holiday break.
- Medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance; employee assistance program; 403b retirement plan with an automatic 5% contribution; and FMLA
- Yearly stipends for employee development opportunities
- Relocation assistance; travel and expense reimbursement
TO APPLY
- Please upload a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three professional references all in PDF format to the job application link.
- $75,000 - $85,000
AI Career Tools
Quickly create a cover letter, get resume help, and more with our free AI tools!
