Staff Attorney

Position Description:
The YWCA legal team includes attorneys, legal assistants, and DOJ Accredited Representatives. Staff Attorneys will provide legal representation and advocacy on a variety of immigration and family related issues, including but not limited to: Asylum, Adjustment of Status, DACA, Special Immigrant Visas, U and T Visas, Relief under VAWA, guardianships, divorce/paternity, etc. The Staff Attorney will carry their own caseload under the supervision of the Director of Legal Services. The Staff Attorney will hold a docket of both fee-based and non-fee-based clients and be responsible for meeting specific revenue goals. The Staff Attorney will assist with community pro bono efforts, community education, and advocacy on immigration-related issues.

Principal Responsibilities and Duties:
Client Support and Data Collection
•Provide substantive legal screening to determine clients’ benefit eligibility and inform clients of the risks and benefits of applying for immigration forms of relief
•Provide substantive legal screening on family law matters
•Provides direct legal representation to clients in obtaining or maintaining immigration status or benefits before USCIS and EOIR, with a focus on humanitarian forms of immigration relief.
•Provides direct legal representation to clients in family law proceedings.
•Responsible for immigration database maintenance, documentation and record keeping of client cases and other agency reporting requirements.
•Maintain up-to-date records of client data and case progress in digital database
Administrative Responsibilities
•Stays current on applicable laws and policies and assures program contract or regulatory compliance.
•Collaborate with other YWCA Tulsa programs as appropriate to ensure integrated, client-centered service.
•Coordinate and communicate with Case Management team to identify potential legal needs.
•Assist in determining appropriate case stories for use in reports, advocacy materials, and public education and provide accurate information on current immigration law and policy topics to media and partners.
•Assist in developing office policies and procedures
•Assist in technical reviews of other attorneys’ and DOJs’ work.
•Responsible for administrative tasks for personal cases including filing, copying, data entry, preparing mailings, and opening and closing cases.
•Reasonably complies with deadlines assigned.
Outreach and Community Support
•Coordinate with community partners to promote legal representation for the immigrant community.
•Assist with outreach, community education, producing legal education materials, and collaborating with community partners to advance and improve services for the immigrant community.
•Represent YWCA Tulsa at immigration-related and other relevant meetings, forums and events in the community.
•Reasonably complies with deadlines assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:
•Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.
•Demonstrated ability to build trusting relationships with diverse communities, particularly families and youth in under-resourced areas.
•Strong commitment to collaboration and ability to work effectively with school personnel, social service providers, and legal aid organizations.
•Excellent communication, public speaking, and advocacy skills.
•Ability to work independently while also contributing to a team-oriented approach

Education and Experience:
•J.D. Law Degree and admission to the Oklahoma State Bar.
•Relevant Immigration and Family Law Experience.
•Experience working with diverse communities.
•Fluency or proficiency in a second language, preferred.

Physical Requirements:
•Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Required competencies and expectations: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following mission centered competencies as they relate to YWCA Tulsa core values:
•Community: We center people in our program design; we engage the Community in our decisions, and we partner with others to achieve the greatest impact.
•Advocacy: We are committed to creating space for voices to be heard.
•Respect: We care about each other and treat each other with dignity and value. We believe that authentic, respectful relationships lead to learning and growth.
•Empowerment: We empower each other [and the community/those we serve] to have a voice and create change.
•Equity and Inclusion: We build diverse, welcoming, and inclusive spaces within our walls and in the world.
•Excellence: We set and achieve ambitious goals.

Data Competency:
YWCA leaders are expected to demonstrate knowledge of their department and organizational data, management skills in overseeing their department goals including grant goals, key performance indicators, and monthly reports/program evaluations, the ability to understand and successfully navigate internal controls, policies, and processes, and behaviors that lead to successful outcomes for their department.
Leaders use data to help teams create action plans, work strategically, and analyze any gaps or areas of need. Leaders understand that the data reflects our work and should be used to drive decision making.

Communication Competency:
YWCA leaders are expected to communicate clearly, effectively, and in a collaborative manner. Leaders are expected to utilize communication in the following manner:
•Informing others
•Presentation
•Receiving Information
•Problem Solving
•Information sharing
•Enabling participation of others
•Providing and Receiving Feedback

Financial Competency:
YWCA leaders are expected to demonstrate knowledge of their department and organizational finances, management skills in overseeing their department budget including revenue and spending, the ability to understand and successfully navigate internal financial controls, policies, and processes, and behaviors that lead to financial sustainability for their department.

Mission Centered Competency:
YWCA leaders are expected to remain focused on our mission while making strategic decisions for their team. YWCA leaders are change agents who model a growth mindset, proactive problem-solving approach, accountability and adaptability. Effective time management is an expectation of YWCA leaders and deadlines must be met. Leaders work diligently to support our mission by creating and contributing to a cohesive and collaborative culture. YWCA leaders can speak effectively about our work, our mission and our impact to various stakeholders. Leaders at the YWCA understand the importance of continuous improvement and are involved in their team’s quarterly program evaluation. YWCA Leaders understand, review and monitor progress on our strategic plan. YWCA leaders consistently demonstrate the ability to respect and maintain the privacy of sensitive and confidential information and use best practices to protect that information.

Leadership Competency:
YWCA Leaders are expected to know the job descriptions of their direct reports and lead their assigned project effectively and proactively. YWCA leaders inspire trust by saying what they mean and doing what they say and can effectively resolve conflict by having crucial conversations with those involved. It is an expectation that leaders lead weekly meetings with their teams or departments and utilize agendas for meetings and hold their team accountable for any action items. YWCA leaders build competency within their direct reports by empowering them and ensuring that they are held accountable. They are aware of the growth opportunities of their team and work to plan, provide or find professional development that will support their direct reports. Along with team meetings, leaders are expected to provide one on one meetings with team members where applicable, provide feedback and coaching and complete bi-annual staff evaluations. Leaders are expected to know the grant under which their team operates where applicable and seeks to find answers proactively when they have questions.