Pro Bono Coordinator Asylum Project

About NIJC

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, impact litigation, advocacy, and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington, DC, Indiana, and San Diego, NIJC's team of over 100 attorneys, paralegals, and professionals, along with 2,000 pro bono attorneys, is at the forefront of immigration reform.

Job Summary:

NIJC seeks a Pro Bono Coordinator for the Asylum Project providing pro bono representation to hundreds of low-income individuals and families seeking asylum in the Chicago Immigration Court and Asylum Office. Serving as the primary point of contact for both prospective asylum clients and volunteer attorneys, this role is responsible for coordinating client intake processes, assisting in case preparation in collaboration with program staff, and supporting pro bono attorneys throughout the lifecycle of asylum cases. The coordinator also contributes to the development and delivery of training materials and resources to ensure high-quality legal representation by volunteer partners.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coordinate NIJC's non-detained asylum intakes, responds to internal and external referrals.
• Make recommendations to the project attorneys regarding case assessments and feasibility of pro bono placement
• Serve as the initial point-of-contact for pro bono inquiries from current and prospective pro bono attorneys and coordinators at law firms and corporations across the country regarding NIJC's work
• Provide referrals for post-asylum ancillary services for NIJC asylum clients
• Generate reports regarding NIJC's asylum pro bono work
• Track individual asylum cases, pro bono placement, and outcomes in NIJC's database
• Coordinate legal trainings and workshops for asylum pro bono attorneys
• Create and update NIJC asylum pro bono training materials in collaboration with the Asylum Project staff
• Compile pro bono summaries for distribution in the monthly pro bono newsletter
• Collaborate with the pro bono manager to conduct outreach and recruitment of potential pro bono attorneys
• Coordinate the referral of asylum cases to pro bono attorneys
• Respond to questions from asylum pro bono attorneys and refer questions to the project attorneys as appropriate
• Participate in a bi-annual audit of the Asylum Project's pro bono cases
• Participate in legal trainings and review legal materials to remain current on immigration law, policies, and procedures
• Assist in the representation of in-house asylum clients
• Other duties as assigned

Competencies:

• Legal Skills: Experience analyzing the impact of laws on vulnerable populations and advocating for improved laws and policies. Strong legal research and writing skills. Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, work independently, and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

• Technology Knowledge/Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Qualifications:

• Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's degree . Minimum of one year of experience in the human rights field, legal and/or communications work . May give credit towards years of experience if attained a degree higher than a bachelor's degree.

• Language Skills: This position requires regular communication with clients in Spanish. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written Spanish.

• Other Requirements: Excellent writing, editing, organizational, and computer skills. Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

How to Apply

Please Include:

1. Your resume
2. A brief cover letter that highlights your interest in this role, why the work resonates with you, and any experience that connects to NIJC's mission and the responsibilities of the position.

Physical Abilities Statement

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• The person in this position occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine.

It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

For any technical issues please contact recruiting@immigrantjustice.org

Salary

• $48,400 - $56,108