Senior Attorney- Children's Program

NMILC is seeking an experienced Senior Attorney who is well-versed with direct immigration services and advocacy for children seeking relief under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status as well as familiarity with asylum and humanitarian visas. This position is meant for an attorney with experience practicing family and immigration law who is exceptionally organized and efficient, who is passionate about providing equal access to all, and who is proactive, collaborative, and can work very independently.   

 

Job Responsibilities: 

• Manage a caseload of survivors of crime and children, many of whom have been released from ORR (Office or Refugee Resettlement) custody. This caseload will include cases for State Court Custody Proceedings, representation before DHS, DOJ, and CBP.    

• Provide direct and ethical representation for NMILC clients.  

• Perform ordinary function of legal counsel – conduct legal research, formulate the legal strategy for cases, draft and file pleadings and motions and compile applications for immigration relief.  

• Conduct client interviews using trauma informed best practices, screen for immigration relief, effectively communicate options and strategies to clients. Appear as attorney of record before immigration and/or state court judges and zealously advocate for clients.  

• Provide a trauma-informed approach to handling cases and communication with clients.  

• Manage deadlines, hearings and case goals independently and with a team of staff attorneys and paralegals. 

• Provide robust consultation and technical assistance to NMILC staff, pro bono attorneys, including legal skills trainings, case technical assistance, coaching, conducting regular check -ins, reviewing work products, and providing consistent and effective feedback and oversight 

• Provide mentorship and training to designated community partners or NMILC staff, including planning, assigning, and directing work, appraising performance, creating plans for professional development, ensuring the maintenance of complete and accurate client records in the case management system, providing consistent and effective feedback and oversight to ensure high quality works. 

• Engage in outreach to foster and expand relationships with community stakeholders, including legal service providers, immigrant service providers, government officials, local bar associations, and advocacy organizations law enforcement, and provide expert contribution and oversight in the development of training materials as needed. 

• Contribute to the overall NMILC office culture and functioning, including participating in NMILC wide calls and meetings and providing leadership at office events. 

• Collaborate with the Managing Attorney about programmatic developments, administrative needs and broader program opportunities, needs and challenges, while identifying and collaborating on constructive solutions. 

• Identify legal advocacy issues and legal service delivery needs and confer regularly with NMILC’s staff and partner organizations to address them; 

• Provide subject matter expertise as needed for relevant city, state, and federal policy and communication needs. Represent NMILC at local stakeholder meetings, trainings, conferences, and events focused around issues facing children and survivors of crime. 

• Rotate Attorney of the Day duties with other Managing Attorneys and Senior Attorneys. 

• Provide interim/ back up supervision and management support for Supervisors and back-up supervision when needed at team meetings or due to absence. 

• Identify new and creative ways to respond to internal and external needs in the delivery of legal services 

 

 

Qualifications: 

• Fluency in Spanish and English.  

• J.D. or equivalent experience and license to practice law in New Mexico; 

• If not currently licensed in New Mexico, the applicant must begin the licensure process within 3 months of hire.  

• Minimum of four years of experience practicing immigration law, which includes significant experience with removal defense, state court predicate orders for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, humanitarian vias, and immigration relief for survivors of crime. 

• Minimum of two years of experience working with children and survivors of crime. 

• Minimum of two years demonstrating proven legal expertise or exemplary skills in managing complex legal projects. 

• Experience working with law firm attorneys and/or other legal volunteers. 

• Experience with using trauma informed best practices and working with survivors of complex trauma.  

• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles. 

• Ability to work with a sense of urgency when needed in a dynamic, fast paced environment 

• Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance. 

• Experience working and communicating in a remote environment. 

• Skilled trainer, educator, mentor, and supervisor – this person can respond to program staff and pro bono volunteers quickly, is skilled at time management, is able to triage to meet time-sensitive priorities and enjoys supervision and managing staff.  

 

Salary and Benefits  

 

This is a full-time exempt position. Salary is competitive for our field and geographic area and is commensurate with experience. Starting annual salary for the Senior Attorney position is $90,480.  NMILC currently offers a generous benefits package, including: 

 

• 100% of Individual Employee Health, Dental and Vision Premium paid by NMILC for the Base Plan and 50% for dependents. Buy-up health plan also available. 

• Access to Traditional and Roth 401(K) options and discretionary employer match up to 10% of base salary upon meeting eligibility requirements (determined each fiscal year based on funding projections). 

• Pre-tax flexible spending account (FSA) for both medical and dependent care. 

• Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. 

• Employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance. 

 

Benefits may be subject to change at any time based on the organization’s budget. 

 

NMILC also recognizes the value of creating an environment of positive work/life balance, acknowledging that investing in staff’s ability to take care of themselves and their families enables them to do their best work. Our paid holiday schedule is exceptional and contributes to each of us enjoying a good work/life balance. The plan currently includes: 

 

• Company-paid federal holidays in addition to 2 weeks of winter break, 1 week for spring break, and 1 week for summer break, and other days as established in coordination with the local public-school schedule. 

• Three week paid vacation annually; 

• 1 earned sick leave hour for every 30 hours worked;