POSITION: The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is seeking a Staff Attorney to join its dynamic team providing immigration services to low-income individuals. This is a chance to join a talented grant-funded team doing important and challenging work at a critical time.
This is a staff attorney role with a current assignment as a MIRC-wide floater based in the Training and Systemic Impact Team. The assignment involves covering caseloads while attorneys are on leave and supporting the Training and Systemic Impact team when there are no leaves to be covered.
This position can be based out of any of MIRC’s offices with the possibility of a hybrid work schedule. This role may at times require significant travel across the state to all MIRC offices and hearings or stakeholder meetings and events across the state.
The main duties of the assignment involve the following:
Covering caseload:
- Covering caseloads for staff who are on planned extended leave, includes:
- Handling immigration and state court caseloads of children and adults before USCIS, EOIR, ICE, BIA, State court, including family, probate, and courts of appeal.
- Travel to local offices to meet with paralegal and supervisory staff during coverage periods.
- Meeting with clients in person whenever possible to prepare their cases and offer advice and counsel.
- Addressing other representational needs of clients on coverage caseload.
- Possibly carry a small caseload of cases of one’s own depending on coverage needs and capacity
Supporting TSI:
- Create, organize, and maintain internal trainings, technical assistance documents, guidance, sample pleadings, boilerplates, and educational materials for MIRC case handlers.
- Draft communications and policy memoranda regarding public benefits, language access, state court administration, and other topics that impact the lives of unaccompanied immigrant children.
- Support legislative efforts that would improve outcomes for unaccompanied immigrant children.
- Build and conduct occasional external trainings and provide technical support to other trainers on immigration law and similar topics.
- Provide limited direct representation and be available to co-counsel with MIRC case handlers or pro bono attorneys on cases that may have an impact on Michigan immigrant communities beyond the result of the underlying case. For example, state court cases involving novel questions impacting special immigrant juvenile proceedings, trafficking or asylum cases that involve an unusual question of law or factual scenarios, or appeals.
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM: MIRC is a legal resource center for immigrants and immigration advocates across Michigan with offices in Ypsilanti, Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. MIRC’s work includes direct representation, pro bono referrals, impact litigation, training, coalition building, advocacy, technical support, and more. MIRC is part of Michigan Statewide Advocacy Services (MSAS), a non‐profit law firm whose administrative services are provided by the Michigan Advocacy Program (MAP). MIRC is part of Michigan Statewide Advocacy Services (MSAS), a non-profit law firm providing free legal services to low income and senior persons through several statewide programs. MIRC is a legal resource center for immigrant communities. The three pillars of our work are: 1) direct legal services; 2) systemic advocacy; and 3) community education and engagement. MSAS is administered by the Michigan Advocacy Program (MAP), which provides access to the justice system for those who need it the most through civil legal aid offices and statewide advocacy programs. Visit michiganimmigrant.org and miadvocacy.org for more information.
QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must be licensed to practice law in Michigan, qualified to be admitted by waiver, or able to take the next Michigan bar exam. Preference will be given to candidates with more than one year experience post-licensure. Applicants must possess excellent communication, collaboration, analytical and problem‐solving skills as well as a demonstrated commitment to protecting the rights of immigrants or other persons in poverty. Candidate must be detail-oriented with strong organizational skills. Candidate must be proficient with major software and web services including Word, Excel, G Suite, and have access to a reliable internet connection if they intend to work remotely some of the time. Applicants who have experience, especially related to immigration and poverty, will receive priority. Preference will be given to candidates who are able to effectively communicate in Spanish. Candidates must reside in Michigan.
BENEFITS: This is a full-time position with a salary starting at $60,000 depending on experience. MAP offers a generous benefits package including life, short- and long-term disability, health, vision, dental, and flexible spending accounts. If staff do not require health benefits, they have the option to take an annual $1,500 payout in addition to the base salary paid over the course of a year. MAP also has a generous leave policy allowing staff to accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation the first year and 15 paid holidays, as well as a 401K retirement plan including employer match for eligible staff after 6 months of employment. MAP is a qualifying employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
TO APPLY: Please complete this application and submit your resume and cover letter. You can also access the application by copying and pasting the following web address into your browser: https://miadvocacy.bamboohr.com/careers/156. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
MSAS is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.