Immigration Staff Attorney I

Immigration Staff Attorney I

Ministry:  Hogar Immigrant Services – Legal

Primary Office: 6301 Little River Turnpike, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22312

Hours per Week:  40 (exempt)

Staff Supervisor:  Supervising Attorney

Telework Available:  Hybrid

Starting Salary: $65,783.55

Position Description:

The Immigration Staff Attorney prepares a wide range of family-based and humanitarian immigration cases for submission to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of State, Immigration Court, and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).  S/he represents clients before the USCIS Washington District Office, Arlington Asylum Office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Immigration Court, and BIA, including removal proceedings.

Position Responsibilities:

• Conduct consultations independently to determine clients’ eligibility for immigration benefits
• Maintain a caseload of family-based and/or humanitarian immigration cases, coordinating all aspects of clients’ cases including client communication, relevant research, drafting personal statements, preparing immigration forms, writing briefs, drafting court motions and orders, and advocacy with law enforcement and other agencies

Other Duties:

• Work with volunteer attorneys and student interns as needed
• Participate as needed in agency- and program-wide data collection, fundraising, training, and strategic planning
• Participate in a regular basis in day-long weekend or weekday group processing workshops
• Provide referrals to clients for non-legal services as needed
• Provide data for grant and agency reports as needed
• Other related duties as assigned

Qualifications & Skills:

• Fluency in Spanish (speaking and writing) required
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively to manage a substantial workload with deadline pressures
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment and multi-task
• Competence in communicating and interacting with others of diverse cultural, geographic, and economic backgrounds in a professional and compassionate manner, including interacting with individuals experiencing substantial levels of emotional, physical, financial, or other hardship
• Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office 2007 or later
• Ability to use online case management software
• Ability to handle and maintain confidential information
• Regular access to a vehicle required for transportation to and from government agencies and workshop or other community events

Education and Experience:

• Juris Doctor degree and admission to the bar of any state; Virginia bar admission preferred
• Minimum of one year of experience or training in family-based and/or humanitarian immigration law preferred (may include law school clinics and/or internships)

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

BENEFITS: Vacation, Sick, STD, LTD, Paid FML*, Compassionate LEAVE 16 paid holidays in 2025, Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, 403B, Life insurance, After 1 year: Pension, Diocesan School Tuition Reimbursement K-12, Education Assistance, Closed between Christmas and New Years.*

We pay annual bar dues and annual membership in the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).  We also generally cover costs for trainings/webinars, and up to one in-person conference per attorney per year, which attorneys can use towards their CLE (Continuing Legal Education) requirements. Qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) when working here.

Thank you for your interest in joining Catholic Charities, Diocese of Arlington in the crucial work we do. Catholic Charities appreciates the time and effort it takes to submit an application.