Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, Detention Legal Orientation Program Staff Attorney

The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to providing free immigration legal services to adults in immigration detention and to
children and their families across Colorado. RMIAN’s Detention Program provides legal and
social service support to individuals held at the privately-owned civil immigration detention
facility located in Aurora, Colorado. The Detention Program provides daily Know-Your-Rights
presentations and case intakes through the Legal Orientation Program and also directly
represents detained clients – often in collaboration with RMIAN’s social workers. RMIAN’s
Detention Program also refers a large number of cases to volunteer counsel through a robust pro
bono referral program.

Position:
The Legal Orientation Program (LOP) is a government-funded Know-Your-Rights program that
seeks to educate and inform individuals detained at the Aurora immigration detention facility,
providing information about rights in removal proceedings, court procedures, release options,
and relief from removal. In addition to providing general information in a group setting,
members of the LOP team also conduct individual intakes to screen cases for referral to
volunteer pro bono counsel, as well as RMIAN direct representation staff attorneys.
Additionally, the LOP team is responsible for providing comprehensive pro se support, including
individual sessions and group workshops, to people facing deportation proceedings without the
assistance of counsel. The Detention LOP Staff Attorney will collaborate with other members of
the LOP team under the direction of the Detention Program LOP Supervisory Attorney and in
alignment with the goals of RMIAN’s Detention Program, led by its Managing Attorney.

RMIAN is accepting applications on a rolling basis and is considering two types of candidates:

1) RMIAN is accepting applications for an immediate opening from individuals with a juris
doctor degree who have already passed a bar exam or are awaiting bar exam results.
RMIAN does not require that an individual be barred in Colorado for employment.
2) RMIAN is also accepting applications from current third year law students to
immediately join its LOP team remotely on a part-time basis. After graduation, and
subject to a performance review, this role would transition to a full-time LOP Staff
Attorney position at RMIAN, with the expectation that the staff member will be available
to conduct in-person services, as needed.

This position is meant for an advocate who is exceptionally organized and efficient, who is
passionate about providing equal access to all, who enjoys working in a collaborative
setting, and who is a systems thinker who is proactive and can work independently. This is an
ideal position for someone who wants to work closely with pro se respondents, and who wants to
see both the impact of individual cases, as well as further program development.

Responsibilities:

• Provide Know-Your-Rights presentations at the immigration detention center in
• Aurora, Colorado. This includes conducting individual intakes, holding pro se
• workshops, and screening cases for referral to pro bono volunteer attorneys and
• RMIAN staff attorneys
• Conduct legal and factual research to determine participants’ legal eligibility and
• suitability of cases for referral
• Support RMIAN’s pro bono efforts to match as many cases as possible with free
• legal representation, including screening cases, communicating with respondents, and
• gathering records in support of pro se litigation efforts
• Under the supervision of the Supervisory Attorney, determine how to best support
• individual pro se respondents in their legal cases

Qualifications:

• Is an attorney (or third year law school student) who has a background in immigrationlaw and a strong commitment to immigrant justice – this person is called to this fieldand is passionate about RMIAN’s work and mission.
• Is able to multitask and troubleshoot issues in a fast-paced work environment with akeen ability to appropriately prioritize workflow.
• Is skilled at explaining complex legal framework in a…