Bilingual Staff Attorney; WA MASS

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks a full-time bilingual Staff Attorney to work in our Washington Migrant and Asylum Seeker Support program (WA MASS). This role may be based out of any of our four offices located in Granger, Seattle, Tacoma or Wenatchee, WA. Applicants must be fluent in English and at least one other language, with Spanish, French, and Portuguese preferred.

The applicant must be able to start the position as soon as possible and is expected to commit to at least two years.

Founded in 1984, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) is a nationally-recognized legal services organization on the front lines of defending and advancing the rights of immigrants. With over 200 employees, NWIRP provides direct legal representation and assistance in immigration matters to thousands of people with low incomes who come from over 150 countries and speak over 60 different languages.

NWIRP challenges unjust policies through high-impact lawsuits and advocates for laws and policies that respect the rights of immigrants. NWIRP is also a trusted provider of immigration-related community education for immigrant communities and social service providers. NWIRP serves the community through four offices in Washington State (Granger, Seattle, Tacoma and Wenatchee), but the impact of our work is felt nationwide.

NWIRP’s WA MASS Unit is an organization-wide program that provides limited immigration legal services, resources, education, and training through a grant administered by the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA). The unit receives referrals from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as well as directly from the community, conducts intakes for community members, and refers cases with potential relief to partner agencies or NWIRP staff for limited services.

All NWIRP staff attorneys are expected to:

• Provide direct representation to individuals in removal proceedings before the Immigration Court, on appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals or before the federal courts, and before the Department of Homeland Security;
• Provide direct representation to persons submitting affirmative applications with USCIS and the Department of State;
• Conduct presentations, workshops, legal clinics, and intakes, by phone and in person;
• Conduct case analysis to determine eligibility for immigration protections/status under the immigration laws;
• Maintain a working knowledge of significant policies, laws, practices, and trends in immigration law, particularly as it impacts low-income immigrants and those impacted by the criminal justice system;
• Establish, organize, and maintain files up to date;
• Perform administrative tasks related to grant reporting such as timekeeping, submitting timesheets, tracking training, and other duties in a timely manner;
• Participate in NWIRP’s outreach, community education, and development efforts; and,
• Perform other tasks and responsibilities assigned by supervisory staff depending upon NWIRP’s needs.

• Provide legal intakes to community members referred to NWIRP through the Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Services (WA MASS) Project Hub or who connect directly through NWIRP;
• Provide brief legal services (Pro se assistance);
• Provide referrals to other legal services organizations; and,
• Provide quarterly training on relevant immigration law topics to legal services providers that receive direct referrals from NWIRP to provide brief legal services;
• Create filing preparation checklists and template filings to be referenced by other unit staff;
• Travel to other NWIRP offices, partner locations, and other offsite locations to provide consultations to community members.