Bilingual Legal Advocates (2)

SUMMARY:
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks full-time bilingual legal advocates to join a NWIRP office in Granger, Seattle, Tacoma, or Wenatchee. Applicants must be fluent in English and another language, with a preference for Spanish, Portuguese, French, Mandarin, Somali, or Russian. Additional languages are encouraged. The selected applicants must be able to start their position by September 1, 2024 or sooner. A minimum two-year commitment to the position is expected.

Under supervision of an attorney, you will work closely with other staff members across NWIRP’s four offices and community partners in Washington State, providing individual consultations and direct representation to members of immigrant communities in Washington State through various forms of immigration protection, including asylum relief.

Initially, you will be joining NWIRP’s Community Outreach Unit focusing on providing legal assistance through brief services to immigrant community members who have recently arrived in Washington State and are facing deportation proceedings.

The anticipated hours of work are Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, with a 30-60 minute unpaid lunch.

Under NWIRP’s current COVID policies, new staff members must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (unless eligible for an exemption). Staff may choose to wear a face mask in the workplace but it is not currently required. At the time of this posting, NWIRP staff is operating in a hybrid model, and some in-office work will be expected of this position (at least two full days per week).

ABOUT NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT:
Founded in 1984, NWIRP is a nationally-recognized legal services organization on the front lines of defending and advancing the rights of immigrants. Each year, 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 has a staff of over 160 and an annual budget of over $20 million. 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 Community Outreach Unit is an organization-wide unit that provides accessible resources, education, and training through outreach events geared towards community members, service providers, and community partners across Washington State. In addition to outreach, the Community Outreach Unit provides assistance through brief services, workshops, and legal clinics to immigrant community members who have recently arrived in Washington State and are facing deportation. NWIRP’s brief services include intakes and consultations, submitting applications for immigration protections before USCIS and immigration court, such as asylum, temporary protected status, employment authorization, change of venue, and change of address.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION:
This is a non-exempt, hourly position, with a base salary dependent on experience. The beginning annual salary is $66,531.38 ($36.55 per hour) and is higher depending on years of directly relevant experience. For example, if you have 10 years of directly relevant experience the annual compensation would be $77,950.77 ($42.83 per hour); 20 years would be $89,043.22 ($48.92 per hour).

NWIRP is proud to be a unionized employer and this full-time position is covered by NWIRP’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. NWIRP offers a generous benefits package, including:

Fully paid health, vision and dental plans for employee-level coverage with employer funded HRA and HSA options
FSA and Dependent Care accounts
Automatic employer contribution of 3% to 403(b) retirement plan
12 days of paid health leave per year
16 days paid vacation in your first year (with additional days in subsequent years)
12 weeks of paid parental leave after 6 months of employment, plus the ability to extend with state paid leave
14 paid holidays with the ability to float 5 holidays
Paid authorized absences for attending workshops, conferences, and other educational/training programs
Employer-paid disability/life/AD&D coverage; Long-term care insurance
4 weeks (140 hours) of paid sabbatical after every five years of employment at NWIRP
Eligibility to earn compensatory time
Relocation bonus, if relocating over 100 miles for this role (with an additional relocation bonus if relocating to one of NWIRP’s Eastern Washington offices)
Free parking on-site for the Granger, Tacoma, and Wenatchee offices
Subsidized transit pass is available for the Seattle office

NWIRP is an eligible employer under the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY, EQUITY AND REPRESENTATION:
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project is an equal opportunity employer committed to having a diverse staff, board, and volunteer base reflective of the communities we serve and that enhances our ability to create a vibrant environment where all members of the NWIRP community thrive. We strongly encourage applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants (including people who were formerly detained, undocumented, or who have navigated the immigration legal system), women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds and language abilities.

NWIRP is committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. NWIRP does not discriminate on the basis of class, race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, political ideology, age, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability. Excepting any undue hardship, NWIRP will provide reasonable accommodations upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please contact [email protected].

RESPONSIBILITIES:
All legal advocates are expected to:
Under attorney supervision:
Conduct intakes, by phone and in person, and interview clients to gather or clarify information;
Conduct case analysis to determine eligibility for immigration protections/status under the immigration laws;
Provide consultations and direct representation, prepare and submit immigration forms and supporting documents to immigration courts, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or other immigration agencies, and provide interpretations and translations;
Assist in providing pro se assistance, community outreach and education, as directed;
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 up-to- date files;
Translate documents;
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.

Specific to this position:
Under supervision of an attorney:
Provide intake to community members referred to NWIRP through the Washington Migrant and Asylum Seeker Services (WA MASS) Hub or who connect directly through NWIRP;
Provide brief legal services (Pro se assistance);
Provide referrals to other legal services organizations; and
Assist in providing quarterly training on relevant immigration law topics to legal service providers that receive direct referrals from NWIRP to provide brief legal services.

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear; utilize a phone, computer, keyboard, pen and paper. Occasional work on night and weekend hours. Travel may be required. Travel reimbursements apply.

Emotional demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to discuss topics including, but not limited to, human trafficking, sexual assault, discrimination; child abuse, neglect, and abandonment; domestic abuse; violence, and psychological trauma.