Bilingual Legal Advocates

The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project seeks full-time a bilingual legal advocate to provide support for emergent community needs, and support for our Asylum and Removal Defense Units. The applicant must be fluent in English and another language, and must be able to start the position as soon as possible. A minimum two-year commitment is expected.

Under the supervision of an attorney, the legal advocate will provide intakes, community outreach and education, and assist in direct representation to immigrant community members in Washington State. The legal advocate will primarily work on cases involving immigration protections for immigrants in removal proceedings, and may also be assigned to work relating to other immigration matters as needed.

This position involves some travel to client meeting locations, courts, and USCIS offices. A valid driver’s license will be required to meet these expectations.

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 150 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.

ABOUT NORTHWEST IMMIGRANT RIGHTS PROJECT:
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 Asylum and Removal Defense Units provide direct representation and pro se assistance to asylum-seekers before USCIS as well as individuals facing removal proceedings. Advocates maintain a diverse caseload and assist individuals in applying for various forms of relief, including asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture, U and T nonimmigrant statuses, cancellation of removal, waivers of inadmissibility, and post-conviction relief.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under attorney supervision, legal advocates are expected to:
Specific to this position:
Assist with emergent community needs, including on-site visits to community encampments, conduct need assessments; build relationships with clients and community; liaise with community partners;

All legal advocates:
Conduct intakes, by phone and in person, and interview clients to gather or clarify information;
Assist in conducting case analysis to determine eligibility for immigration protection/status under the immigration laws;
Assist in providing consultations and direct representation, preparing and submitting immigration forms and supporting documents to immigration courts, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or other immigration agencies;
Participate in NWIRP’s outreach, community education and development efforts;
Provide support to asylum and removal defense unit staff attorneys;
Work directly with community partners to receive referrals and connect clients to appropriate resources;
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;
Maintain document control, tracking and tracing;
Translate documents;
Search for and retrieve public and private records such as birth certificates or criminal histories;
Review and edit documents for accuracy and completeness;
Perform administrative tasks related to grant reporting such as timekeeping, submitting timesheets, tracking trainings, and other duties in a timely manner; and
Perform other tasks and responsibilities assigned by supervisory staff depending upon NWIRP’s needs.

The anticipated hours of work are Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm, with a 30 – 60 minute unpaid lunch, but occasional evening and weekend work hours may be required.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION:
This is a non-exempt, hourly position and the minimum pay rate for candidates with no experience is $36.55 per hour (roughly $66,531.38 annually) and is higher depending on years of directly relevant experience. For example, for someone with 10 years of directly relevant experience, the hourly compensation would be $42.83 per hour (roughly $77,950.77 annually); 20 years = $48.92 per hour (roughly $89,043.22 annually).

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;
Generous paid health-related leave (12 days per year);
Generous paid vacation (16 days during your first year);
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;
Employer-paid disability, life, AD&D and long-term care insurance;
4 weeks of paid sabbatical after every five years of employment at NWIRP;
Eligibility to earn compensatory time;
Opportunities for paid professional development;
New employees may be eligible for a relocation bonus, per the CBA; and
Subsidized transit pass is available for the Seattle office.

Legal advocates at NWIRP have the opportunity to become Accredited Representatives through the Department of Justice’s Recognition and Accreditation Program. NWIRP is an eligible employer under the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.