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It is so heartening when a donor makes it possible for us to say "yes" to providing vulnerable immigrants with quality legal services. We greatly appreciate your support and the powerful impact it has on immigrants, their families, and those who serve them. Thank you for being a part of their journey. As required by IRS regulations, we provide the following information: The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., is a 501 (c)(3) not for profit organization. Our federal tax identification number is 52-1584951. As no goods or services have been provided in connection with these gifts, the full amount is deductible to the fullest extent provided by law. Please keep this receipt for your records.
As required by IRS regulations, we provide the following information: The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., is a 501 (c)(3) not for profit organization. Our federal tax identification number is 52-1584951. As no goods or services have been provided in connection with these gifts, the full amount is deductible to the fullest extent provided by law. Please keep this receipt for your records.
Interview With Mentorship Project Participant Ezra Rash
CLINIC sat down to hear from Ezra Rash, an attorney and Immigrant Justice Corp fellow at the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rash is a former participant in CLINIC’s Mentorship Project (MP) who received direct guidance from CLINIC experts on two tough legal cases in the past year.
How did you first hear about the Mentorship Project?
Rebekah Niblock, the CLINIC attorney who manages the project, used to work at our organization, though our times here did not overlap.
What prompted you to reach out for mentorship?
I am a “baby attorney.” I have only been out of law school a few years and am relatively new to immigration law. Shortly after I started work as an immigration attorney, one of my asylum cases had an asylum interview scheduled, and I was panicking about it. I had never guided a client through the asylum process before, and it had been a while since my supervisor had, so we decided to reach out to the CLINIC team via the Mentorship Project.
Tell us a little about the cases you received help on and what the mentorship looked like.
I received help with two cases. The first one – the one which had the quickly scheduled asylum interview – was related to two brothers who came as unaccompanied minors, a 14-year-old and a 9-year-old. I had just two months to prepare all the supplemental materials for their case and get them ready for the interview. Rebekah and Maddie, the MP’s senior paralegal, walked me through every step, preparing the boys’ declarations and paperwork, and even did a full mock interview with the clients, with Rebekah pretending to be the immigration officer.
Afterward, my supervisor and I were able to model this and do a couple more preparatory interviews with the boys. It helped so much – all the advice, constructive feedback, comments on the declaration, etc.
The boys were able to go into the interview with less anxiety. They knew what to expect and how it would be structured. They did a great job.
And we won their case – they were granted asylum and were able to reunite with family here in the United States! I don’t believe we would have gotten the approval without the MP’s help.
The second case was with a 17-year-old Guatemalan girl who was fleeing persecution in Mexico. She came alone and has no family in the United States. The fact that her fear of persecution was based in a different country than her country of origin made her case quite tricky.
I approached the MP team about it, and they put me in touch with two experts in Mexico whom I could speak to who could help support the client’s claim of persecution.
Speaking with the two Mexican experts was remarkably helpful and I’m not sure I would have known where to turn without their knowledge and advice.
We’re still waiting for an asylum interview to be scheduled for that case.
How has the experience enriched your legal practice overall?
Oh, tremendously. After each mentorship experience, I downloaded and saved all the resources they shared with us. Now I can share my experience and new knowledge with my colleagues, to help teach others. Mentorship is hugely valuable beyond a single case. It impacts the whole organization.
Part of what is great about the program is it just gives you the confidence and assurance that someone experienced is looking over your work to make sure you’re not missing anything, someone who can ask the questions that maybe you hadn’t thought of. Then you can carry that knowledge and confidence with you going forward on your next case.
Rapid Response Attorney / Advocate
Summary
The Rapid Response Attorneys / advocates will play a critical role in tracking, analyzing, and interpreting executive orders, policy changes, and emerging immigration issues. These positions will work together to provide timely guidance to CLINIC’s affiliate network by: developing written resources, collaborating on rapid response efforts, and providing urgent legal and policy updates. The rapid response attorneys /advocates will collaborate across CLINIC’s teams, ensuring that affiliates and partners receive accurate and actionable information. These roles require the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, while effectively engaging with subject matter experts (SMEs) and key stakeholders. The responsibilities below will be divided between two positions.
Primary Responsibilities
Policy Tracking, Analysis, & Guidance
- Stay informed on immigration law and policy changes to ensure that CLINIC’s network remains up to date.
- Track, update, and oversee CLINIC’s internal policy tracker, which includes immigration-related executive orders, federal policies, and enforcement changes.
- Share and manage information from internal policy tracker, as well as all immigration related communications and policy changes from government agencies in the weekly Topline Immigration Policy Update (TIPs) email.
Rapid Response Coordination
- Organize and lead rapid response coordination meetings across CLINIC’s sections, ensuring alignment with CLINIC’s strategy and efficient allocation of workload.
- Participate in both internal and external conversations with CLINIC staff and network to receive updates and determine where collaboration is needed.
- Coordinate with the State and Local Advocacy Attorney (SLAA) for rapid response to policies affecting immigrant communities and affiliates at the state and local level.
Resource Development & Collaboration
- Identify gaps in available resources, propose solutions, and coordinate the creation of written resources and trainings to respond to emerging needs to enhance CLINIC’s technical support.
- Maintain, update, and identify gaps from the internal SMEs list.
- Coordinate and collaborate with partners to provide comprehensive coverage of services while avoiding duplication of efforts.
- Represent CLINIC in external meetings, conferences, and stakeholder engagements as needed.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school with membership in good standing of the highest court in any state, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia, or former / current DOJ accredited representative.
- At least three years of experience in immigration law, especially related to timely topics such as enforcement, detention, removal, etc.
- Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills, particularly in response to evolving immigration policies.
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple urgent projects in a high-pressure environment while also coordinating with multiple teams across the organization.
- Excellent collaboration skills, with the ability to work across teams and organizations.
- Excellent communication skills, including comfort in public speaking scenarios.
- Commitment to social justice and immigrant rights advocacy.
- Spanish language proficiency preferred but not required.
Other
- Demonstrate knowledge of and support the organization’s mission, vision, value statements, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior.
- Fulfill CLINIC’s expectations that all staff abide by the following Organization Behaviors
- Commitment to social justice and the mission of CLINIC
- Fulfill CLINIC’s expectations for all staff:
- Serve with integrity
- Develop innovative solutions
- Promote learning – for themselves, for their colleagues, and for our network
- Cultivate constructive relationships
- Model stewardship
- Maintain a positive attitude
- Exhibit leadership skills and initiative
- Own your work
- Teamwork and cooperation with colleagues
- Resolves conflicts effectively and makes effective decisions
- Occasional travel may be required.
Salary Range
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$85,000 - $90,000
Work Environment
- This position may require extended periods of standing, sitting, as well as some repetitive movements, bending and repetitive lifting of significant weight. • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the key components and primary responsibilities.
The work you will do is covered by a collective employment agreement between Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. "CLINIC" and the Nonprofit Professional Employees' Union "NPEU" Local 70. Please contact your local union representative at clinicworkersunited@gmail.com with any union-related questions.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Commitment
- CLINIC considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, family responsibilities, religion, age, disability, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. CLINIC also provides “reasonable accommodations” to qualified individuals with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws. All interested individuals, regardless of background, are encouraged to apply.
- We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.
- Accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the key components and primary responsibilities
To Apply
- To be considered for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@cliniclegal.org.
Closing Date
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Job Location
Remote / Silver Spring, MD
United States