Hybrid Staff Attorney – Children's Program

at New Mexico Immigrant Law Center

• Job title: Staff Attorney – Children's Program
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Lead
• Salary: $73,320 per year
• Degree requirement: Professional Certificate
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Albuquerque, United States

About the role

• Staff Attorney providing immigration legal representation for children and youth at NMILC. Engaging in outreach and community partnerships while supporting the Children’s Program.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct representation for NMILC clients served through the Children’s Program at Immigration Court, Family Court, and DHS Agencies.
• Perform ordinary functions of legal counsel, including legal research and formulating the legal strategy for each case; conducting client interviews; appearing before immigration courts, state courts, and administrative agencies; drafting and filing court pleadings, motions, appeals, and applications for immigration relief and other legal benefits.
• Deliver Know-Your-Rights presentations to children, families, and community members, and participate in legal consultations through community events and outreach.
• Conduct trainings for attorneys, social service providers, and community stakeholders on children’s immigration issues.
• Engage in outreach to foster and expand relationships with community partners supporting children and youth, including schools, shelters, social service agencies, and advocacy organizations.
• Contribute to the overall NMILC office functioning by participating in NMILC-wide calls, meetings, and events.
• Support data case management, ensuring integrity of Children’s Program cases through regular audits and ongoing upkeep in NMILC’s case management system.
• Identify systemic legal advocacy issues impacting children and confer regularly with NMILC’s staff and partner organizations to address service delivery gaps.
• Represent NMILC at local stakeholder meetings, trainings, and conferences relevant to child immigrants and unaccompanied minors.
• Proactively report to the Managing Attorney about programmatic developments, administrative needs, and broader opportunities, while collaborating on solutions.
• Provide in-person and telephonic consultations during weekly consultation hours, in rotation with other NMILC attorneys.
• With training and support from NMILC’s Managing Attorney, continue to develop supervision and leadership skills by mentoring legal interns and volunteers, supervising legal clinics and workshops, contributing to public education, and working with community partners to enhance program implementation.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and admitted to local state bar (or must sit for the bar exam or start the waiver process within 6 months; admission required within one year of employment).
• Proficient in Spanish.
• Familiarity with working with pro bono attorneys and/or other legal volunteers.
• Preference for those who have worked in immigration law and/or with immigrant children, youth, young people, and families.
• Ability to multi-task and work with urgency in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to practicing and supporting well-being and work-life balance.
• Experience working and communicating in a remote or hybrid environment.
• Ability to provide trauma-informed and culturally competent legal assistance to children and families.
• Strong skills in legal research, analysis, and writing.
• Preference for applicants who have experience at Immigration Court, Family Court, and DHS Agencies.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience mentoring interns or volunteers.
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively on projects with staff, attorneys, and diverse stakeholders including schools, service providers, and advocacy organizations.

Benefits

• 100% of Individual Employee Health Premium paid by NMILC for the Base Plan and 50% for dependents.
• Buy-up Plan also available.
• Upon meeting 401k plan eligibility requirements, access to discretionary employer match up to 10% of base salary (determined each fiscal year based on funding projections).
• Optional Flexible Spending Account for pre-tax funds for medical and/or dependent care cost.
• Short-term and long-term disability and life insurance.
• Flexible work schedule and hybrid / remote work options.
• 15 paid vacation days (3 weeks) annually.
• 1 earned sick leave hour for every 30 hours worked.
• Company-paid federal holidays in addition to 2 weeks of winter break, 1 week for spring break, and 1 week for summer break, and other days as established in coordination with the local public school schedule.