Citizenship and Immigration Staff Attorney

Citizenship & Immigration Staff Attorney– Are you an attorney who enjoys assisting people from multicultural backgrounds? If so, perhaps Dorcas International is the place for you.

With an ever passionate and dedicated team of diverse professionals, Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island strives to create a welcoming environment for all, working to empower the most vulnerable. For more than 100 years, we have worked to meet our clients where they are by providing wraparound services to help those seeking to overcome educational, cultural, economic, and language barriers. A non-profit 501(c)(3), Dorcas International offers adult education, language learning, job training, employment services, citizenship and immigration services, refugee resettlement, clothing and household needs, and more.

Working within our expanding legal services program, the Citizenship & Immigration Staff Attorney will be responsible for providing free or low-cost immigration legal services to agency clients. The Staff Attorney will consult with and represent clients to attain immigration benefits based on their individual situation. The Staff Attorney will primarily focus on removal defense, inadmissibility waiver, Special Immigrant Juvenile, and asylum cases, as well as state court representation. This position will also collaborate with community organizations to provide education and training on immigration issues, and will participate in coalition activities with the other Department of Justice accredited agencies in Rhode Island. Additionally, the Staff Attorney will supervise and/or evaluate the work of program staff. The Staff Attorney will meet or exceed annual goals for income generation and number of clients served.

The candidate should have the following:

• J.D. from ABA accredited law school, immigration study preferred
• Member in good standing of any state bar (MA preferred)
• Bilingual in English and Spanish
• Experience with family-based immigration, in addition to a broad knowledge of all immigration laws, in order to effectively evaluate clients’ legal status and opportunities
• Positive values of integrity, accountability, reliability, and teamwork
• Ability to manage time and priorities effectively; strong multi-tasking ability
• Ability to work within specific deadlines and deliver accurate and high-quality work
• Strong interpersonal and rapport-building skills; commitment to maintaining confidentiality
• Ability to identify problems and develop solutions
• Excellent organizational and documentation skills, with a high degree of accuracy
• Ability to communicate and work with diverse populations/cultures
• Ability to effectively send and receive verbal and written communications (including narrative report writing) using the English language
• Ability to be flexible; handle stress and pressure, and a changing work schedule
• Must be able to present themselves in a court setting

Why should you apply?

• Range of professional opportunities in a growing organization
• Generous employer-paid health & dental benefits
• Generous paid vacation, sick days, and personal leave in addition to 13 paid holidays
• 403b retirement plan with employer contribution and life insurance
• Full-Time 37.5 hours per week; possible hybrid schedule
• Salary range: $76,000-$89,000

Dorcas International has mandated that its employees obtain a COVID-19 vaccine. Employees may obtain an exemption from Dorcas International’s vaccine mandate by requesting a medical or religious accommodation from Human Resources.