Immigration Staff Attorney - Waukegan

PSLS is seeking an Immigration Staff Attorney to join our team in the Waukegan office. Immigration staff attorneys at PSLS provide legal assistance to immigrants who are survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. This includes various family and humanitarian immigration matters and may include housing employment consumer and family law matters. Prairie State is the only legal aid organization in the majority of our area and we pride ourselves on providing highquality legal services to our clients while fostering a work environment that is motivating collaborative and rewarding with plenty of opportunities for professional growth.

Responsibilities
Among other duties as assigned the Immigration Staff Attorney will:

• Interview applicants for legal services and assess their legal issues with a focus on those issues that have an immediate impact on their basic human needs
• Provide legal services including legal research and factual investigation counsel and advice brief services and document preparation dispute resolution and representation of clients in administrative and judicial proceedings
• Represent clients in various types of family and humanitarian immigration matters including U Visa T Visa SIJ and VAWA selfpetitions and in related housing consumer public benefits and family law matters
• Maintain uptodate knowledge and expertise in changing immigration law policies and procedure
• Develop and maintain networking relationships with local bar associations and with local state and federal governments and community agencies that serve our client population
• Exhibit a high level of personal energy organization and commitment to the position and the PSLS mission
• Conduct outreach events with client communities including client education and intake events at community partner locations
• Provide accurate and complete information for grant reporting to grant funders including documenting services in the case record
• Exhibit a high level of personal energy organization and commitment to the position and the PSLS mission
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the PSLS mission

Salary and Benefits
The Staff Attorney position is a fulltime position at 37.5 hours per week. PSLS offers a salary that is competitive with similar organizations. The salary range for the Staff Attorney position is $70000 $90231 annually and increases with each year of relevant experience. PSLS is committed to providing an excellent comprehensive benefits package to its fulltime employees that includes:

• Health insurance including the opportunity to qualify for a wellness credit
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 403b Retirement Plan including employer contributions
• Extensive training and education program
• PTO that starts at 3 weeks/year and increases with additional years worked at PSLS
• Flex scheduling and partial remote work available
• Paid sick leave
• 6 weeks of paid parental leave after one year of employment
• 12 Paid holidays

Qualifications

• Candidates currently admitted to the practice of law in the State of Illinois or admitted in another state and eligible for reciprocity in Illinois are preferred. Consideration will be given to law graduates who will be sitting for the next bar exam.
• Experience in trial advocacy and negotiation preferred
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent oral/written communication research skills and computer competency
• Organizational and case management proficiency
• Ability to work effectively as a team member
• Spanish language proficiency is preferred but not required
• Some travel is required; applicant must have a valid drivers license and/or reliable transportation
• We will give preference to candidates who have experience providing services to lowincome individuals

PSLS is an equal opportunity employer that strives to create a diverse and inclusive working environment. We recruit employ pay and promote qualified applicants and employees without regard to race color national origin or citizenship ancestry religion sex disability familial status marital status sexual orientation gender identity age pregnancy military status or unfavorable discharge from military service or other characteristics protected by law.

Required Experience:

Staff IC