Lead Attorney
Lead Attorney
Posted on :
09-05-2025
Employer Active
1 Vacancy
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Job Description
POSITION TITLE: Lead Attorney
REPORTS TO: Associate Legal Director
WORKSITE: Omaha or Lincoln NE
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:
In 2022 Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center merged and the combined nonprofit organization is now the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA). CIRAs mission is to empower immigrants and refugees to live confidently through highquality legal representation resettlement and social work and to create welcoming communities through education and advocacy.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Each CIRA Lead Attorney is an integral part of our legal department. The core functions of this position are: (1) management; (2) specialization; (3) direct representation; and (4) education and advocacy. This lead attorney role will partner with the other lead attorney positions responsible for overseeing CIRAs asylumfocused team and maintaining expertise in asylum law and related relief. This lead attorney will supervise a team that includes staff attorneys DOJaccredited representatives paralegals and legal assistants. The ideal candidate for this position is a leader and selfstarter who is passionate about providing excellent legal representation in a complex area of law and mentoring colleagues as they gain practice experience.
CORE FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:
Management
Specialization
QUALIFICATIONS:
WORKING CONDITIONS
COMPENSATION
TO APPLY
REPORTS TO: Associate Legal Director
WORKSITE: Omaha or Lincoln NE
ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION:
In 2022 Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center merged and the combined nonprofit organization is now the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (CIRA). CIRAs mission is to empower immigrants and refugees to live confidently through highquality legal representation resettlement and social work and to create welcoming communities through education and advocacy.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Each CIRA Lead Attorney is an integral part of our legal department. The core functions of this position are: (1) management; (2) specialization; (3) direct representation; and (4) education and advocacy. This lead attorney role will partner with the other lead attorney positions responsible for overseeing CIRAs asylumfocused team and maintaining expertise in asylum law and related relief. This lead attorney will supervise a team that includes staff attorneys DOJaccredited representatives paralegals and legal assistants. The ideal candidate for this position is a leader and selfstarter who is passionate about providing excellent legal representation in a complex area of law and mentoring colleagues as they gain practice experience.
CORE FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:
Management
- Set goals and develop strategies for maximizing efficiencies and serving as many asylum applicant clients as possible without compromising the quality of the representation.
- Supervise train and evaluate a team of staff attorneys DOJaccredited representatives paralegals and legal assistants who collaboratively serve our clients.
- Maintain strong interpersonal communication with supervisees and others on the team through regular scheduled checkins followups and feedback on assignments.
- Address supervisees areas of improvement through proactive constructive feedback and provide necessary support for supervisees growth.
- Collaborate with legal directors to strategize around our intake system waitlist management and service delivery model for asylum applicants.
- Report on developments relevant to CIRAs asylum work at management legal team and staff meetings.
- Assist with the preparation and presentation of reports to board members and funders when relevant
Specialization
- Serve as a resource and provide technical assistance to CIRA caseworkers on complex and novel issues that arise in asylumrelated representation.
- Provide internal training and develop toolkits to assist CIRA caseworkers in maintaining and advancing our knowledge of developments in asylum law.
- Manage a caseload of affirmative and defensive asylum cases including other humanitarian and familybased case types that asylum applicants and their immediate family members may pursue.
- Offer guidance and strategic direction to attorneys and DOJaccredited representatives who are representing asylum applicants before the Asylum Office Omaha Immigration Court Board of Immigration Appeals and in federal courts.
- Collaborate with CIRAs social work department to ensure that asylum applicant clients who are Unaccompanied Children receive supportive case management services.
- Provide legal counsel advice and direct representation before Nebraska State Courts and federal district court as necessary.
- Represent clients before all immigrationrelated agencies including the Asylum Office Omaha Immigration Court Board of Immigration Appeals United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement Customs and Border Protection Department of State etc.
- Maintain complete and accurate client records in physical files and in CIRAs case management software including but not limited to logging all new activities filing receipts correspondence and filings in the case file tracking reminders and deadlines meeting those deadlines etc. as described in detail in CIRAs Legal Procedures Manual.
- Effectively and efficiently track open and closed cases using CIRAs case management software.
- Maintain regular contact with clients and promptly return calls in accordance with the Legal Procedures Manual; keep clients aware of the status of their case; accurately advise clients of the risks and benefits of applying for immigration relief; maintain an accurate record of every client communication within CIRAs case management system.
- Contribute to outreach and education programs related to asylum other forms of humanitarian protection and the rights of noncitizens under U.S. law.
- Engage in community education and advocacy to promote an accurate understanding of immigration law and policy and to advocate for changes that will positively benefit humanitarian and familybased immigrants.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Must have a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited school of law in the United States.
- Licensed to practice law in Nebraska or able to obtain a license to practice law in Nebraska.
- A minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience practicing immigration law in the United States.
- A minimum of 2 to 5 years of experience supervising others in a legal practice setting is strongly preferred.
- Advanced knowledge of immigration and nationality law and procedure is required preferably including knowledge of asylum and related relief.
- Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred but not required.
- Exceptional legal research and writing ability and impeccable organizational skills.
- Ability to manage confidential documents and communications in a professional manner.
- Strong interpersonal communication and people skills.
- Commitment to CIRAs mission and values in serving immigrants refugees and newcomers and a demonstrated commitment to public interest law.
- Deep understanding of and ability to work sensitively and well with people of diverse national ethnic cultural religious and gender identities and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Fluency in using Office 365 applications (ex. Outlook Word Excel SharePoint etc.) and the ability to learn new data management software.
- Exhibits responsibility through consistent attendance effective time management dependability selfdiscipline flexibility and working independently.
- Ability to work in a team and handle multiple tasks in an organized and timely manner.
- Impeccable integrity positive attitude missiondriven and selfdirected.
- Ability to think strategically problemsolve exercise good judgment and lead change.
- Openly supports departmental and organizational changes and demonstrates comfort working in a rapidly growing and evolving organization.
- Ability to take initiative and make difficult decisions when necessary.
- Ability to pass all required background checks.
- Must be authorized to work in the United States.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- This job consists of regularly sitting at a desk and using a computer and phone.
- Workdays pertain to a Monday Friday schedule 8:30 AM 5:00 PM
COMPENSATION
- Salary range of $commensurate with experience.
- Excellent benefits including:
- Unlimited paid time off (including employee birthday); 9 paid holidays with yearend holiday break.
- Medical dental vision life and AD&D insurance; employee assistance program; 403b retirement plan with an automatic 5% contribution; and FMLA
- Yearly stipends for employee development opportunities
- Relocation assistance; travel and expense reimbursement
TO APPLY
- Please upload a cover letter resume writing sample and three professional references all in PDF format to the job application link.
Required Experience:
Senior IC
Employment Type
Full-Time
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