Managing Attorney, Protection-Based Pro Bono, NIJC

About NIJC

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) advances human rights and due process for immigrants refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services impact litigation advocacy and public education. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Washington DC Indiana and San Diego NIJCs team of over 100 attorneys paralegals and professionals along with 2000 pro bono attorneys is at the forefront of immigration reform.

Job Summary:

The Managing Attorney reports to the Associate Director and serves as a member of the Supervisory Team. This role provides leadership and oversight for legal staff working on protection-based pro bono matters ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal services and provides technical support to pro bono counsel assigned to NIJC cases. Cases include affirmative defensive detained and non-detained protection-based cases. The Protection-Based Pro Bono team focuses on placing and supporting cases accepted by NIJCs Asylum and LGBTQ projects and supports pro bono cases accepted through other NIJC projects including Litigation Detention and Kids Projects. The person in this position may handle direct representation matters while retaining a primary focus on pro bono recruitment training and support. The Managing Attorney leads NIJCs identification development and dissemination of practice advisories and training materials for pro bono attorneys. In consultation with directors and associate directors the Managing Attorney establishes pro bono priorities and develops and adjusts NIJC programs to support those priorities. The Managing Attorney manages and maintains key relationships with project stakeholders addressing substantive legal matters and collaborating with project funders government agencies and other organizations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide overall legal leadership and supervision to attorneys legal staff interns and volunteers ensuring high-quality ethical and client centered representation.
• Establish annual Success Objectives for supervised staff; monitor workload performance and outcomes through ongoing feedback and quarterly evaluations.
• Partner with the Associate Director and Supervisory Team to set legal strategy guide project direction and adapt program priorities in response to internal capacity and external developments.
• Oversee at least one NIJC program or project ensuring compliance with legal standards grant deliverables and funder requirements.
• Ensure consistent application of immigration law best practices through mentoring case consultation staff training and regular case audits.
• Review cases for legal accuracy strategic alignment and compliance with current law; ensure timely and accurate data entry to meet program and funding requirements.
• Analyze program data and outcomes to inform legal strategies improve service delivery and support strategic decision-making.
• Provide direct legal representation in removal proceedings and affirmative immigration matters as needed.
• Support the recruitment training and supervision of pro bono attorneys to expand service capacity.
• Contribute to grant proposals funder reports and program reports ensuring accuracy and compliance in coordination with the Associate Director.
• Demonstrate adaptability sound judgment and collaborative leadership; perform additional duties as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Competencies

1. Legal Leadership & Subject Matter Expertise: Demonstrates advanced knowledge of immigration law and applies legal expertise to guide strategy supervise complex casework ensure compliance with current law and identify opportunities for advocacy and impact litigation.
2. People Management & Staff Development: Effectively supervises coaches and evaluates attorneys legal staff interns and volunteers; sets clear performance expectations; supports professional growth; and fosters accountability through structured objectives and regular feedback.
3. Strategic Thinking & Program Management: Aligns legal services and project activities with organizational goals funder requirements and external realities; analyzes data and trends to inform decision-making; and adapts programs to maximize impact and service quality.
4. Quality Assurance & Compliance: Ensures high standards of legal representation through case review audits and implementation of best practices; maintains accurate data and documentation; and ensures compliance with grant deliverables reporting obligations and ethical standards.
5. Collaboration Communication & Relationship Building: Builds and sustains productive relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders including funders government agencies community partners and pro bono attorneys; represents the organization effectively; and contributes to trainings outreach and coalition building initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Education and/or Experience: Juris Doctorate; law license; minimum of five years of experience in immigration law and/or refugee law; and a minimum of one year of supervisory experience
• Excellent writing and analytical skills
• Ability to communicate effectively in legal and non-legal settings with a wide range of individuals and organizations
• Ability to read analyze and interpret professional journals technical procedures or governmental regulations
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers employees and clients
• Fluency or proficiency in a language in addition to English is a plu

How to Apply: Include your resume and a brief cover letter that highlights your interest in this role why the work resonates with you and any experience you have that connects to NIJCs mission and the responsibilities of the position.

Physical Abilities Statement

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• The person in this position occasionally needs to move about the inside of the office to access filing cabinets office machinery etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery such as a copy machine.

It is the policy of NIJC not to discriminate against any applicant for employment or any employee because of age color sex disability national origin race religion or veteran compliance with federal law all persons hired will be to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

For any technical issues please contact

Required Experience:

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