Staff Attorney

The Organization:
The Florence Project was founded in 1989 to respond to a representation crisis for indigent non-citizens detained at the rural Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Florence, Arizona. Through our programs today, we provide services to thousands of adults, youth, and children detained in Eloy, Florence, Phoenix, and Tucson, Arizona on any given day. In 2001, the Florence Project implemented our Integrated Social Services Program, one of the first of its kind in this field. The Florence Project provides high quality legal and social services and supports initiatives for national changes in immigration law and policy.

Primary Purpose of the Job:

The Staff Attorney works on a team to provide pre-court counseling sessions and direct representation, including challenging casework, and appeals, for unaccompanied children in front of the immigration court, family court, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  The position includes extensive client contact with youth, including indigenous youth and youth who have suffered abuse, abandonment, neglect or other emotional and physical trauma. It requires significant time in state and immigration court. The position also provides “Know Your Rights” presentations and the opportunity to participate in outreach activities and collaborative projects within a national network of legal service providers for unaccompanied immigrant children.

Staff Attorneys at the Florence Project are generally assigned to one program at a time (here, the Children’s Program) as a matter of organizational structure. However, legal needs and services provided by the Florence Project can and often do evolve over time. This position will support the immediate need for legal case work, appeals, and advocacy in the Children’s Legal Program. However, depending on the evolving legal needs and priorities of the organization, staff attorney positions may be assigned legal case work or other legal support needs performed by other programs, including the Adult Legal Program or Advocacy Team, and or assigned to other departments/programs.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: 

Casework

• Provide legal representation in cases accepted through the Children’s Program.  Legal representation includes representation in immigration proceedings before the Immigration Court, representation before the Board of Immigration Appeals, representation before the Arizona Juvenile Courts, and other related services necessary to complete these proceedings.  
• Oversee case assignments/casework and support the legal assistant workflow.
• Conduct intake interviews and provide “Know Your Rights” information to detained and non-detained unaccompanied immigrant children.
• Provide direct representation in front of the immigration court, juvenile court, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, including challenging casework, and appeals before the appropriate bodies.
• Develop and recommend case strategies consistent with immigration law and procedure.
• Prepare cases, draft legal papers, present required evidence, and engage in negotiations, in accordance with the Code of Professional Responsibility for the legal profession.
• Conduct assessment of client’s social, economic, and psychological functioning.
• Collaborate with Children’s Program social workers by identifying the needs of the client and making appropriate referrals.
• Determine an appropriate range of services, interventions, and referrals needed.
• Attend and engage in all team meetings and training.
• Remain current in immigration law and policy, and on impact of criminal and civil law on the immigration case.
• Comply with required ethical standards, preserve client confidentiality, and avoid conflicts of interest.
• Maintain complete and accurate case notes and client records.
• Prepare timely and accurate data reports
• Conduct periodic case audits for presentation and review.
• Participate in training on immigration procedures and develop and conduct training sessions as assigned.

Advocacy

• Provide “Know Your Rights Presentation” and follow up support.
• Appear as a Friend of the Court before Immigration Court (EOIR).
• Liaise with children’s detention shelters as part of a team with legal assistants.
• Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with local and national community partners, including but not limited to private immigration attorneys, public officials, law enforcement officials, and other nonprofits that provide services to the immigrant population.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with the Immigration Court (EOIR), Superior Court of Arizona Juvenile Courts, and the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), government and social service organizations, and community organizations.
• Communicate with the Managing Attorney about advocacy initiatives and legal training for the community.
• Support Florence Project advocacy, outreach and development activities as needed.
• Perform other administrative duties as needed.

Other Duties & Responsibilities:

• Participate in organizational fundraising and outreach efforts as requested.
• Participate in developing and implementing special projects or presentations.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Perform case work for, and provide other legal support to, Adult Legal Program or Advocacy Team as assigned. Possibility of being transferred fully to other legal work depending on the needs and priorities of the organization.

Minimum Requirements: 

• J.D. and admission to any state bar.
• Alternatively, applicants who are law school graduates who have taken the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) and achieved a score of 260-269 are eligible to apply, with commitment to pursue admission to the Arizona State Bar through the Arizona Lawyer Apprentice Program (ALAP). To be certified eligible for an ALAP license, applicants must: 
  • Graduate from an ABA-accredited law school.
  • Achieve a score of 260-269 on the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) administered after July 1, 2023.
  • Meet all other requirements for admission to practice law in Arizona, including a thorough background check.
  • Secure qualifying employment and commit to practice under the supervision of a qualified Arizona attorney in rural Arizona or in a public law practice, for a minimum of two years.
• Successful applicants not already authorized to practice in Arizona will be offered the Law Graduate position with a Law Graduate salary range, providing an opportunity to gain supervised legal experience while completing the requirements for bar admission through ALAP.
• If not licensed in AZ, must commit to waiving into practice in Arizona after two years of bar licensure in any jurisdiction, under the Arizona Rule 38(f) (a provision that allows for non-Arizona-barred attorneys to practice in Arizona state courts while under the employment of an approved legal service provider such as FIRRP, no fee required), or application the Arizona Bar through the Arizona Lawyer Apprentice Program.
• Demonstrate commitment to advocating for indigent immigrant clients in a respectful and empowering way. Must be comfortable working with people with criminal convictions or mental health issues.
• Demonstrate zealous support for the Florence Project’s mission.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Strong legal research.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with diverse populations.
• Highly organized, innovative thinker, and work in high-volume settings with limited resources.
• Excellent problem solving, research, and analytical skills.
• Effectively manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate to be a hardworking, flexible, respectful team player that can work effectively in a collaborative, innovative, and client-centered work environment.
• Ability to work independently, be adaptable and reliable in the face of conflict, pressure, crisis, or changing priorities.
• Exhibit high ethical standards and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Must be able to pass federal and state background checks.
• Travel is required for this position.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Proven computer skills. Advanced understanding of basic office applications.
• Fluency or advanced proficiency in Spanish is required.

Preferred Requirements: 

• License to practice in Arizona.
• Experience practicing before the Arizona Juvenile Courts, the Immigration Courts, or USCIS is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience working with children/teenagers and trauma survivors or individuals with mental health issues is a plus.
• Experience providing direct representation to immigrants in removal proceedings, and extensive knowledge of immigration law, specifically deportation defense, asylum, and criminal-immigration law issues is strongly preferred.
• Prior advocacy work in immigrant rights, human rights, LGBTQ rights, criminal justice, or experience working with trauma survivors is a plus.
• Experience with databases and data tracking (i.e., Legal Server) is a plus.

Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

• Operate in a professional office environment requires the ability to sit for long periods of time with intermittent walking, standing, bending, squatting, pulling and pushing.
• Ability to use standard office equipment such as scanners, computers, keyboards, phones, shredders, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. Requires the ability to lift up to ten pounds - accommodations may be available.

• Travel between offices and secondary work locations as required.
• Frequent time in children’s shelter detention facilities and immigration courts located in Tucson and Phoenix.

• The Florence Project has three offices: Florence, Tucson, and Phoenix. Depending on the program's needs, the position may be based in any of the three offices.
• Effective September 1, 2021, FIRRP has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy. To comply with this policy, active employees must be fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021.  Employees seeking an exemption due to a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief should contact our Human Resources Department at humanresources@firrp.org. 

Salary & Benefits:

This is a full-time position. Salary is competitive for our field and geographical area. Salaries will be calculated based on relevant experience and our established comprehensive wage scale:$70,907.20 - $ 93,107.71 Annually DOE.

We strive to create and uphold a positive, supportive, and inclusive work environment for all staff. We offer excellent benefits, including:  

• Medical plans including health, dental, vision coverage, subject to plan terms
• Short Term Disability
• Eligibility for group benefits such as voluntary life insurance, subject to applicable waiting periods
• Retirement plan, subject to plan terms
• Paid Time Off earned on a biweekly accrual basis: 
  • Twenty-five (25) Days of Vacation Time, annually
  • Five (5) Days of Medical/Sick Time, annually
• One (1) Day of Personal Time, monthly
• Eight (8) Week Paid Sabbatical, after three years of employment
• Bereavement leave.
• Fifteen (15) Organization-paid holidays, all observed
• Eligible for Parental Leave which includes Twelve (13) paid weeks
• Mileage reimbursement for travel between offices and places of work.
• Relocation Assistance for out of state new hires available for some positions.

Application Process:

This is an immediate opening. Salary is commensurate with experience. The position will remain open until we receive enough qualified applicants. To apply, please submit a cover letter detailing your interest in the position as well as your resume, three professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and candidates are encouraged to apply early. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The Florence Project values diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages applications from people of color, LGBTQ individuals, persons with disabilities, and members of underrepresented communities.

At FIRRP, we recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the requirements of a job.  If your experience is close to what you see listed in our current job opportunities, please still consider applying.  Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and excellence, which is very much valued at FIRRP.  Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.  Please let us know if you require accommodations during the interview process. This job announcement is for informational purposes only and is subject to change and modification without notice. This job announcement includes a non-exhaustive list of responsibilities, qualifications and requirements of the position, but does not necessarily include all the job functions of the position.  This position is eligible for membership in the union Proyecto Solidaridad-FIRRP affiliated with OPEIU Local 251.