The Legal Services Director will bring vision and creativity to ensure legal services programs expand in a sustainable manner. The position will report to the Executive Director and work in close collaboration with leaders and managers of other program areas, as well as with development and finance managers. The Legal Services Director will communicate regularly with a wide range of community partners and stakeholders as well as the Legal Services Technical Unit (TU) at IRC’s headquarters.
This role requires thoughtful management and leadership, legal strategy, resource acquisition and development, advocacy, supervision, and the promotion of an inclusive and equitable professional working environment.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
Program/Staff Management
Oversee immigration legal services programs across 2 offices in a manner that supports exchange of ideas, encourages collaboration, and fosters professional development.
Develop clear roles, expectations, divisions of labor, and measurements of success, and ensure that caseloads and other duties of legal staff are equitable and reasonable.
Together with managing attorneys and program managers, ensure adherence to program procedures and implement best practices, including those outlined in IRC’s Immigration Legal Services Program Policy Manual, to maintain and improve the quality and efficiency of legal service delivery.
Provide supervision to managing attorneys, program leads, and program managers.
Build and disseminate knowledge and analysis to Maryland legal services staff, IRC colleagues, and the wider community about local and national immigration issues and trends that impact IRC clients.
Although the Legal Services Director will not carry an individual client case load, they should be ready and able to enter representation/co-counsel on client cases in the event of staff annual leave, staff transitions, complex cases that could impact the immigrant community, and other unforeseen circumstances.
Ability to advise on complex client cases involving criminal history, immigration law violations, current or previous removal proceedings, appeals, etc.
Assume responsibility and risk for outcomes of program’s client cases.
Work with managers to ensure program data is collected consistently, managed appropriately, and reported timely, using IRC’s legal case management database and other relevant case management systems.
Coordinate with other IRC teams, including the Safety & Wellness Program, to develop multidisciplinary approaches and strategies to address client needs.
Work closely with the HQ Legal Services Technical Unit and leadership at other IRC US offices to foster knowledge sharing and ensure a consistent approach and strategy to immigration legal services programming.
Program Strategy
Develop sustainable program expansion plans with input from a wide range of internal stakeholders; incorporate client and community feedback wherever possible.
Manage public and private grants, including timely reporting, monitoring outcomes, and evaluation of program effectiveness.
Work with IRC Maryland leadership and IRC HQ on fundraising efforts.
Locate new funding sources and maintain relationships with current funders.
Work closely with IRC Maryland leadership and finance team on continually assessing deliverables and expenditures to make strategic decisions on programming, hiring needs, and staff responsibilities.
Advocacy & Community Partnerships
Represent IRC Maryland with external parties, including partners, public and elected officials, and community leaders.
Spearhead engagement in community and regional immigrant rights and legal services spaces; ensure IRC Maryland incorporates community feedback in strategic plans.
Coordinate with IRC’s communications and advocacy teams to publicly elevate client stories and trends which highlight issues endemic in the US immigration system.
Stay informed on current and national immigrant rights and immigration priorities through networking and maintaining relationships with key local and national organizations and network.
JOB REQUIREMENTS:
Law degree (JD or LLM) from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and member in good standing of any state bar.
An expert in immigration law, immigration policy issues, and legal ethical obligations.
At least 7 years of relevant experience representing or overseeing the representation of clients both defensively before EOIR and on affirmative applications before USCIS (eg, asylum, adjustment of status, naturalization, family petitions).
Experience with providing representation to unaccompanied minors in immigration and state court strongly preferred.
At least 5 years’ experience managing legal services programs, including involvement with strategic planning, funds development, and budgeting and grant operations.
Demonstrated leadership skills, including the ability to manage multiple teams across programs with distinct deliverables while prioritizing client-centered and trauma-informed services.
Demonstrated fundraising record.
Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Demonstrated commitment to representing low-income, disadvantaged clients.
Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
Written and verbal English fluency.
Bilingual in one or more languages of the immigrant community preferred (eg, Spanish, Arabic, Dari, French, Pashto).
Strong computer literacy, research, and analysis skills.
Ability and willingness to travel between both offices each week.
