Young Center South Texas Staff Attorney
Location: Harlingen, Texas
Description: The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights is employing Young Center South Texas Staff Attorney right now, this vacancy will be situated in Texas. For complete informations about this vacancy opportunity kindly read the description below. Position
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights at the University of Chicago Law School invites applications for the p! osition of South Texas Staff Attorney to be based in Harlingen/Brownsville, Texas. The Young Center is dedicated to promoting the best interestsâ€"safety and well-beingâ€"of unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in the United States. The immediate focus of the Young Center's work is to serve as Child Advocate (guardian ad litem in immigration proceedings) for unaccompanied and separated children pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and the 2013 Violence Against Women Act. The Young Center is at the forefront of best interests advocacy for unaccompanied immigrant children and is the only organization in the country overseeing the work of Child Advocates pursuant to the 2008 TVPRA. This is a two-year position, with the option for renewal or transfer.
The Staff Attorney position is a unique opportunity for an attorney to engage in written and oral advocacy on behalf of children in removal proceedings, as well as matters o! f federal policy. The Staff Attorney will draft and submit bes! t interests recommendations in immigration court, before asylum offices, to public interest attorneys, to the pro bono bar, and to the three federal agencies (DHS, HHS and DOJ) with responsibility for unaccompanied children in the United States. In Texas, the Staff Attorney will work directly with detained children (as young as 12 months and up to 18 years old) to advocate for their best interests with respect to their custody, conditions of release, and their immigration proceedings. The Staff Attorney will recruit, train and supervise bilingual and bicultural volunteer Child Advocatesâ€"teachers, law students, social workers, community membersâ€"who will work one-on-one with children. The Staff Attorney may be asked to comment on proposed federal regulations, draft internal protocols, and educate the public about unaccompanied children. The Staff Attorney will collaborate with colleagues at the University of Chicago to develop the South Texas program and will travel to an! d spend time in Chicago on a regular basis. The Young Center team is a passionate, collegial, and innovative group of professionalsâ€"attorneys, a social worker and administrative staffâ€"committed to ensuring that children receive the full protection of federal immigration law, domestic child welfare law and international human rights law.
Duties and Responsibilities: The Staff Attorney's primary responsibilities will be to:
Operate the Young Center Child Advocate program serving detained, unaccompanied children in federal custody in Harlingen, Brownsville and Los Fresnos, Texas ("South Texas").
Draft and submit best interests briefs to immigration judges, asylum officers, attorneys, and federal agencies applying federal, state and international law.
Recruit, train and supervise bilingual volunteers serving as Child Advocates in South Texas.
Accompany children and their Child Advocates to Immigration Court, as well as sta! te juvenile and family court.
Supervise law students at the Un! iversity of Chicago working on South Texas cases.
Coordinate with stakeholders serving children in South Texas.
Minimum Requirements:
1. J.D. and appropriate authorization to practice law.
2. At least one year experience practicing law.
3. Excellent written and oral advocacy skills.
4. A commitment to public interest work.
5. Proficiency in Spanish.
6. Ability to take initiative, to work collaboratively, and an enthusiasm for working with volunteers.
7. Passion, tenacity and optimism for the issues affecting immigrant children and their families.
8. A driver's license and car are necessary for traveling to shelter facilities in and around Harlingen, Brownsville and Los Fresnos, Texas.
Salary is commensurate with experience. The Young Center is a project of the Tides Center, a non-profit organization. The Young Center/Tides Center provides excellent benefits including health/! dental/vision insurance, a flexible spending account for medical and dependent care, vacation, and sick leave. The Young Center will also cover reasonable relocation expenses.
Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please email or fax a cover letter, resume and three references to: Alexandra Laguna, Administrative Assistant: alaguna@law.uchicago.edu or 773-702-2063 (fax).
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If you were eligible to this vacancy, please give us your resume, with salary requirements and a resume to The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights.
Interested on this vacancy, just click on the Apply button, you will be redirected to the official website
This vacancy starts available on: Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:14:33 GMT
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