Children's Attorney

The IRC opened its Dallas office in 1975 to provide reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees. The office is slated to resettle approximately 300 refugees in FY20 and provides additional programming to assist refugees and similar populations for up to five years following their arrival in the US, including case management, employment, financial capability, health education and medical case management, job readiness, youth services, public benefits navigation, psychosocial support and other services.  IRC in Dallas’ service approach is client-centered, empowerment-focused, trauma-informed, and multigenerational.

IRC now seeks a Children’s Attorney to join its Dallas immigration team to provide direct legal representation for unaccompanied children in the care of an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) long-term foster care program in Grand Prairie. This position will engage in regular local travel between the IRC office and the Grand Prairie facility.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Children’s Attorney will conduct legal relief eligibility determinations, meet with and advise child clients, and provide direct legal representation to unaccompanied children in the care of an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) long-term foster care program. Working closely with IRC Dallas leadership and immigration staff, as well as IRC’s HQ Immigration Technical Unit and a host of external partners, the Children’s Attorney will develop this new program area for IRC in Dallas. The attorney will bring not only relevant legal experience and a passion for this area of work, but also the creativity and flexibility needed to lead the process of implementing a new program area. This position will report to the Immigration Specialist and will supervise the Legal Assistant and interns.

Major Responsibilities:

Eligibility Determinations and Direct Legal Representation:

• Review referral materials and coordinate with referring legal services agency to provide an immigration legal relief determination for unaccompanied children referred for placement in long-term foster care.

• Conduct intakes and follow-up meetings with unaccompanied children to develop legal case strategy.

• Handle significant caseload providing direct legal representation to unaccompanied children before the immigration court and US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).

Program Management:

• Coordinate closely within IRC’s multidisciplinary teams to identify need for services and facilitate referrals to in-house programs and through partnerships with external providers.

• Provide daily supervision to the Legal Assistant

• Ensure program data is collected consistently, managed appropriately and reported timely, using IRC’s Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) database and other relevant case management systems.

• Ensure timely and accurate compliance to all reporting requirements.

• Work closely with the HQ Immigration Technical Unit team and other field offices as part of the IRC immigration network.

• Law degree (JD or LLM) from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and admission to Texas state bar;

• Experience providing direct representation in immigration court and/or before USCIS to children and/or asylum seekers (1-2 years’ experienced preferred);

• Experience working with children;

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; written and verbal English fluency;

• Bilingual in Spanish;

• Deep commitment to working with humanitarian immigrants;

• Trauma-informed and sensitive listening and communication skills;

• Must have a valid driver’s license, access to reliable vehicle, active insurance policy and ability to travel frequently in and around the service area to engage with clients and community partners.

Working Environment:

• Standard office environment combined with local travel within the service delivery area.

• Occasional evening and weekend hours required.

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