The West African Community Council: The West African Community Council’s (WACC) mission is to advocate, organize, assist, educate, and support West African community members while preserving traditions, culture, social, religious, and moral beliefs. In keeping with this agency-wide mission, the Immigration Program seeks to provide the highest quality immigration services to the West African community in the Puget Sound region in a culturally competent manner that promotes empowerment, accessibility, and success for our clients.
Department: Immigration
Position Type: Full-time (approximately 35 hours per week)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Seattle, WA (We will consider fully remote on a case-by-case basis.)
Benefits: Employer-covered health, dental, and vision insurance plans (Premera); 13 paid holidays; 27 days PTO; COVID-19 Leave; Disability Leave; Parental and Family Leave; Bereavement-leave; Personal Leave (Non-Paid).
Position Summary: The WACC Immigration Program seeks a Staff Attorney to join its team starting by July 15, 2024. Generally, the Staff Attorney will be responsible for providing high-quality, client-centered representation for noncitizens in their defensive and affirmative immigration cases. Essential functions include:
- Screening potential clients for immigration relief and developing legal strategy case plans
- Representing clients in their immigration cases, including affirmative family-based and humanitarian relief and removal defense;
- Preparing, filing, and tracking applications for relief before USCIS, EOIR, and DOS;
- Travel to USCIS, Immigration Court, and WACC’s Seattle office for client interviews, hearings, and appointments;
- Representing individuals in court at hearings;
- Representing individuals before USCIS at interviews and other immigration related appointments;
- Organize and execute monthly Pro Se Asylum Clinics for unrepresented asylum seekers;
- Work collaboratively with colleagues and participate in weekly group case review, on-site trainings, and providing supervision for support staff’s legal work;
- Support WACC’s overall mission to ensure that no immigrant stands alone by working closely with colleagues on various initiatives through community engagement, peer mentoring, and event participation.
The Staff Attorney will work with our DOJ Accredited Representative and Paralegal to manage our current case load and accept new clients. We hope to add a second immigration attorney to the team in the future.
Required Qualifications:
· Juris Doctorate;
· Active Washington State Bar License or licensure from another state;
· 1 year of experience in immigration law;
· Strong case management, legal research, and legal writing skills;
· Willingness to zealously pursue new and untested legal theories;
· Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure; and
· Passion for social justice for immigrants.
Desired Qualifications:
· Fluency in French, Wolof, Soninke, or other languages spoken in Africa is strongly preferred;
· Experience with defensive immigration cases such as asylum/WOR/CAT, cancellation, waivers, adjustment of status, immigration consequences of criminal convictions, humanitarian parole, BIA appeals, motions to reopen, naturalization;
· Experience working with populations that have experienced trauma, abuse, and persecution;
· Knowledge of best practices in working with clients with mental competency issues, including those suffering from mental health challenges, is a plus;
· Ability to work within a hybrid office environment and have regular interaction via telephone, Teams, and email with WACC's small immigration legal department;
· Self-directed; enjoys taking responsibility to see project through;
· Previous experience in non-profit organization;
· Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and communication styles; and
· Committed to prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as embracing transparency and authenticity in daily work life.
The ideal candidate will possess a demonstrated commitment to immigration advocacy and ties to or skills applicable to serving members of the West African community. The Staff Attorney will report to the Managing Attorney.
How to Apply:
To apply please send (1) a resume and (2) a brief cover letter explaining your interest in the position to mv@waccofseattle.org in order to be considered for the desired role. Please include "Application for WACC Staff Attorney" in the subject line.
Nondiscrimination Policy:
We strongly encourage applicants from traditionally underrepresented communities, particularly the West African community, to apply. The WACC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment opportunities at the WACC are based upon one's qualifications and capabilities to perform the essential functions of a particular job. All employment opportunities are provided without regard to: Race; Creed; Color; Religion; Sex; Pregnancy or maternity; National origin; Age; HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis C status; Marital status; Sexual orientation; Gender identity; Honorably discharged veteran or military status; Genetic information; The presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability; Any other characteristic protected by law.
This Equal Employment Opportunity policy governs all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, selection, job assignment, promotions, transfers, compensation, discipline, termination, layoff, access to benefits and training, and all other conditions and privileges of employment.
The WACC strongly urges the reporting of all instances of discrimination and harassment, and prohibits retaliation against any individual who reports discrimination, harassment, or participates in an investigation of such report. The WACC will take appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination, against any employee who violates this policy. To that end, the Board of Directors and all directors and officials of the Organization will not discriminate against any employee or applicant in a manner that violates the law.
Terms of Employment:
Employment with the WACC is "at-will." This means employees are free to resign at any time, with or without cause, and the WACC may terminate the employment relations hip at any time, with or without cause or advance notice. As an at-will employee, it is not guaranteed, in any manner, that you will be employed with the WACC for any set period of time.
Privacy Policy:
The WACC takes the protection of Confidential Information very seriously. “Confidential Information” includes, but is not limited to, computer processes, computer programs and codes, customer lists, customer preferences, customers’ personal information, company financial data, marketing strategies, proprietary production processes, research and development strategies, pricing information, business and marketing plans, vendor information, software, databases, and information concerning the creation, acquisition or disposition of products and services.
Confidential Information also includes the Organization’s intellectual property and information that is not otherwise public. Intellectual property includes, but is not limited to, trade secrets, ideas, discoveries, writings, trademarks, and inventions developed through the course of your employment with the WACC and as a direct result of your job responsibilities with the WACC. Wages and other conditions of employment are not considered to be Confidential Information.
To protect such information, employees may not disclose any confidential or nonpublic proprietary information about the Organization to any unauthorized individual. If you receive a request for Confidential Information, you should immediately refer the request to your supervisor. The unauthorized disclosure of Confidential Information belonging to the Organization, and not otherwise available to persons or companies outside of the WACC, may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. If you leave the Organization, you may not disclose or misuse any Confidential Information.
This policy is not intended to restrict an employee’s right to discuss, or act together to improve, wages, benefits and working conditions with co-workers or in any way restrict employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Seattle, WA 98118