Full-Time Staff Attorney

New Haven County Bar Association; Boston, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks paid vacation

11 paid holidays

5 days wellness leave

Health and dental insurance (employee

401K with 2% match after 6 months

Job summary

Project Citizenship in Boston, MA is seeking a Staff Attorney to expand access to U.S. citizenship for immigrants.

Reporting to the Senior Staff Attorney, you will collaborate with the Legal team to provide direct services, manage group naturalization processes, and support cross-functional client services with volunteers and staff. The role emphasizes intake, eligibility assessment, and coordinating USCIS filings, with opportunities for training and professional development in immigration law.

Qualifications

• Admitted to U.S. State bar; MA bar a plus.
• Up to 2 years of immigration-related experience.
• Strong writing, communication, and organizational skills.
• Comfort working with diverse populations.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct legal services and support group naturalization workshops.
• Coordinate USCIS applications and represent clients at interviews as needed.
• Assist with client intake and assess eligibility for naturalization.
• Support the N-648 program and volunteer outreach.

Skills

Legal research

Client communication

Team collaboration

Attention to detail

Multilingual

Education

U.S. State bar admission

Massachusetts bar

Juris Doctor

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

Are you passionate about positively impacting the lives of immigrants in Boston and beyond? Make a
lasting impact as a Staff Attorney at Project Citizenship. This role is an opportunity to use your legal expertise to expand access to citizenship for hundreds of immigrants across Boston and beyond. If you’re ready to take on meaningful, client-centered work in a collaborative environment, we want to hear from you!

Project Citizenship is a nonprofit organization that seeks to increase the naturalization rate in New
England, with a focus on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. We do that by offering eligibility screening, application assistance, legal referrals, free workshops, and all materials needed to apply for U.S. citizenship, leveraging our impact with the support of hundreds of volunteers and community partners. Project Citizenship envisions a society where all immigrants have the opportunity to participate in American democracy and thrive in their communities fully.

Are you ready to take on a challenging and rewarding role that allows you to make a difference in the lives of others and contribute to the success of Project Citizenship? If so, we invite you to apply for this position today!

Principal Purpose of Job: Reporting to the Senior Staff Attorney, the Staff Attorney works collaboratively within the Legal department to provide direct legal services to clients and support Project Citizenship’s group processing model. This role works closely with the Program team to support cross-functional client services work.

Legal Services & Client Support (80%)

• Assist with the legal aspects of organizing, implementing, and staffing group processing naturalization workshops, including supporting the oversight and engagement of volunteer attorneys.
• Contribute to direct client representation work, including coordinating completion and filing of numerous USCIS applications, representing clients during naturalization interviews as needed, and assisting clients in responding to Notices of Continuance and Notices of Intent to Deny.
• Support client intake to assess naturalization eligibility, derivation and acquisition, disability waiver application eligibility, and identify any potential legal issues.
• Review criminal, immigration, biographical, and tax records and conduct legal research as needed.
• Conduct the follow-up of pending applications to ensure completion and timely submission of applications.
• Thoroughly review completed naturalization, derivation, and acquisition applications for quality and accuracy prior to submission.
• Support the N-648 program, including volunteer & provider outreach, review and revision requests, and final approval for scheduling.

Legal Program Management & Development (15%)

• Work collaboratively with the Legal team to recruit, interview, and supervise legal interns.
• Develop and deliver training materials for staff, volunteers, pro bono attorneys, healthcare
  organizations, and other relevant stakeholder groups.
• Contribute to the management of the interview representation volunteer program, including
  creation of interview representation preparation & support materials for volunteer attorneys.
• Represent the organization to various legal groups, local bar and law school pro bono fairs, and community events to enhance partnerships and recruit volunteers and interns.
• Contribute to the development of standards of practice and/or procedures for the Legal Team.
• Remain current in best practices in immigration legal services, participating in professional
  development opportunities as appropriate.

Organizational & Administrative Support (5%)

• Maintain DOJ recognition for Project Citizenship and assist staff applying for DOJ accreditation
• Maintain Salesforce database and data integrity, work collaboratively to update, improve, and maintain the database systems and SOPs.
• Work with internal stakeholders to collect data in support of funding applications or reports when needed.

Qualifications Desired:

1. Admission to, or in the process of being admitted to, a U.S. State bar. Admission to the Massachusetts bar is a plus.
2. Up to 2 years of transferable experience through internships, volunteering, or previous work experience; previous immigration law experience is a plus.
3. Expert attention to detail and organizational skills.
4. Ability to work effectively as part of a team and with people from all levels of the organization.
5. Commitment to providing high-quality services to clients with a respectful, culturally competent, non-judgmental approach.
6. Demonstrated independence, self-direction, ability to take initiative, and balance conflicting priorities
7. Excellent writing and communication skills.
8. Knowledge of Salesforce and Microsoft Suite is highly preferred.
9. Proficiency in another language, such as Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Cape Verdean Creole, or Arabic, a plus.

We know that many people (especially people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities) are less likely to apply if they do not check off all the boxes. If you think you’re a good fit for this role, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all our desired expectations.

Details

• This is a full-time, hybrid position.
  • At least 3 days in-office per week will be required, after fully in-person onboarding.
  • This position intermittently requires weeknight and weekend hours.
• Salary Range: $72,000-$78,000, commensurate with experience.
• Benefits include 4 weeks of paid vacation, 11 paid holidays, 5 days of wellness leave; health and dental insurance (w/ 20% employee contribution); and 401K retirement plan access (with 2%match of employee's contribution) after 6 months of employment.