Senior Director, Immigrant Justice Legal Clinic - The Resurrection Project

Illinois Legal Aid Online; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

The Resurrection Project seeks a Senior Director of its Immigrant Justice Legal Clinic to provide leadership, strategy, and oversight for high-quality immigrant legal services. You will lead a 35- to 40-person legal team, mentor staff, shape program development, and ensure ethical, effective representation for TRP clients.

Reporting to the VP of Programs, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams, manage budgets, pursue funding opportunities, and advocate for community needs, all while

Qualifications

• 10+ years in immigration legal services or management.
• Juris Doctorate and bar admission required.
• Bilingual English and Spanish strongly preferred.
• Ability to lead a 35-40 person team.
• Excellent verbal, writing, and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Staff development and mentoring of managers.
• Legal oversight and strategic planning for the clinic.
• Budget management and cross-team collaboration.
• External relationship building with partners and funders.
• Direct service oversight and client-interaction leadership.
• Maintain knowledge of immigration law developments and staff training.

Skills

Immigration law knowledge

Experience in legal services管理

Bilingual English/Spanish

Team leadership

Strong communication

Flexibility in hours

Education

Juris Doctorate

Bar admission

Tools

MS Office

Internet proficiency

Job description

Senior Director, Immigrant Justice Legal Clinic

Organization

The Resurrection Project
1805 S Ashland Ave
Chicago , IL 60608-2719
United States

Remote or telecommuting:

Special Working Conditions and Demands:

• Willingness to work flexible hours; evenings and weekends occasionally required

Thegoal of TRP’s Immigrant Justice Department is to provide opportunities for authentic local immigrant leadership, offer holistic community-based immigration legal services, and work in coalitions to expand access to legal representation.

General Job Description:

The Senior Director of the Immigrant Justice Legal Clinic (IJLC) provides leadership, mentorship, legal strategy, and oversight in the implementation of legal services through the clinic. Reporting to the Vice President of Programs, the Senior Director ensures TRP Immigrant Justice’s vision and values are reflected in the legal services provided to our communities. The Senior Director leads a team of 35-40 legal staff, ensuring all team members are fully prepared to provide quality services to TRP clients.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Staff Development
  • Identify, recruit, train, support, develop, and evaluate a talented, high-performing team of managers to implement effective and responsive programming.
  • Ensure that the responsibilities, authority, and accountability of all program staff members are defined and understood.
  • Intentionally check-in with staff on development opportunities & performance feedback.
  • Lead in the development and implementation of training programs and retreats to expand the capacity of all legal staff in collaboration with IJLC managers.
• Legal Oversight & Strategy
  • Lead on program development and strategic planning for the clinic.
  • Ensure all volunteer and staff legal work fulfills ethical and professional standards, and high-quality legal services are provided to all clients, including adherence to protocols for client interactions and record keeping.
  • Support Managing Attorneys in training, mentoring, and supervising legal staff, volunteers, pro bono attorneys, and interns and create an atmosphere of teamwork, collaboration, and high-quality legal service provision.
  • Lead team in participating in organizing and advocacy efforts based on expressed community needs under the direction of the Chief Program Officer and in coordination with the Director of Advocacy and Leadership.
  • Develop and oversee implementation and monitoring of protocols that enable the organization to strengthen and expand its provision of immigration services in collaboration with IJLC managers.
  • Provide legal guidance to TRP’s leadership in policy and procedure development and implementation as needed.
• Develop and evaluatethestaffing structures needed to achieve program and organizational goals.
• Manage program budgets, ensuring resources areallocatedeffectively and efficiently in collaboration with Finance and Immigrant Justice Admin teams.
• Identify and support the pursuit of funding opportunities for the department in conjunction with the Chief Programs Officer, Vice President of Programs, and the Institutional Advancement team.
• Oversee the data collection and monitoring of all IJLC data, ensuring that data is accurate, complete, and responsive to funding requirements and ethical rules.
• Support in the development of necessary systems, processes, and tools toensure consistent, high-quality case management.
• Provide leadership in cross-team communication and cohesiveness, sustaining culture and supporting staff during organizational growth.
• External Relationship Building & Management
  • Cultivate, manage, and expand relationships with participants, leaders, TRP member institutions, government officials, elected officials, and other partners to promote and further TRP’s Immigrant Justice Department goals and organizational mission.
  • Ensure the organization's programs are visible and impactful in the community. Communicate with various stakeholders within the immigration legal services community to discuss issues, influence decision-making, and securecontinued &future funding for programs.
  • Identifyand develop staff to publiclyrepresentthe organization with media and other external stakeholders.
  • Represent TRP’s Immigrant Justice Legal Clinic in meetings, press related events, regional/state associations, conferences, and other public forums as needed.
• Direct Service Responsibilities
  • Advise legal staff on case matters and legal strategies.
  • When necessary, provide expert consultation and representation to clients and potential clients, including but not limited to covering representation at court hearings or USCIS interviews.
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Maintain knowledge and understanding of developments in immigration law and provide information, updates, and training to staff and volunteers;
  • Maintain required job skills and core professional competencies;
  • Maintain open and ongoing communication;
  • Attend andparticipatein required educational programs and staff meetings; and
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Essential Knowledge and Skills

• Juris Doctorate degree and currently licensed to practice law, with 10+ years of experience in immigration legal services, legal services management, or some combination of both
• Current knowledge of immigration law and practice required, with experience in removal defense strongly preferred
• Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work effectively with people of diverse social, faith, economic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds
• Excellent verbal, analytical, writing, and organizational skills
• Proficient knowledge of MS Office and Internet is required
• Highly motivated and demonstrated ability to work independently and with diverse teams.
• Strong enthusiasm for leading a team
• Willingness to work flexible hours as needed; some evenings and weekends are required

Pay scale and benefits

Position Classification:Full-Time,Exempt.

Salary:$120,000 - $135,000; Salary commensurate with experience.