Senior Practice & Ethics Counsel

Grace Consulate; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) seeks a Senior Practice & Ethics Counsel to oversee ethics guidance and practice management resources for its national member network.

The role focuses on developing education programs and practical guidance on AI, legal technology, and ethics in immigration practice, ensuring ethical standards and professional excellence across the organization.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree required; active bar admission required (any U.S. jurisdiction).
• 5+ years of combined experience in immigration law practice and law practice management.
• Experience advising lawyers on legal ethics issues.
• Demonstrated experience in law practice management.

Responsibilities

• Develops and delivers high-value resources to support member success and advance the profession.
• Provides one-to-one guidance to members on legal ethics, running a law firm, and building a career in immigration practice.
• Researches and analyzes member legal ethics issues and provides confidential guidance to resolve ethics dilemmas.
• Leads the development and delivery of ethics education, including resources and thought leadership related to professional responsibility.

Skills

Legal ethics guidance

Practice management

Leadership

Public speaking

Education

J.D. degree

Tools

AI in law

Legal technology

Job description

Description

About AILA

Founded in 1946, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit bar association of more than 18,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law. AILA’s mission is to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and support the professional development of its members. Headquartered in Washington, DC, AILA provides continuing legal education, policy resources, and advocacy leadership through its national network of chapters and committees.

About the Team

The Practice Innovation & Professionalism Center advances the future of immigration law practice by combining the profession’s core values with a forward-looking, innovation-driven approach. Grounded in ethics, client service, and professional excellence, the Center equips members to build resilient, high-performing practices while upholding the standards that define the legal profession. As AILA’s hub for practice strategy and innovation, the Center translates emerging trends — including artificial intelligence, legal technology, and government digitization — into practical insights, tools, and learning experiences for members.

About the Role

The Senior Practice & Ethics Counsel serves as the Center’s subject-matter expert (SME) in immigration practice, legal ethics, and professionalism. This role provides direct, one-to-one guidance to AILA members on legal ethics and practice management, leads the development of ethics and professionalism resources and educational programming, and partners closely with the Director to ensure the Center’s guidance on AI, legal technology, and government digitization remains accurate, ethically sound, and relevant to real immigration practice.

This role may occasionally require extended hours, including evenings and weekends.

What You’ll Do

Resource Development

• Develops and delivers high-value resources, including articles, publications, educational programs, and practice tools that support member success and advance the profession.
• Identifies emerging member needs and practice challenges and leads the development of resources, programs, and solutions to address them.
• Serves as staff liaison and strategic advisor to assigned committees, supporting volunteer leadership and fostering member engagement.
• Leads the development and delivery of ethics education, including resources and thought leadership related to professional responsibility.

Guidance and Consulting to Members

• Provides one-to-one guidance to members on legal ethics, running a law firm (management, marketing, technology, and financial management), and building a career in immigration practice.
• Researches and analyzes member legal ethics issues and provides guidance on a confidential basis to resolve ethics dilemmas that arise in their practices.

Strategy, Vision, and Leadership

• Works with the Director and Center staff to identify members’ long- and short-range practice issues and develop resources to address them.
• Partners with the Director to ensure guidance on AI, legal technology, and government digitization is grounded in sound immigration law and ethics practices.
• Co-manages Center staff and serves as lead when the Director is unavailable.
• Develops and produces key performance indicators at a regular, established cadence.

Educational Programming

• Creates and presents original legal education programs to national and chapter conferences to help members with legal ethics, practice management, and career issues and dilemmas.

Requirements

What You’ll Bring

• J.D. degree required; active bar admission required (any U.S. jurisdiction).
• 5+ years of combined experience in immigration law practice and law practice management.
• Demonstrated experience in law practice management — running a practice or advising lawyers on practice operations.
• Experience advising lawyers on legal ethics issues.

Also Valuable

• Deep understanding of legal ethics, professional responsibility, and risk management as they apply to immigration practitioners is helpful.
• Knowledge of legal technology, artificial intelligence, and other emerging tools affecting the delivery of legal services is helpful.
• Prior supervisory or talent-development experience, including delegation, coaching, and performance management, is preferred.
• Prior experience in an association, member-service, or customer-service environment is a plus.

Location and Travel

Remote (DC Area Preferred)

This position is fully remote and does not include regularly scheduled in-office days or a requirement to be based in the Washington, DC area. AILA maintains a remote workforce strategy designed to support collaboration, organizational connection, and operational efficiency. As part of that approach, preference will be given to candidates located in the Washington, DC area or near a major airport to support occasional travel and in-person organizational activities.

Occasional travel may be required for conferences, member events, organizational meetings, or other business needs. Participation in the AILA Annual Conference each June is a job requirement; the conference is held in varying cities. Some travel may include overnight or weekend stays and, depending on the role, may involve domestic or international travel. Advance notice will generally be provided when possible.

This role requires the ability to work effectively in a remote environment, including extended periods working at a computer workstation, participating in virtual meetings, and communicating regularly with colleagues and external stakeholders. While not a frequent requirement, occasional lifting or moving of materials up to 25 pounds may be necessary in connection with conferences or organizational events.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range provided reflects a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on AILA’s commitment to equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will depend on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, years of experience, certifications or professional licenses, job-related skills, internal equity, and business needs.

Our compensation structure is based on industry-specific market data for similar-sized nonprofit organizations. Typically, individuals are hired at or near the starting point of the salary range for their role. Compensation decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, considering the unique facts and circumstances of each applicant.

Additionally, full-time and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in AILA’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, an employee assistance program, a 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 3 months of employment, generous paid time off, paid parental leave, professional development opportunities, and employer-paid life insurance and disability benefits.

Eligibility to Work

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, we are required to hire only individuals who are authorized to work in the United States. Applicants selected for employment will need to provide documentation verifying their eligibility to work in the U.S. without the need for employer sponsorship. AILA participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization. For more information on E-Verify, please visit dhs.gov/E-Verify.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.