Senior Staff Attorney

American Bar Association ProBAR; Harlingen (TX); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Bar Association’s South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR) seeks a Senior Staff Attorney for a full-time, hybrid role based in Harlingen or Houston. You will work with colleagues to represent adults detained in ICE detention centers in the Rio Grande Valley and surrounding areas.

You will mentor staff attorneys and volunteers, maintain current materials, and provide training on trends in legal services. Some travel to detention facilities and courts is required.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate or LL.M. from an ABA-accredited law school and in good standing.
• Licensed to practice law in a U.S. state or territory.
• Fluency in Spanish may be required based on location and client base served.
• Proficiency with Adobe and Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, OneDrive, Teams).
• Familiar with conducting virtual meetings, training, and observations using Zoom, Teams, etc.
• Reliable transportation to travel between office and off-site work locations.

Responsibilities

• Represent adults in ICE detention removal proceedings in immigration courts in South Texas.
• Serve as mentor and leader to staff attorneys, interns/fellows, and volunteers; maintain training materials.
• Lead training on trends in legal services and ensure up-to-date resources.
• Travel as needed to client sites, courts, and detention facilities, including periodic travel between Harlingen and Houston.

Skills

Juris Doctorate

Licensed attorney

Spanish fluency

Adobe

Microsoft Office

Zoom

Teams

Transportation

Education

Juris Doctorate (J.D.)

Master of Law (LL.M.)

Tools

Adobe

Microsoft Office

Zoom

Teams

Job description

Company Description

The American Bar Association’s South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR) empowers immigrants and asylum-seekers through high-quality legal information, representation, and referrals to essential services. For more than 30 years, ProBAR has delivered critical legal support to individuals at risk of deportation in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and has recently expanded to serve the Houston metro area. As a program of the ABA, ProBAR operates within a national network committed to the rule of law, access to justice, and professional integrity. Team members engage in a collaborative environment that values constructive dialogue consistent with the ABA Code of Online Conduct and broader organizational standards. Applicants can learn more about ProBAR at abaprobar.org and the ABA at americanbar.org.

Role Description:

The Senior Staff Attorney is a full-time, hybrid role based in Harlingen or Houston, w orks with colleagues to represent adults detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers located in the Rio Grande Valley. Legal services are focused on direct representation of individuals in immigration removal proceedings in courts adjudicating cases of detained people in South Texas, including but not limited to Port Isabel and Greenspoint immigration courts. Ability to represent individuals in the Southern District of Texas federal courts as needed. Serves as mentor and leader to staff attorneys, legal interns/fellows, legal support staff, pro bono attorneys and volunteers, including maintaining current materials and training on trends in legal services. This position will require regular involvement with individuals living in difficult circumstances, who may have been victims of crime and experienced trauma including family separation.

Qualifications

• Possession of a Juris Doctorate or Master of Law (LLM) from an ABA-accredited law school and be in good standing, and three or more years’ experience in representing clients in immigration matters.
• Licensed to practice law in a U.S. state or territory.
• Written and spoken fluency in Spanish may be required based upon the location and client base served.
• Intermediate proficiency with Adobe and Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, OneDrive, Teams)
• Must be familiar with conducting virtual meetings, training, and observations on software such as Zoom, Teams, etc.
• Must be able to pick up on client verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Must have reliable transportation to travel between office and off-site work locations.

Physical Requirements

Hybrid work setting includes frequent visits to the office, immigration detention/shelter facilities, immigration court, and public meeting spaces. The ability to move about the facility grounds, with documentation materials weighing up to 15 pounds, for up to 15 minutes or more in excessive heat.

Extent of Travel Required in the Job

As a normal course of business, this job will typically require travel for less than 20% of the time. If based in Houston, Texas, a minimum of quarterly travel to the Rio Grande Valley will be required.