Supervising Immigration Attorney

Austincc; Buffalo (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO/Sick Time

11 paid holidays

Free parking

Retirement plan with IIB contribution

Health/dental/vision insurance

Disability insurance

Paid family/maternity/paternity leave

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Job summary

International Institute of Buffalo seeks a Supervising Attorney to lead the legal department, mentor pro bono attorneys, and ensure compliance with ethics and funder requirements. The role oversees caseloads, provides training, and maintains client-centered representation in immigration matters.

Ideal candidates have JD, bar admission, and 3+ years in immigration law, with nonprofit program management and strong documentational skills. Local travel may be required in Buffalo, NY area.

Qualifications

• Graduate of U.S. ABA-accredited law school with JD.
• Admitted to practice with a law license in good standing; NY bar preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of legal work in immigration law; humanitarian and family-based matters welcome.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and mentor legal staff and paralegals; assign caseloads and review work.
• Ensure ethical practice, funder requirements, and compliance across the department.
• Lead trainings for pro bono attorneys and maintain high-quality client representation.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Immigration law

Training & mentoring

Nonprofit management

Stakeholder coordination

Client communication

Legal research

MS Office

Case management software

Pro bono work

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Bar admission in good standing

Tools

Case management software

MS Office suite

Job description

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Working Hours: Mon-Fri / Day Shift / On-Site with occasional travel

Classification: Full-Time

Pay Range: $90,000 to $110,000 annually based on experience

Benefits: Generous PTO/Sick Time plan, 11 paid holidays, one-hour paid lunch, free parking, retirement plan with IIB contribution upon eligibility, health/dental/vision insurance, disability insurance, paid family/maternity/paternity leave, life insurance, employee assistance program

Job Summary

IIB’s legal team was started in 2021 to address the pressing need for legal representation of Afghans and Ukrainians. It has since expanded to offer legal representation to other refugees and immigrant groups on a variety of humanitarian legal matters. Our staff possess a deep commitment to serving low-income immigrants and upholding our mission.

The Supervising Attorney oversees and manages the legal department and its staff, ensures compliance with legal practice ethics and funder parameters, program development, quality assurance, and cross-collaboration with internal departments. This individual also provides mentorship and training for pro bono attorneys on immigration matters and maintains a limited individual caseload while providing department leadership and supervision.

Through funding from the NYS Office of New Americans, IIB has begun to recruit and train pro bono attorneys they can represent clients on legal permanent residency, naturalization, employment authorization, asylum, family sponsorship, etc. Our attorneys train pro bonos on various aspects of immigration law and will review the work product of pro bonos before case filing.

IIB’s immigration practice is primarily focused on affirmative petitions filed with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, and the U.S. Department of State. The legal team works within a larger resettlement agency, which engages interdisciplinary teams of attorneys and case managers to provide a wide range of services including housing, employment, education and other integration supports. The Supervising Attorney should have experience representing clients on affirmative matters before USCIS and defensive representation experience before U.S. Immigration Court.

The ideal candidate is comfortable managing an active caseload and will have the patience and approachable demeanor to advise and mentor volunteer attorneys who are not familiar with immigration law. IIB runs a monthly walk-in legal clinic and is holding regular trainings for pro bonos on focused topics of law, to allow them to step in and assist on specific kinds of cases.

Qualifications

• Graduate of U.S. ABA-accredited law school, Juris Doctor
• Admitted to practice with a law license in good standing with any US state bar, NY bar preferred
• Minimum of three (3) years of legal work experience within the scope of immigration law; substantial experience handling a range of humanitarian and family-based immigration matters, with demonstrated competency in the areas of law within IIB’s current scope of services (USCIS, VAWA, U/T visas, asylum, TPS, etc.)
• Demonstrated experience in a supervisory or mentorship capacity
• Experience with nonprofit program management highly desired
• Experience developing and delivering legal trainings/presentations
• Exceptional documentation, time management, prioritization, organizational and problem-solving skills
• Extensive experience working with diverse cultures, underserved and underrepresented communities, and survivors of trauma
• Strong verbal and written communication and delegation skills
• Exceptional oral advocacy skills
• Proficient legal research skills
• Ability to work independently
• Proficiency using MS Office and case management/database systems
• Experience with case management database software, data analysis and grant report writing
• Authorized to work in the U.S.

USE OF PERSONAL VEHICLE:

The candidate must have access to a personal vehicle and have a valid driver’s license along with proof of active insurance coverage. Some local travel is required to client appointments and trainings, and for local courts and adjudication interviews.

Duties And Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Directly supervises legal department staff including attorneys, paralegal, and other legal personnel by:
  • Assigning caseloads and responsibilities based on workload, expertise, and program priorities
  • Meeting regularly to review case statuses
  • Ensuring timeliness, identifying issues, providing proactive follow-up and exceptional client communication
  • Advising and assisting legal team staff in providing high-quality, ethical, and client-centered legal representation from the inception of the case to resolution, including adjudicator interviews, hearings and appeals
  • Reviewing written work product; recommending appropriate edits and feedback
  • Establishing expectations for case management, documentation, client communication, and professional development
  • Evaluating staff performance with regular feedback
• Mentors, teaches and coaches legal staff to promote continuous learning and skill development
• Assists legal team staff in working effectively with social workers/case managers, community members, support staff and other stakeholders
• Supports the Executive Director on legal advocacy issues related to immigration, including trainings and presentations to a wide variety of audiences
• Identifies emerging legal service needs and opportunities
• Recommends changes to legal services, policies, and workflows
• Conducts educational training on immigration topics related to IIB’s scope of service and performs occasional community outreach in conjunction with other IIB staff
• Represents IIB in relevant legal-services coalitions, related community-based meetings, and professional networks

Legal Quality & Compliance

• Periodically reviews the legal unit’s case management policies and operating model to ensure compliance with ethics-based law practice models and funder requirements
• Ensures all grant contract obligations are fulfilled by working collaboratively with Fiscal Operations & Grants to write and timely file grant reports (narrative responses and data set runs)
• Assists with grant applications and renewals; participates as needed in program-wide and grant-specific data collection
• Ensures efficient workflows are implemented and followed; establishes SOPs and protocols as necessary
• Monitors case deadlines and identifies potential risks or issues requiring intervention; escalates complex and urgent matters as appropriate to Executive Director
• Adheres to IIB’s organizational policies, legal practice management policies, and case management system
• Audits case files and legal work product to ensure accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and compliance

Program Administration

• Participates in strategic planning for the legal program
• Represents retained clients on matters before USCIS, the NVC and Consulates on immigration matters including Adjustment of Status, Naturalization, family-based sponsorship petitions, Employment Authorization (EAD), inadmissibility waivers, consular processing, DACA, asylum, VAWA, U & T visa applications and Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and related appeals for any USCIS-denials of these applications
• Provides representation at Buffalo Immigration Court – performing legal research, establishing case strategy, preparation of applications for relief, attending hearings, writing briefs, and working with expert witnesses
• Case screening, placement, and deadlines
• Providing substantive training, practice resources, mentorship, and ongoing consultation
• Review of legal work product prior to filing
• Providing timely, professional, and clear communications
• Provides consistent communication with clients such as following-up through texts, telephone calls and letters
• Proactively seeks out and maintains subject matter expertise on U.S. immigration law; continuously develops knowledge of case law, statutes, regulations, agency policies; attends conferences and legal education trainings/CLEs
• May prepare training materials to present and/or assign as appropriate
• Other duties as assigned by a member of management within the job scope

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the individual assigned to this role. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The International Institute of Buffalo reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs, as necessary.

Working Conditions:

Office environment requires, with or without accommodation, employees to consistently use manual dexterity in reaching, writing, navigating around the workspace. This position requires fully functional vision and auditory abilities. This position may include hours standing and walking, including up and down stairs, occasional driving, and moving basic office items of up to 30 pounds.