Title: CHILDREN’S PROGRAM DIRECTOR (Full-time, exempt, with benefits, Spanish-speakers strongly preferred.)
HRI seeks a passionate human rights advocate to join our Children’s Department as Director. The ideal candidate will work to promote HRI’s mission and cultivate strong ties with the individuals, organizations, and funders that are the key to the success of the Children’s Program. The primary focus is on immigration and family law to support and work with immigrant children who have been victimized and are unable to return to their home country. The Director will oversee the program’s caseload, while they independently manage cases and advocate for clients in court proceedings. The Director will display competency and sensitivity in representing low socioeconomic community groups, as well as limited English proficient clients, and do this all while engaging in trauma informed care.
Essential Job Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor Degree and licensed to practice law in Texas. (Qualified candidates licensed elsewhere, who would be willing to seek licensure in Texas would be considered)
- At least two years of experience in Immigration and Nationality Law or 3+ years of pro bono experience with family law and immigration based cases. The Director will be supervising volunteer lawyers, the position requires specific experience with vulnerable immigrant populations.
Preferred knowledge includes experience with Texas family law – including conservatorship, Special Immigrant Juvenile “SIJ” status cases, removal defense, and familiarity with ORR procedures for unaccompanied children.
Other helpful knowledge includes VAWA, U-Visa, DACA, T-Visas, Asylum, and supporting immigration relief, such as employment authorization applications and adjustment of status applications.
- Desire to work with immigrant children survivors of domestic violence, neglect, or abandonment.
- Strong public speaking and interpersonal skills. Must be comfortable with public speaking.
- Desire to work in a team environment.
- Strong research, writing, and analytical skills.
- Ability to address complex legal problems strategically utilizing a variety of approaches, including litigation, policy advocacy, and communications.
- Must be a self-starter, motivated, and a good team player with a sense of humor.
- Must be highly organized, flexible, able to multi-task, manage a high-volume workload, and have excellent time management skills.
- Strong interpersonal, supervisory and communications skills, and the ability to understand and handle sensitive and confidential information.
- Proficiency using Microsoft suite products. Willingness to learn and use cloud-based case management software.
- Fluency in oral and written English.
- Fluency in Spanish Language is strongly preferred.
RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:
Pro Bono Program Support
Support the program with cases placed with pro-bono attorneys:
- Assist with drafting and maintaining training materials and samples for volunteer attorneys accepting cases in the Children’s Program.
- Assist in the recruitment and training of volunteers.
- Govern workflow and supervise all filings by volunteer attorneys.
- Guide volunteer attorneys with case strategy and legal research.
- Review all portions of cases prior to submission.
- Assist in preparing attorneys and clients for hearings and interviews before the local family courts and the Immigration Court, and USCIS.
Direct Client Representation
1. Work collaboratively with other members of the legal staff.
2. Direct representation of immigrant children and their guardians before USCIS, Immigration Court, and local family courts.
Govern workflow for all aspects of in-house cases.
1. Assist in intake and evaluation of new cases with the legal team.
2. Responsible for maintenance of legal intakes for minors.
3. Review legal screening documents for foster children to determine local relief before the child’s placement in the DFW area.
Program Management
Responsible for regular provision of information to the Vera Institute of Justice including:
- Monthly narrative and data reports;
- Maintaining client and case information using cloud-based databases;
- Responding to requests from ORR on short time-lines;
- Attending monthly manager calls;
- Other requirements under the Grant.
- Coordinate annual Vera site visit
- Maintain relationship with Vera and government stakeholders.
- Provide case data and program information for the Vera budgeting and contracting process, as well as other funders.
- Maintain client and case information using the internal cloud-based case management system.
- Interview and supervise legal interns.
- Supervise Children’s Program Fellow and Legal Assistant.
- Stay abreast of legal changes impacting HRI’s clients.
Legal Outreach
o Assist with HRI’s Advocacy plan and other outreach.
o Maintain and enhance legal expertise through participation in and presentation of educational programs and CLEs.
o Attend mandatory training and conference calls related to work with Vera.
o Maintain alliances with education entities, community groups, and other organizations.
o Make new partnerships with other social service providers who refer clients.
o Speak to various groups about HRI.
o Participate in fundraising for Children’s Program.
o Educate the staff and public about relief available for HRI clients via updates on immigration laws and policy.
Salary and Benefits: The salary for this position ranges from $58,000 – $62000. The Benefits package includes health insurance, paid time off, FMLA leave, short term disability, and other benefits.
Supervisor: Reports to Executive Director.
Human Rights Initiative of North Texas is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Please send tailored cover letter and resume to: Volunteer Director, Layne Faulkner at lfaulkner@hrionline.org.
COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOL: HRI is currently following a safety protocol due to COVID-19. For more information about how this impacts HRI staff, please visit: https://hrionline.org/stay-mindful-hri-continues-its-safety-protocol-for-health-crisis/.
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