Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Cabrini | Senior Attorney - CVAP
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Houston, Texas, United States, 77246
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Catholic Charities is looking for the right people who wish to serve their community as part of a family‑friendly organization doing good within the Houston‑Galveston area. We attract and retain the best talent by investing in our employees. People of all faiths helping people in need.
The Senior Attorney, Crime Victims Assistance Program is a member of the supervisory team of Cabrini Center who helps set strategic priority and formulate policies and procedures for the whole program. The Senior Attorney supervises a legal team in the provision of immigration legal services to clients served by St. Frances Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance. Legal services include community outreach and legal education, legal workshops, legal intake, legal research and individual legal representation. The Senior Attorney is expected to have and develop expertise in immigration law, stay up-to-date on immigration law and policies, and provide supervision, guidance and mentorship to attorneys, pro bono counsels, paralegals and/or law student interns. The Senior Attorney will contribute to identifying issues for impact advocacy and litigation to be undertaken by Cabrini Center and/or other partners to advance immigrant rights and to make systemic changes.
What you Deliver
Responsibilities
Direct Representation: Provide direct representation to immigrant clients before USCIS, Asylum Office or Immigration Court as well as state courts on a range of immigration matters, including affirmative asylum and removal defense. Tasks include legal intake and screening; interviewing clients, affiants, witnesses, experts, case managers, and others; drafting and assembling relevant immigration petitions; conducting legal research; writing memoranda of law, motions or briefs; and preparing clients for interviews and court hearings. Case Management: Maintain client files (physical and electronic) per program requirements, including case notes, correspondence, filings, calendars, and dockets. Maintain a case status list and case service statistics. Participate in case reviews with attorney staff and leadership. Maintain a minimum of 30-40 active cases. Meetings: Conduct unit/team and individual meetings with staff; participate in mandatory unit and Cabrini staff meetings and other agency meetings; participate in funder and partner meetings as appropriate. Contract and Agency Compliance: Comply with contract requirements; provide, compile, and analyze data for grant and contract reporting; provide timely data and reports as needed. Outreach and Education: Participate in community outreach, legal education and workshops; provide legal consultations and information sessions on asylum, deportation, and other immigration relief; engage pro bono counsel when appropriate. Personnel: Provide day-to-day supervision to the legal team (staff attorneys, legal fellows, pro bono counsel, paralegals, interns) and evaluate staff performance. Substantive Expertise: Develop expertise in general immigration law (including U visa, T visa, VAWA, U/T/VAWA adjustment of status, naturalization, family immigration, DACA, TPS) and related relief for survivors of crime. Advocacy: Identify policy issues and coordinate with Cabrini Center and the immigration bar to advance immigrant rights. Program Planning: Work with Cabrini leadership to evaluate program efficacy and set priorities aligned with community needs. Program Administration: Develop and implement policies to ensure high-quality legal services and provide periodic staff training to maintain standards. Other: Perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications
Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school Licensed to practice in Texas or eligible to waive into the Texas Bar within 12 months of hire Two years of experience in immigration law; one year in a leadership role Bilingual in English and Spanish Skills and Attributes
Strong legal research and writing skills Excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation abilities Ability to manage a high-volume caseload with multiple deadlines Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office Experience with immigrant communities is an asset; demonstrated intercultural understanding Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer. We foster an environment free of racism, discrimination, bias, and harassment where all individuals are treated with dignity, safety, and respect. Successful applicants must comply with federal contractor vaccine mandate requirements.
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Direct Representation: Provide direct representation to immigrant clients before USCIS, Asylum Office or Immigration Court as well as state courts on a range of immigration matters, including affirmative asylum and removal defense. Tasks include legal intake and screening; interviewing clients, affiants, witnesses, experts, case managers, and others; drafting and assembling relevant immigration petitions; conducting legal research; writing memoranda of law, motions or briefs; and preparing clients for interviews and court hearings. Case Management: Maintain client files (physical and electronic) per program requirements, including case notes, correspondence, filings, calendars, and dockets. Maintain a case status list and case service statistics. Participate in case reviews with attorney staff and leadership. Maintain a minimum of 30-40 active cases. Meetings: Conduct unit/team and individual meetings with staff; participate in mandatory unit and Cabrini staff meetings and other agency meetings; participate in funder and partner meetings as appropriate. Contract and Agency Compliance: Comply with contract requirements; provide, compile, and analyze data for grant and contract reporting; provide timely data and reports as needed. Outreach and Education: Participate in community outreach, legal education and workshops; provide legal consultations and information sessions on asylum, deportation, and other immigration relief; engage pro bono counsel when appropriate. Personnel: Provide day-to-day supervision to the legal team (staff attorneys, legal fellows, pro bono counsel, paralegals, interns) and evaluate staff performance. Substantive Expertise: Develop expertise in general immigration law (including U visa, T visa, VAWA, U/T/VAWA adjustment of status, naturalization, family immigration, DACA, TPS) and related relief for survivors of crime. Advocacy: Identify policy issues and coordinate with Cabrini Center and the immigration bar to advance immigrant rights. Program Planning: Work with Cabrini leadership to evaluate program efficacy and set priorities aligned with community needs. Program Administration: Develop and implement policies to ensure high-quality legal services and provide periodic staff training to maintain standards. Other: Perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications
Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school Licensed to practice in Texas or eligible to waive into the Texas Bar within 12 months of hire Two years of experience in immigration law; one year in a leadership role Bilingual in English and Spanish Skills and Attributes
Strong legal research and writing skills Excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation abilities Ability to manage a high-volume caseload with multiple deadlines Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office Experience with immigrant communities is an asset; demonstrated intercultural understanding Catholic Charities is an equal opportunity employer. We foster an environment free of racism, discrimination, bias, and harassment where all individuals are treated with dignity, safety, and respect. Successful applicants must comply with federal contractor vaccine mandate requirements.
#J-18808-Ljbffr