JFCS Immigration Legal Services
Immigrants come to Pittsburgh from all over the world, seeking a better life for their families and/or fleeing persecution and violence. However, navigating the myriad of local, state and federal immigration laws carries tremendous uncertainty, challenges and expense. As a JFCS employee in the Immigration Legal Services Department, you can help stabilize the pathway to citizenship for immigrants.
The team at JFCS provides pro-bono legal services to immigrants helping clients navigate our complicated immigration system and eventually become US citizens. JFCS Immigration Legal Services works holistically with all other departments in the agency to ensure that people who are struggling get the range of assistance they need.
Position Summary:
This staff person will work directly with clients providing consultations and representation to help them accomplish their immigration goals. Including a wide variety of cases before the US Department of Homeland Security and the Executive Office for Immigration Review. JFCS focuses primarily on family based immigration cases, applications for individuals with refugee and other humanitarian status, unaccompanied children, naturalization and other case types as needed.
Why you should apply
The JFCS Immigration Legal Services team is dedicated to helping our clients achieve their immigration goals. We provide consultations and/or representation to individuals through a trauma informed approach. We strive to be an inclusive and welcoming community for both staff and clients. We support the larger community by providing information about changes in immigration policy as well as educational opportunities on a variety of immigration-related topics. We provide services through a trauma informed approach. We strive to be an inclusive and welcoming community for both staff and clients.
JFCS Pittsburgh
In today’s world, it is important that your life’s work brings you value and purpose. By joining the team at JFCS, you will experience hands-on opportunities that directly help people in the Greater Pittsburgh region through life’s changes and challenges.
Proudly voted by JFCS employees as one of Pittsburgh’s best places to work for +10 years, our care and commitment to our employees and our clients is our top priority. We are looking for new employees who share our commitment to providing critical, high quality services to the community.
Benefits:
- Collaborative work environment and diverse staff
- 37.5 hours work week with flexible scheduling to support work-life balance
- Hybrid work model (part of the week in office, part remote)
- Sick Time = 12 days a year
- Vacation Time = starts at 2 weeks the first year and then increases with longevity up to 4 weeks total
- Additional paid time off for all employees = most federal holidays, 3-5 floating holidays (to be used at employee’s discretion), and a number of Jewish holidays
- Comprehensive health insurance – medical, dental and vision
- Short and long term disability, life insurance and a 401k package for which JFCS contributes 4% of salary after the first year of service
- Annual longevity bonuses after the first year of service
Qualifications/Requirements:
- Must be a licensed attorney in good standing, admitted to practice in the United States.
- Must be culturally sensitive to the unique needs of each client and provide trauma informed services.
- High level of organization to manage multiple types of cases and caseloads while being responsive to clients, and prioritizing those who have significant deadlines and hardships.
- Clear, concise written and verbal communication with clients, staff, partners, case workers and other stakeholders.
- Comfortable using interpreters to communicate effectively with clients to discuss complex legal processes in straightforward, easy to interpret language.
- Be alert to cross-cultural interference in dealing with clients and be culturally sensitive.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide legal consultations to, and representation for clients in all types of applications before USCIS, EOIR, the Department of State and represent refugees with family reunification applications.
- Coordinate services and referrals for clients with other JFCS departments and other partners to obtain required documentation.
- Stay abreast of changes in immigration law implementation and keep clients informed about changes that may affect their cases.
- Networking with other stakeholders and partner agencies as appropriate to provide educational presentations and represent the JFCS Immigration Legal Services Department.
- Ensure entry of accurate, timely, detailed case information in JFCS case management software and assist with all required reporting information, as needed, for tracking time, invoicing and reporting to funders, etc..
- Provide mentoring and supervision/support to legal staff, interns, law students and pro bono attorneys, as needed.
- Participate in legal department meetings, JFCS agency-wide meetings, CLE courses, professional development and cultural sensitivity training, as appropriate and necessary, to keep license to practice.
- Any other duties as assigned.