ALWAYS is hiring for two positions: Staff Attorney and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Staff Attorney! The salary range for both positions is between $67,000 and $72,000. Please see below for the job descriptions and email info@alwaysaz.org with any questions.
About ALWAYS: ALWAYS’ mission is to remove legal barriers to safety, stability, and opportunity for trafficking survivors of all ages and people under 25 who have been impacted by crime, homelessness, and/or foster care. The organization is made up of attorneys, a legal advocate, and a social worker who are dedicated to providing no-cost, trauma-informed, culturally competent services to people who would otherwise not have the privilege of representation or intensive pro se assistance. With the help of ALWAYS, clients are able to obtain safety and housing, pursue careers, and support themselves and their families.
Staff Attorney Position
About the Position: ALWAYS is seeking a mission-oriented Staff Attorney to join our Phoenix-based team. The position provides legal services in various areas including family law, immigration, and addressing past criminal history. The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to justice and the well-being of the community.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
- Conduct screenings and intakes to assess eligibility for ALWAYS services;
- Provide legal representation and pro se assistance in a variety of practice areas including: (a) Immigration: Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U-Visas, T-Visas, VAWA, DACA Renewals, Lawful Permanent Resident Status, Citizenship, Employment Authorization Documents; (b) Family Law: Orders of Protection, Legal Decision-Making and Parenting Time (“Custody”), Child Support, Divorce; (c) Criminal History Repair: Set Asides, Good Cause Exceptions for Fingerprint Clearance Cards.
- Work with clients who have experienced trauma and/or other adverse circumstances;
- Provide brief advice/referrals to people who are ineligible for ALWAYS services;
- Represent ALWAYS at community clinics and drop-in centers;
- Providing trainings for other organizations, government entities, and practitioners;
- Advance advocacy priorities and spread the word about ALWAYS’ services by working with local and national stakeholder networks and peer organization representatives;
- Keep accurate, timely records and track eligible activities in the requisite logs; and
- Participate in Weekly Team Meetings, Bi-Weekly Case Staffing, and Weekly 1:1s.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- None
Required Skills:
- A U.S. law degree (J.D.);
- EITHER (a) License to practice law in Arizona; OR (b) If not licensed in Arizona, must commit to applying to waive into practice in Arizona after two years of bar licensure in any jurisdiction, under the Arizona Rule 38(f), a provision that allows for non-Arizona-barred attorneys to practice in Arizona state courts while under the employment of an approved legal service provider such as ALWAYS;
- At least one year of direct representation of clients as an attorney or social service provider with a proven commitment to public interest law;
- Strong organizational skills;
- Ability to travel to Pima County periodically, as well as to off-site locations in Maricopa County (mileage is reimbursed);
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and writing skills;
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with colleagues.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with family law;
- Experience with immigration law and procedures;
- Bilingual English/Spanish.
Benefits:
- Banner Aetna healthcare insurance;
- Delta Dental dental insurance;
- Delta Dental vision insurance;
- Reimbursement for bar dues and CLE credits;
- Hybrid work schedule;
- $30/monthly stipend for costs incurred through working from home;
- 35-hour work week, 9AM-4PM, Monday-Friday;
- 15 paid vacation days/year and 2 floating vacation days after 6 months;
- Additional leave including but not limited to: designated holidays, paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s, voting, bereavement, and jury duty.
Annual Salary: Between$67,000 and $72,000, dependent on qualifications. There is a 10% bilingual pay differential for people who are fully fluent in English and Spanish.
Application Process: Please send resume, letter of interest, and three references to info@alwaysaz.org with “Staff Attorney Application” in the subject line. Please email the same address with any questions. Applications are being considered on a rolling basis.
Equal Opportunity Policy: ALWAYS celebrates diversity, promotes inclusion, and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at info@alwaysaz.org or call the office at (602) 248-7055.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Staff Attorney Position
About the Position: This is a full-time position reporting to the managing attorney. The staff attorney will provide dependency and affirmative immigration legal services to youth who are eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.
The Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJ”) attorney will manage a caseload of private dependency cases as well as related applications for immigration relief. The SIJ attorney’s dependency caseload will be limited to private dependency petitions on behalf of SIJ-eligible youth. The related immigration relief component will include affirmative applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). No removal defense and/or immigration court appearances will be involved.
The SIJ attorney will assess a minor child’s eligibility for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and assess whether a private dependency petition is appropriate. The SIJ attorney will be responsible for filing the private dependency petitions and managing a caseload in the dependency court. The SIJ attorney will also be responsible for filing the corresponding SIJ applications with USCIS. The SIJ attorney will also screen for any other applicable affirmative relief, for instance, T- or U-nonimmigrant status, and file these applications where appropriate. Additionally, the SIJ attorney will work on cases related to SIJ-eligible youth, which may include applying for Lawful Permanent Residence (“LPR” or “green cards”) and/or naturalization.
The SIJ attorney will also be responsible for tracking case/client data and outcomes, and creating and nursing collaborative relationships with members in the community, including with attorneys who may be able to take on removal defense cases for SIJ-eligible youth.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
The attorney will provide legal services to SIJ-eligible youth in dependency courts in Maricopa and Pima Counties, as well as file immigration applications directly with USCIS. Occasional travel is expected, with mileage reimbursed. This is a hybrid position which requires at least two days a week in the ALWAYS office which is located in Central Phoenix.
- Legal Representation
- Conduct legal consultations and determine eligibility for dependency claims and/or immigration benefits;
- Prepare and file cases in dependency or probate (guardianship) court for SIJ-eligible youth, including, but not limited to, initial petitions and requests for SIJ findings;
- Prepare and submit affirmative immigration applications to USCIS, which may include applications for SIJ, green cards, naturalization, employment authorization, and/or requests for T- or U-nonimmigrant status, and respond to any resulting Requests for Evidence.
- Additional Responsibilities
- Prepare or amend retainer agreements based on scope of representation, legal opinion, and risk assessment;
- Comply with rules of procedure, including service of process and tracking/compliance with deadlines;
- Document case progress in internal tracking systems;
- Maintain client files and documentary evidence for all matters;
- Appear at and participate in weekly staff meetings, bi-weekly case staffings, and weekly 1:1s.
- Community Engagement
- Work collaboratively with referring organizations;
- Develop a working relationship with organizations doing similar work to ensure efforts are not being duplicated;
- Identify referral opportunities and work with partner community-based organizations to ensure that clients receive holistic services;
- Create a pro-bono participation program where SIJ-eligible children can connect with private and other attorneys that can represent them in removal cases, where necessary.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- None
Required Skills:
- A U.S. law degree (J.D.);
- EITHER (a) License to practice law in Arizona; OR (b) If not licensed in Arizona, must commit to applying to waive into practice in Arizona after two years of bar licensure in any jurisdiction, under the Arizona Rule 38(f), a provision that allows for non-Arizona-barred attorneys to practice in Arizona state courts while under the employment of an approved legal service provider such as ALWAYS;
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
- Confident with regard to conducting legal research, writing, and appearing in court;
- Comfortable and able to work directly and appropriately with minor clients;
- Commitment to trauma informed approaches to legal practice;
- Ability to travel to Pima County periodically, as well as to off-site locations in Maricopa County (mileage is reimbursed);
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with colleagues.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with dependency cases;
- Some familiarity with immigration law and procedures;
- Bilingual English/Spanish.
Benefits:
- Healthcare insurance;
- Dental insurance;
- Vision insurance;
- Reimbursement for bar dues
- Reimbursement for CLE credits;
- Hybrid work schedule;
- $30/monthly stipend for costs incurred through working from home;
- 35-hour work week, 9AM-4PM, Monday-Friday;
- 15 paid vacation days/year and 2 floating vacation days after 6 months;
- Additional leave including but not limited to: designated holidays, paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s, voting, bereavement, and jury duty.
Annual Salary: Between$67,000 and $72,000, dependent on qualifications. There is a 10% bilingual pay differential for people who are fully fluent in English and Spanish.
Application Process: Please send resume, letter of interest, and three references to info@alwaysaz.org with “Special Immigrant Juvenile Staff Attorney Application” in the subject line. Please email the same address with any questions. Applications are being considered on a rolling basis.
Equal Opportunity Policy: ALWAYS celebrates diversity, promotes inclusion, and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at info@alwaysaz.org or call the office at (602) 248-7055.