By providing holistic legal services and engaging in national public policy advocacy, the Tahirih Justice Center (Tahirih) works to promote access to justice in the United States for immigrant women and girls who are fleeing violence. Tahirih is a Bahá'í-inspired non-profit organization that offers pro bono representation to women and girls seeking protection from such gender-based human rights abuses as domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, female genital cutting, honor crimes, and forced marriage. Winner of the 2007 Washington Post Award for Excellence in Non-Profit Management, Tahirih has a staff of 29 with offices in Falls Church, VA, Houston, TX and Baltimore, MD (January 2010).Position Summary: Tahirih is currently seeking to hire a full-time Staff Attorney to represent immigrant and refugee women in gender based asylum cases, claims brought under the Violence Against Women Act, and other related immigration matters, including T and U visas. The ideal candidate will possess foreign language skills and have experience working with female victims of violence from multi-cultural backgrounds. Additionally, the candidate will be detail-oriented, self-motivated, and a team player. S/he must be committed to the promotion of justice for women and girls, and to the foundational values of Tahirih.
Note: This position will be split between our Falls Church, VA main office (3 days per week) and our Baltimore, MD satellite office (2 days per week) with a possibility of increasing time spent in Baltimore.
Primary responsibilities will include:
General
* Conduct intake interviews
* Represent clients before the DHS, Immigration Courts, and BIA
* Train and mentor pro bono attorneys who co-counsel Tahirih cases * Supervise paralegal, and legal and other interns
* Conduct trainings and outreach activities
* Attend coalition meetings and network with like-minded organizations Fundraising
* Contribute to the development of grant proposals and reports
* Occasionally attend meetings with potential funders
* Provide client stories and articles for periodic Tahirih publications
* Generally promote the Center and its work
The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:
* Experience representing immigrant women in asylum, VAWA, T visa, and/or U visa cases
* Experience working with female survivors of trauma and those from diverse cultural backgrounds
* Excellent legal analysis, written and oral communication skills
* Admission to any bar, or eligibility for admission to any bar
* Foreign language skills (Spanish preferred)
* Meticulous organizational habits with an ability to manage large amounts of information, establish priorities, and meet deadlines
* Extremely responsible, self-initiating, and focused
* Ability to multitask and work in a fast paced environment with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and personalities.
Annual salary and benefits: Salary ranges from $39,000 to $43,000, depending on experience. Benefits include: 15 days of paid accrued vacation during the first year (20 days of vacation after the first year), additional week of vacation between Christmas and New Years, fully-paid health and dental insurance coverage, 403(b) plan, flex-spending account, in-house training programs, professional development stipend, and staff enrichment retreats.
Submissions: Please email a cover letter, resume, and a list of 3 references to:
Human Resources Department
Tahirih Justice Center
6402 Arlington Blvd, Suite 300
Falls Church, VA 22042
Fax: 571-282-6162