Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Right Coalition (TIRRC)- Supervising Attorney

Position: Supervising Attorney

Full Time Exempt Position, Based in Nashville. Reports to the Legal Director.

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@tnimmigrant.org

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About TIRRC

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration. Our mission is to build power, amplify our voices, and organize communities to advocate for our rights. Our vision is a stronger, more inclusive Tennessee where people of all nationalities, immigration statuses, and racial identities can belong and thrive. TIRRC’s growing legal team engages in community legal education, direct representation, and advocacy to protect the rights of immigrant community members and support the power-building mission of the organization.

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Position Description

TIRRC seeks a Supervising Attorney to lead its immigration legal services and community legal education work during a period of dynamic growth. The Supervising Attorney will train and supervise legal staff, provide direct client counsel and representation, and collaborate with organizational leadership to develop and implement initiatives to advance immigrant justice and support TIRRC’s organizing, policy advocacy, and power-building work. They will be responsible for ensuring clients and community members receive high quality, effective legal representation and legal education and sustain and build relationships with external partners.

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RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal Services Supervision and Oversight

● Train and supervise legal staff to ensure the provision of high-quality representation and advice and counsel to community members and clients in compliance with all relevant professional and ethical obligations;

● Maintain comprehensive knowledge of and keep abreast of changes in U.S. immigration law, regulations, and practices, especially in regard to issues affecting low-income immigrant community members that are TIRRC’s primary constituents;

● Ensure that legal staff maintain accurate and complete case files regarding client and agency communications, records, and deadlines;

● Ensure that legal staff develop and maintain accurate and up-to-date legal content for TIRRC’s community legal education materials and legal information resources, and oversee the planning and implementation of community legal education sessions;

● Oversee TIRRC’s community resource line to ensure the provision of high-quality resources and referrals, as well as the provision of effective, tailored legal information and advice on select matters.

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Client Representation and Counseling

● Provide extended representation to clients in affirmative immigration applications, primarily in DACA renewal and naturalization cases;

● Provide advice and counsel to immigrant community members, including being available for referrals from resource line staff

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External Relationships

● Expand and deepen collaborative relationships with other stakeholders within the legal community, including immigration legal services providers, private attorneys, and pro bono attorneys;

● Participate in professional networks for immigration practitioners at local, state, and national levels.

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Organizational Support and Responsibilities:

● Provide technical assistance, including legal research and analysis, on state and federal topics affecting immigrant communities to TIRRC’s organizing and policy teams;

● Facilitate legal support for TIRRC organizing and policy campaigns around issues impacting immigrants such as workers’ rights, access to public benefits, and local law enforcement entanglement;

● Assist with identifying and pursuing funding opportunities to support legal services work as needed;

● Oversee tracking and gathering data and records for funders as needed;

● All TIRRC staff are expected to participate in and help support certain organization-wide trainings and events, such as Day on the Hill and the Membership Convention.

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Job responsibilities include but are not limited to those listed above. As with every position at TIRRC, every person in the organization will assist their colleagues to ensure a cooperative environment and respond to the needs of the moment. This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity.

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Skills and Qualifications

● Active attorney license in Tennessee or the ability to gain admission to the Tennessee Bar within 6 months;

● Minimum of three years of post-graduate immigration practice experience, preferably in a nonprofit setting, is required;

● Experience with the intersection between immigration law and other civil justice issues (eg, family, public benefits, employment) and/or the intersection between immigration law and the criminal legal system is preferred;

● Experience supervising staff in the provision of immigration legal services is preferred;

● Experience building relationships with a range of stakeholders within the legal community is preferred;

● Belief in TIRRC’s mission and demonstrated commitment to social justice, progressive social change, empowering communities’ rights and justice;

● Excellent judgment and a high level of integrity;

● Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing;

● Ability to be very organized, work on deadlines, and juggle multiple priorities and cases;

● Ability to work effectively with low-income immigrant clients who have diverse personalities, lifestyles, cultures, and faiths;

● Ability to coordinate and advance strategies within a coalition and internal team in a rapidly moving environment;

● Ability to collaborate effectively with legal and non-legal stakeholders and partners;

● Fluency or high proficiency in languages spoken by our clients (particularly Spanish or Arabic) is preferred, as the job requires extensive legal counseling and representation with clients who primarily speak languages other than English;

● Ability to work flexible hours, including some nights and weekends;

● Must have reliable transportation.

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SALARY ANDBENEFITS PACKAGE:

Salary Range: $80,000-87,000

Benefits: Full-time TIRRC employees are eligible to receive medical, dental, and vision insurance with 100% of the medical employee premium covered by TIRRC, participate in a 401K retirement plan, and receive 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Program. In addition, TIRRC provides paid leave including up to 15 vacation days, 13 paid holidays, and 3 weeks paid sick leave in an employee’s first year and 6 weeks of paid parental leave.

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To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@tnimmigrant.org