NIJFON is Hiring!

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PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR FULL JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR

STAFF ATTORNEY FULL TIME POSITION &

DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATIONS PART TIME POSITION

STAFF ATTORNEY FULL TIME POSITION

The Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors (NIJFON) mission is to provide free, high-quality immigration legal services; engage in education and advocacy; and build cross-cultural communities. Our vision is a world where immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees are welcomed, supported, and able to live without fear. NIJFON represents low-income immigrant communities throughout Northern Illinois. Please visit our website for more information: www.nijfon.org.

THE POSITION

The Staff Attorney will represent individuals in immigration and related matters before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and/or other related entities. The Staff Attorney will also help implement and coordinate NIJFON’s legal services under any grant or other programs for which we currently receive funding or may receive in the future.

As caseload and interest allow, the Staff Attorney may also conduct educational presentations about immigration laws and policies to the general public and immigrant communities, as well as engage in advocacy for just and humane immigration policies throughout the state of Illinois and the United States.

This position is based in Chicago, where our office is located, and is flexible regarding remote work. In-person appearances before the Chicago Immigration Court (EOIR), Chicago USCIS (including the Asylum Office), and other government offices in and around Chicago will likely be required. The work we do at NIJFON is broad; to the extent possible, we will make every effort to accommodate the specific caseload and other interests for the Staff Attorney in order to ensure they are doing work they find interesting and meaningful, without requiring them to do work they do not want to do.

DUTIES

  1. Represent individuals in immigration and related cases before USCIS, EOIR, the BIA, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and/or other related entities.
  2. Complete client intakes remotely, in the office, and potentially at clinics in locations throughout Northern Illinois.
  3. Oversee and train volunteers for legal work.
  4. Ensure that legal and case management practices comply with the relevant principles and rules of professional responsibility for attorneys in the jurisdiction in which the staff attorney is licensed and practices. The staff attorney must also observe Immigration Law & Justice Network practice standards and policies.
  5. Participate in outreach and educational efforts as much as the legal workload and personal interest may permit and as deemed appropriate pursuant to consultation with the Supervisory Attorney.
  6. Work closely with the Executive Director, Supervisory Attorney, NIJFON staff, and Board of Directors to further the strategic vision of NIJFON.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The staff attorney should have a strong commitment to public interest legal service and to the enfranchisement and empowerment of immigrant communities. Justice for Our Neighbors is based in the United Methodist Church, and the work involves many diverse individuals, cultures, and faiths who come together to welcome immigrants to our communities. As such, the staff attorney should have an appreciation of this work and an ability to work sensitively with numerous volunteers and clients having diverse personalities, lifestyles, cultures, political orientations, and faiths.

Proficiency in written and spoken Spanish is preferred. Proficiency in other languages is a plus.

PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

  • JD and license to practice law within any jurisdiction in the United States are required. We will also consider individuals who will be sitting for an upcoming Bar Exam.
  • Knowledge of immigration and nationality law and experience filing and preparing immigration forms and cases is highly preferred.

STAFF ATTORNEY SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary: $65,000. A full benefits package, including options for full health insurance coverage (including family members) and pension, is included, along with generous vacation and holiday policies (at least 12 holidays observed, and NIJFON is closed from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day). NIJFON also pays annual ARDC licensing fees, as well as membership fees for two bar associations of the Staff Attorney’s choosing. We are committed to making NIJFON an equitable and just place to work and are actively and continually working to increase staff compensation and benefits.

NIJFON is part of a broader network of 19 sites across the country which provides the following benefits: connection with a Consulting Attorney and the other sites; malpractice insurance coverage; and memberships to AILA, the Practising Law Institute, CLINIC, NIPNLG, and ASISTA, among other professional development resources and databases. There is also an Employee Assistance Program, which provides discounts on goods and services, as well as access to free legal and mental health services. You can find more information about our network here: https://iljnetwork.org/.

It is the policy of NIJFON to recruit, employ, compensate, and promote our professional staff in a manner that does not involve segregation or discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, including HIV status, or sexual orientation. NIJFON complies with all governmental non- discrimination rules for its employment locations, including those for citizenship status, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status.

HOW TO APPLY

Those interested in applying should submit a cover letter, resume, a writing sample (make it creative – it doesn’t have to be a legal document!) of 5 pages or less, and a list of three references, (telephone numbers and email addresses), including at least one supervisor, to: jobs@nijfon.org with “NIJFON Staff Attorney” in the subject line. PDFs are preferred.

**NIJFON is also hiring for:

Development and Communications part-time position:

The Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors (NIJFON) mission is to provide free, high-quality immigration legal services; engage in education and advocacy; and build cross-cultural communities. Our vision is a world where immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees are welcomed, supported, and able to live without fear. NIJFON represents low-income immigrant communities throughout Northern Illinois. Please visit our website for more information: www.nijfon.org.

THE POSITION:

The part time position will support development, fundraising and communications efforts at NIJFON. The position is responsible for implementing development efforts with funders and individual donors through strategic programming, fundraising events, and the annual appeal. The position is also responsible for leading strategic communications campaigns and assisting with grants in collaboration with the executive director, to engage donors and advance NIJFON’s mission.

Development Responsibilities:

  • Support the creation and implementation of NIJFON’s fundraising events, annual appeals, sustaining donors, and individual appeals.
  • Expand individual and sustaining (monthly) donor base; develop and lead major donor campaign, including development and implementation of individualized cultivation plans.
  • Pursue opportunities to improve donor experience with NIJFON, including donor recognition.
  • Lead the planning and execution of NIJFON’s key fundraising events with the goal of maximizing the event experience, participation, and fundraising objectives. This includes working with the development committee and the board to meet fundraising targets, engaging community volunteers, organizing/producing online/virtual and/or in person fundraising efforts.
  • Technical skills and knowledge on how to produce virtual and in person events.
  • Support with donor database (Network for Good) and ensuring gifts are recognized in a meaningful, timely manner.
  • Assists with writing grant proposals, identifying new funders and donors and supports the executive director in the administration of grant funding.
  • Grow and develop current events strategy and relationships with churches, partners, and businesses.
  • Liaise with NIJFON’s Development committee and Board regarding fundraising efforts.
  • Plan organization’s fundraising methods and efforts in a way to create a foundation for NIJFON.

Communications Responsibilities (20%)

  • Coordinate communications strategy with an emphasis on brand and community engagement and presence via various social media efforts.
  • Work with staff to effectively communicate our work via client stories in a respectful and genuine way that reflects community values.
  • Design brand assets and content, ensuring consistent brand and marketing messaging across organization. Responsible for material design, communication assets, and story archive.
  • Develop calendar, content, and distribute monthly e-blasts. Work with staff to develop eblast news ideas and content.

 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The development staff should have a strong commitment to empowerment of immigrant communities. Justice for Our Neighbors is based in the United Methodist Church, and the work involves many diverse individuals, cultures, and faiths who come together to welcome immigrants to our communities. As such, the development staff should have an appreciation of this work and an ability to work sensitively with numerous volunteers and clients having diverse personalities, lifestyles, cultures, political orientations, and faiths.

Part- time position requires 20 hours per week.

Education, Experience, Qualifications:

  • Minimum 2-3 years of fundraising experience, particularly in individual donor cultivation, ideally in grassroots, social justice organizations.
  • Ability to share and communicate mission and values of NIJFON through its work.
  • Excellent computer skills. Expertise/experience in MS Word and Excel. Experience with mail merge and Network for Good database or similar CRM databases.
  • Technical skills: knowledge of how to produce online events.
  • Knowledge/experience of graphic design and website/social media administration.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write clearly and engage audience.
  • Demonstrated ability to create and implement complex plans, follow-through.
  • Skilled at building relationships; strong interpersonal skills.
  • Commitment to racial equity and social justice. Spanish speaker a plus.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Compensation: $25 per hour. A full benefits package, including options for full health insurance coverage (including family members) and pension, is included, along with generous vacation and holiday policies (at least 12 holidays observed, and NIJFON is closed from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day). We are committed to making NIJFON an equitable and just place to work and are actively and continually working to increase staff compensation and benefits.

NIJFON is part of a broader network of 19 sites across the country which provides the following benefits: Connection with network manager for fundraising ideas and support. There is also an Employee Assistance Program, which provides discounts on goods and services, as well as access to free legal and mental health services. You can find more information about our network here: https://iljnetwork.org/.

It is the policy of NIJFON to recruit, employ, compensate, and promote our professional staff in a manner that does not involve segregation or discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, including HIV status, or sexual orientation. NIJFON complies with all governmental non- discrimination rules for its employment locations, including those for citizenship status, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status.

HOW TO APPLY

Those interested in applying should submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references, (telephone numbers and email addresses), including at least one supervisor, to: jobs@nijfon.orgwith “NIJFON Development and Communications part-time Position” in the subject line. PDFs are preferred.