Legal Services Manager At International Rescue Committee

Background: The US government is coordinating efforts across federal agencies to support and resettle vulnerable Afghans through the Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) program. The International Rescue Committee is working with the U.S. government to support OAW by the reception, processing and preparation for onward relocation of Afghan families in the U.S.Among others, the IRC provides them with information and guidance on resettlement and certain benefits they are eligible to receive. IRC offers this support at the designated safe haven in Leesburg, VA, where newly arrived families reside for the first 2-4 weeks after arrival to the U.S. before continuing on to other destinations.

Most of the Afghans at the safe haven have been paroled into the U.S. for humanitarian reasons. During their time at the safe haven, the IRC assists parolees in applying for an Employment Authorization Document. Parolees submit Form I-765 to USCIS personnel located at the safe haven, who process and adjudicate the application on-site.

Scope: The Legal Services Manager has responsibility for managing and overseeing the preparation and submission of applications for employment authorization. Each week an average of 250- 300 individual applications will be prepared and reviewed prior to submission to on USCIS, The Legal Services Manager will oversee a team of up to ten generalists who are trained to interview guests to prepare their I-765 applications, as well as qualified remote reviewer and final legal review on applications before they are submitted.

The Legal Services Manager will bring not only legal expertise and a passion for this area of work, but also the ability to motivate and mentor a team of generalists in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. The position will work in close collaboration with a range of partners at the safe haven and also with the IRC’s Immigration Technical Unit (TU) at IRC’s headquarters.

Job Duties:

• Oversee all aspects of I-765 preparation at the safe haven ensuring that services adhere to legal ethical standards, and preparers and interpreters avoid the unauthorized practice of immigration law.
• Develop and monitor procedures and process in close coordination with other program leads and site leadership to ensure all applicants are timely assisted within the schedule of services provided at the safe haven.
• Provide daily supervision and support; train staff, set clear performance expectations give regular performance feedback, and help troubleshoot challenges.
• Serve as an in-house expert on US immigration law related to employment authorization, provide final legal review of applications, and provide counsel to applicants as needed.
• Liaise with USCIS representatives at the safe haven to ensure timely and successful submissions.
• Provide regular reports to IRC’s Senior Management Team for the safe haven and work effectively across areas to further IRC’s work and support OAW guests.
• Work closely with IRC’s Immigration Technical Unit.

Requirements:

• Law degree (JD or LLM) from an ABA-accredited U.S. institution and admission to any state bar.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience providing direct representation before USCIS to parolees, refugees, asylees, asylum-seekers, or other humanitarian immigrants.
• Prior experience preparing Form I-765 is strongly preferred.
• Ability to oversee and provide supervision on a reasonably high volume of services and work under time pressure.
• At least 1 year experience managing legal assistants and interns.
• Previous experience in cross-cultural settings.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
• Must be available to work full-time through September 2022

Work environment:

• Standard Monday – Friday work week.
• Commute to safe haven location daily

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month, dental starting at $7 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.