Children’s Staff Attorney Opening With The Florence Project
The Florence Project was founded in 1989 to respond to a representation crisis for indigent non-citizens detained at the rural Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center in Florence, Arizona. Through their programs today, they provide services to approximately 3,000 men, women, and children detained in Eloy, Florence and Phoenix, Arizona on any given day. The Florence Project has become known nationally for its legal service delivery systems, which ensure detained people empowered access to justice. The Florence Project provides high quality legal advice or representation and supports initiatives for national changes in immigration law and policy.
The Children’s Initiative Staff Attorney Position:
The Florence Project’s Detained Immigrant and Refugee Children’s Initiative educates, empowers and provides free legal assistance to unaccompanied immigrant children in removal proceedings in Phoenix, Arizona held in shelters, group homes or long term foster care overseen by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
The children’s staff attorney will work on a team providing “know your rights” presentations at shelters, individual intakes, pre-court counseling sessions and representation in front of the immigration court, family court, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The position includes extensive client contact with youth, including indigenous youth and youth who have suffered abuse, abandonment, neglect or other emotional and physical trauma. The position also provides the opportunity to participate in outreach activities and collaborative projects within a national network of legal service providers for unaccompanied immigrant children.
The Florence Project’s main office is based inFlorence, but the position is based in the satellite office space in Phoenix, with periodic travel toFlorence. Starting salary is $35,000. Benefits include medical, dental, vision as well as generous vacation and leave policy.
The start date for this position is January 2nd. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis so candidates are encouraged to apply early.
Requirements:
Fluency in Spanish is required. The applicant must also be licensed to practice law in Arizona or have two years of good standing in another state bar to waive into practice in Arizona. Applicants must be self-starters and who have demonstrated a strong commitment to immigration issues and who enjoy working in a collaborative, innovative and client centered work environment. Prior experience working with teenagers and/or survivors of trauma is a plus.
Application Process:
To apply, please send a cover letter and a resume with 3 references via email. The Florence Project recognizes the value of diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages applications from people of color, LGBTQ individuals, individuals with disabilities and members of under-represented or disadvantaged communities.