Staff Attorney, Technical Assistance Program

Chicago, IL

Full Time

Experienced

Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights invites applications for the full-time position of Staff Attorney with its Technical Assistance Program. The position is open to applicants based anywhere in the United States, with preference given to applicants in the American Southeast or in cities where the Young Center has offices: Houston, San Antonio, and Harlingen, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York; Washington, D.C.; Phoenix, Arizona; and Los Angeles, California.

The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) offers case consultations, trainings, and resources to professionals working with immigrant families impacted by child welfare and other state court systems to help improve outcomes for children and build the capacity of advocates, agencies, and courts to navigate the inevitable complexities that arise when they serve immigrant children and families. TAP also oversees a project that supports families affected by family separation under the first Trump administration who are part of the Ms. L. v. ICE class action. Additionally, TAP runs a separate initiative aimed at empowering detained parents to make informed decisions about the care and custody of their children, even while in detention. This position is a unique opportunity for an attorney to join a passionate team in an evolving program and to advance the rights and best interests of immigrant children in individual cases as well as systemically. The Staff Attorney will analyze and navigate complex issues at the intersection of child welfare and immigration law in response to requests for assistance to support multi-system impacted children’s access to language, culture, legal representation, family unity, and long-term safety and well-being.

ABOUT YOUNG CENTER:
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights is a national organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights and best interests—safety and well-being—of immigrant children in the United States. The Young Center’s Child Advocate Program (CAP) serves as the federally-appointed bests interests representative for unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in federal custody. Through CAP’s state initiative, we also serve and are appointed by the Superior Courts of New Jersey as independent Child Advocates to children released from federal custody into the New Jersey community. Child Advocates meet with children and learn their stories in order to identify and advocate for their best interests through an interdisciplinary, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive lens. The Young Center’s Policy Program fights for wholesale reform of the immigration system while pursuing immediate changes in policy and practice that center children’s rights and best interests in all decisions. The Technical Assistance Program, the Young Center’s newest program, offers intersectional expertise and critical resources to advocates and service providers working with immigrant children involved in child welfare and other state court systems.

The Young Center has offices in Houston, San Antonio, and Harlingen, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York; Washington, D.C.; Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. We also serve children through our programs in New Jersey.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Consult with stakeholders from various disciplines and entities on resources and best practices for serving immigrant children involved in a child welfare system
Review and interpret legal documents from the U.S. immigration system and state child welfare systems to facilitate consultations
Research state and federal law on various matters related to immigration, child welfare, and/or family law
Draft legal analysis of complex issues at the intersection of immigration and child welfare law
Receive and conduct intake calls from parents detained in ICE custody to help them understand, and connect with resources related to, their rights with respect to the custody, care, and placement of their children
Provide internal case consultation and case support related to child welfare and family law matters
Collaborate on virtual and in-person presentations to child welfare stakeholders
Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders or organizations at the intersection of immigration and child welfare
Provide support for state- or county-specific technical assistance projects as needed on an ad hoc basis.
Capture accurate and timely data in Salesforce database to inform reports to funders and internal Young Center departments regarding requests for assistance, issues consulted on, program metrics, and current trends
Participate in internal and external working groups
Participate in a supportive, collaborative work culture that allows for creative, thoughtful, high-quality, and effective interdisciplinary advocacy
Actively engage with colleagues and supervisors in developing strategies for technical assistance
Other duties as assigned

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

J.D. and license to practice law
Minimum 2 years practice in immigration, child welfare, or family law and/or policy
Legal analysis, negotiation, and mediation skills
Effective written and oral communication skills, including ability to liaise with various stakeholders, colleagues, and volunteers
Excellent case management skills
High-level organizational skills
Ability to work independently, take initiative, and proactively address consultation needs
Demonstrated ability to work effectively and creatively as part of an interdisciplinary team
Ability to work in a flexible, evolving environment, adapt to situations, and manage change effectively
Commitment to a comprehensive culture of feedback, including seeking and providing positive and constructive feedback and engaging in productive conversations
Commitment to learn, both as an individual and as part of an organization, and apply diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or anti-racism principles
Ability to effectively engage across different culture, identities, and ethnicities
Aptitude and thoughtfulness in promoting child-centered advocacy
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, Zoom, Adobe Acrobat, and willingness to learn new technology and/or platforms

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Generally, has prior experience working with trauma survivors, or migrant/refugees/unaccompanied children to demonstrate an understanding of the population we serve. This may be first-hand experience or demonstrated interest in the field through coursework, internships, volunteer opportunities, etc.
Lived experience that lends insight into supporting children and their families navigating the immigration system and/or the child welfare system
Understanding of the impact of trauma on children and familiarity with a trauma-informed approach to advocacy
Bilingual ability (oral and written) in English/Spanish or English/other languages spoken by the population we serve
Background and/or demonstrated interest in U.S. immigration law
Experience working with adults in immigration detention
Candidate’s physical location where the Young Center has an office or in the Southeast (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, or South Carolina)

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Physical demands include regular attendance; keyboarding; sitting for long periods (at least 5 hours a day). Ability to use a computer, telephone, and copy machine. Ability to travel by plane, car, and other conveyances within U.S. Occasional lifting for event setup/preparation.

APPLICATION DETAILS:
Young Center is an "at-will" and equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and actively seeks a diverse applicant pool. Young Center encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, ancestry, marital or parental status, pregnancy, citizenship, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, genetic information, or veterans’ status. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified applicants with disabilities may participate in the application process; no applicant will be penalized for requesting an accommodation. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

$71,438 to $81,281 is the standard new hire range for this position ($78,582-$89,409 for those residing in the Los Angeles and DC metropolitan areas; $82,963-$93,473 for those residing in the NYC metropolitan area). Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to location experience. The Young Center does not ask for prior pay history from our candidates and our off-making process is negotiation-free for salaries and benefits. We offer our best possible salary based on relevant experience. The range listed is just one component of the Young Center’s total compensation package for employees. The Young Center provides excellent benefits, including health/dental/vision insurance (employee & dependents) at no cost to employee, paid vacation, sick time, and a 401 (k) plan with employer match.

Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please apply on the Young Center website with a cover letter, resume, writing sample and three references. Only complete applications will be considered. To learn more about the Young Center’s work, please visit www.TheYoungCenter.org.

Important Email Notice for Candidates
To ensure you receive all communications regarding your application and candidacy with the Young Center, please add the following domains to your email safe sender list: @jazzhr.com; @jazz.co; @applytojob.com

Apply for this position

Required*

Apply with Indeed

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone*

Address*

Resume*

We've received your resume. Click here to update it.

Attach resume or Paste resume

Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

Cover Letter*

References: Please enter names and contact information:*

Do you speak another language other than English?*

Please list each language that you speak other than English and define your verbal fluency for each language. Please input NA if you only speak English.

1. Beginner- Basic Phrases and simple communication
2. Intermediate levels, can handle most travel situations and express ideas with some complexity
3. Advanced level, can understand a wide range of information and express themselves fluently
4. Proficient level, essentially native-life fluency*

Were you ever previously employed by the Young Center or served as a Volunteer Child Advocate with the Young Center?*

What jurisdiction are you licensed in to practice law? Please list all.

If not licensed, do you understand you must be licensed within your first year of employment? How quickly would you register for the bar exam?*

Please upload a professional or academic writing sample here.*

The following questions are entirely optional.

To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
- a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
- a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran status

I IDENTIFY AS ONE OR MORE OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF PROTECTED VETERAN LISTED ABOVE
I AM NOT A PROTECTED VETERAN
I DON’T WISH TO ANSWER

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
Blind or low vision
Cancer (past or present)
Cardiovascular or heart disease
Celiac disease
Cerebral palsy
Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
Diabetes
Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
Intellectual or developmental disability
Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
Short stature (dwarfism)
Traumatic brain injury

Please check one of the boxes below:

YES, I HAVE A DISABILITY, OR HAVE HAD ONE IN THE PAST NO, I DO NOT HAVE A DISABILITY AND HAVE NOT HAD ONE IN THE PAST I DO NOT WANT TO ANSWER

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

You must enter your name and date
Name	Date

Human Check*

Submit Application