Directing Attorney
Indiana Legal Services, Inc. (ILS) is seeking to fill the position of Directing Attorney for its Immigrants’ and Language Rights Center. The position will have three components. First, the directing attorney will provide legal advice and representation for immigration cases, including citizenship and naturalization, family, humanitarian-based visas, and deportation defense in immigration court. Second, the directing attorney will supervise a staff attorney, a paralegal, and interns at a centralized intake center for limited-English proficient (LEP) clients. Third, the directing attorney will coordinate with other non-profit agencies and the private bar on legal defense and provision of services, conduct outreach, and provide education to community and client groups and the private bar.
This position will be located in Indianapolis but will be part of the state-wide Immigrants’ and Language Rights Center. The directing attorney will report to the organization’s Executive Director. The position will require some travel to perform outreach around the state.
This position offers a great opportunity for those who are committed to poverty law. ILS is a non-profit organization that provides free legal assistance throughout Indiana to low income people in civil matters. ILS is funded by the Legal Services Corporation, United Way and Area Agencies on Aging, private and community foundations and local, state and federal government grants. It has eight offices throughout the state in Indianapolis, Merrillville, South Bend, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Bloomington, Evansville and New Albany. In addition to its 8 offices, ILS has several special projects, including: Immigrants’ and Language Rights Center; Migrant Farmworker Center; Consumer Law Center; Community Economic Development Project; Homeless Legal Project; Indiana Foreclosure Legal Assistance Project; Low-Income Tax Clinic; Senior Law and Nursing Home Ombudsman Projects; and Pro Bono Projects.
One of the main purposes of the Immigrants’ and Language Rights Center is to ensure that LEP clients have equal access to the services provided by the program. The directing attorney will supervise centralized intake for limited English speakers for all offices and special projects. The Center also provides direct representation to clients throughout the state in specialty areas which are of concern to LEP clients, particularly immigration law and language access.
The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work in an environment that encourages all staff members to creatively seek ways of accomplishing our mission: to provide poor people with a wide variety of aggressive, quality legal services that will effectively help them to gain equal access to the courts; empower them to control their lives; and impact on the major causes and effects of poverty.
Applicants must have at least three years of experience working in immigration law, including significant experience and knowledge of family immigration, naturalization, and humanitarian-based visas (U visas, VAWAs, I-751 joint waiver applications). Must be fluent in Spanish and have demonstrated a commitment to work with low-income individuals. Fluency in other foreign languages is helpful but not required. Applicants must have excellent written and oral communication skills, feel comfortable providing trainings and presentations to large groups of attorneys and/or non-attorneys, and be able to mentor and supervise students and attorneys on immigration cases. Applicants must be admitted to practice in Indiana, be willing to sit for the next bar exam, or qualify to be admitted to the Indiana Bar on an out-of-state license.
Please send a resume, list of three references with email addresses, mailing addresses and telephone numbers, and legal writing sample to:
Jon Laramore, Executive Director
Indiana Legal Services, Inc.