Legal Director

Legal Director

Job Description

The Southwest Detroit Immigrant and Refugee Center (SWIRC) provides free and low-cost legal services to underserved communities in the Detroit area, particularly for immigrants and refugees. We serve clients at no cost in our legal clinics and provide full representation for clients in immigration and other area courts. We are the only no-barrier provider of legal services in the Detroit area.

The Legal Director serves a key position in managing our legal caseload, supervising our legal clinics. This is a full-time leadership role working with staff and volunteers to serve our mission of making the Detroit area a more welcoming place for recent immigrants and refugees.

Qualifications
The Legal Director should possess the following qualifications at a minimum:

• Valid credentials with the State Bar of Michigan;
• Experience with public interest law;
• Education in immigration law or in-depth experience with the US immigration system;
• Proven success managing a large workload effectively;
• Attention to detail;
• Competence in working cross culturally with clients.

Work areas
Under the guidance of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director, the Legal Director will:

• Manage and delegate SWIRC’s active caseload between staff and qualified volunteers;
• Create and monitor the SWIRC Legal Docket that provides information and due dates for ongoing

SWIRC cases to be sure all deadlines are met;

• Along with the Executive Director, supervise staff and volunteers at SWIRC’s legal clinics;
• Provide visible, motivating leadership with staff and volunteers;
• Along with the Executive Director, provide legal representation to our clients at Immigration

Court, state and local courts, and before administrative bodies;

• Act as a public voice for SWIRC’s mission with directors, staff, partners, clients, community members, civic leaders, media outlets, and others regarding legal services for immigrants, refugees, and other disadvantaged communities as requested;

• Assist in fundraising efforts and marketing campaigns on an as-needed basis;
• Participate in continuing education;
• Enthusiastically take on other tasks as assigned by the Board of Directors or Executive Director.

Terms

• Timeframe: full time 40+ hours/week;
• Compensation: $65,000 – $70,000 depending on experience and qualifications, disbursed one payment per month;
• Health benefits or insurance stipend;
• Cell phone stipend;

• Continuing Education.

Evaluation Standards
The Legal Director’s performance will be measured by:

1. The “triple bottom line,” i.e., that SWIRC projects and programs meet successful completion targets, achieve positive social impacts, and create no environmental harm;

2. Adherence to a strict non-discrimination policy, to be evident in hiring practices, client selection, and partner interactions;

3. Ongoing efforts to minimize the impact of racial and economic privilege. The Legal Director must demonstrate empowering leadership. He/she must easily “share the microphone” within the organization and with the communities that SWIRC serves.

4. Results matter. The Legal Director should complete her/his assigned duties, maintain positive relationships with stakeholders, and offer useful feedback on how SWIRC can more effectively fulfill its mission.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $65,000.00 – $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

License/Certification:

• Bar (Required)

Work Location: One location