Litigation Counsel

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, non-profit organization that supports immigrant survivors, with a focus on women and girls, seeking safety and justice. Our holistic, interdisciplinary, trauma-informed model for service combines free legal and social services with bridge-building policy advocacy, and research-based training and education. We amplify the voices of survivors in communities, courts, and Congress to create a world where women and girls enjoy equality and live in safety and with dignity.  Tahirih’s 105 employees work from offices in the DC Metro Area, Baltimore, Houston, Atlanta, and the San Francisco Bay Area.  To learn more about Tahirih Justice Center and its work, please visit: https://www.tahirih.org/. 

Key Responsibilities

Tahirih is seeking a new Litigation Counsel.  The Litigation Counsel will partner with an existing Litigation Counsel, serve as a member of the national public policy team, and report to the Director of Public Policy. The Litigation Counsel collaborates with program and policy staff to challenge laws, rules, and policies that make it harder for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence to obtain legal status and realize their rights. The Litigation Counsel will take part in all aspects of federal litigation, including strategy development, legal research, drafting complaints, and writing briefs. In addition to working closely with staff across Tahirih, the Litigation Counsel will collaborate with staff at peer organizations and attorneys from major law firms offering their services on a pro bono basis. The Litigation Counsel will also serve as a spokesperson for Tahirih with media and as an expert in relevant public settings.

Responsibilities include:

• Track relevant emerging policy changes and legal decisions, conduct analysis of impact on immigrant survivors, and share analysis with Tahirih staff and external partners as needed;
• Serve as an expert on immigration policy and litigation issues at conferences, in public speaking engagements, and with media;
• Conduct legal research, draft complaints, write briefs, and support all stages of impact litigation;
• Partner with national policy team to ensure litigation priorities align with overarching policy priorities;
• Liaise with direct services staff by attending team meetings, tracking trends, and ensuring coordination between the litigation and services teams;
• Engage with counterparts at local and national non-profit organizations through coalitions and deep working relationships;
• Co-counsel with attorneys from major law firms working with Tahirih on a pro bono basis, or at times represent Tahirih as a client in litigation.  

The ideal candidate will have federal litigation experience, exceptional writing skills, and familiarity with Administrative Procedures Act and/or immigration litigation. The successful candidate must have the interpersonal communication skills to drive cohesion and alignment internally and externally. The preferred candidate will be self-driven but able to work closely with teammates. The ideal candidate has a nuanced equity lens that informs strategy, litigation, and collaboration.

Tahirih is currently on fully remote working status. We intend to return employees to work through a phased approach at an unidentified time in the future when health and safety standards permit. When we fully return to offices, this position will work in one of our five office locations (Falls Church, VA; Atlanta, GA; Houston, TX; San Bruno, CA; or Baltimore, MD), with a preference for our Falls Church, VA location.

TIRIH’S DEI VISION AND PRACTICE

Tahirih Justice Center centers our work in the communities with whom we advocate, we challenge ongoing oppression, and we work to create an inclusive environment that is free of violence, hate and harassment. We acknowledge historic marginalization of multiple systems of oppression which impact individuals in various ways and oftentimes result in compounding levels of harm.  We practice inclusiveness in decision making through consultation with employees throughout the organization. Our core values speak to the world we are creating in which women and girls can enjoy equality and live in safety and with dignity. Because we honor the dignity and right to self-determination of the whole person, we are charged with reevaluating how we are best positioned to serve our clients and how we realize this driving principle among our work force. A culture that recognizes and appreciates diversity, equity and inclusion principles can facilitate effective collaboration, create viable alternatives that lead to greater efficiencies, allow for the emergence of effective solutions, and prevent groupthink through encouraging different viewpoints.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE 

While no one person will embody all of the qualities enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes and experiences: 

• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion, social justice, and dismantling individual and systemic violence against women and immigrants;
• Juris Doctor and current bar admission in good standing required;
• Minimum of5 years of relevant federal litigation and/or immigration litigation experience; no maximum – we welcome seasoned professionals as well
• Interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations with both internal and external stakeholders; demonstrated ability to maintain poise, tact, and diplomacy; 
• Demonstrated experience building authentic and effective partnerships and coalitions among organizations and activists working at all levels, including the ability to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders by building trust, buy-in, and effective, authentic relationships; 
• Experience serving as an organizational spokesperson for media, with policymakers, at conferences, and other visible opportunities;
• Experience supporting survivors of violence and trauma and those from diverse cultural backgrounds preferred;
• Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and personal growth; 
• Strong project management skills and exemplary time management and prioritization skills; 
• Knowledge and interest in staying abreast of federal immigration policy issues; 
• Strong self-motivation; 
• Demonstrated ability to think innovatively and execute creative problem solving, strategic thinking, and analytical skills;
• Demonstrated commitment to Tahirih’s values: https://www.tahirih.org/about-us/; and
• Ability to participate in travel as needed (because of the pandemic, Tahirih staff will not travel until safe to do so). 

Annual salary and benefits:  The salary range for this role is expected to be $75,000 - $95,000 per year, with actual salary commensurate with experience. Generous benefits include employee and dependent health, vision and dental insurance (Tahirih contributes 80% of the premium for employees and 60% for dependents); a 401(k) defined contribution retirement plan; flexible work schedules; professional development including in-house training programs, staff enrichment retreats and other growth opportunities. Employees have a generous self-managed leave benefit inclusive of vacation, sick and holidays, including office closure the week between Christmas and New Year’s. 

Submissions:  Please include a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references.

Please note: (1) Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.  (2) Occasional travel to Tahirih’s five offices nationwide will be required.

Tahirih Justice Center is committed to equal opportunity and promotes equity and transparency as core values. Tahirih practices inclusiveness in decision making through the use of consultation with employees throughout the organization. Tahirih does not discriminate against any person on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, ability, gender, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Applicants committed to equity from all backgrounds, experiences, abilities and identities, and in particular those from underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.