Immigration Clinic Director

About CBST:

Congregation Beit Simchat Torah is a spiritual home for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Passionate, provocative, and deeply Jewish, our community engages in spirited debate and activism: rejoicing in diversity, denouncing social injustice wherever it exists, and striving for civil rights for all people.

CBST’s Ark Immigration Clinic trains volunteers and attorneys to assist with asylum and work permit applications, translation, accompaniment to USCIS interviews, direct support for our immigrant neighbors, and more.

Job Summary:

The Immigration Clinic Director is responsible for leading the Ark at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) and all of its programs, including weekly pro se asylum clinics, monthly pro se EAD clinics, and trainings. The Clinic Director is responsible for both the day-to-day work of the clinic – including frequent and direct work with asylum seekers – and coordination and supervision of CBST’s staff and intern team. The Clinic Director is also responsible for developing processes, resources, and systems related to administration of the in-person and remote clinics; holding a leading role in the NYC Pro Se Collaborative and other efforts to support the NYC asylum legal ecosystem; preparing and filing applications for relief; and case management.

Essential Functions:

Clinic Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation 

• Creating, implementing, and evaluating systems and procedures for all clinic programs including weekly asylum clinics, monthly EAD clinics, and other legal clinics

Staff Supervision

• Co-supervision of graduate social work interns and summer legal fellows
• Supervision of Clinic Coordinator, Clinic Navigator, and undergraduate interns including weekly staff check-ins

Volunteer Coordination and Training

• Training of volunteers for weekly asylum clinics and monthly EAD clinics
• Design and management of volunteer management systems in collaboration with clinic coordinator

Case Management

• Management of database and monitoring of case deadlines, including frequent communication with asylum seekers
• Facilitation of weekly case management and monthly legal advisory team meetings with clinic attorneys
• Distribution and project management of translations and review of Spanish translations

Filing of Applications

• Preparation of I-589 Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal; I-765 Employment Authorization Document; I-131 Travel Document; I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status; and immigration court motions
• Supervision and review of applications prepared by other staff members and volunteers

Managing Relationships with Partners

• Manage client streams and relationships with partner organizations, including coordination of the NYC Pro Se Collaborative convened by the Ark at CBST

Professional Development 

• Completion of frequent immigration law webinars and training to increase knowledge of asylum law and maintain Department of Justice (DOJ) Recognition for CBST and individual Accreditation (R&A)

Other Responsibilities

• Attending weekly CBST staff meetings, coordinating clinic activities with relevant CBST staff members, and periodically attending other CBST events and services
• Coordination of grant writing and reporting with Directors of Development, Finance, and Social Justice Programming
• Helping amplify the work of the clinic within the CBST community, and representing CBST and the Ark in the broader community, in New York and beyond.

Emotional Labor

• We understand that this work can be emotionally challenging and exhausting, and hope to create a supportive and nurturing work environment

Qualifications and Qualities:

Required Qualifications:

• Professional proficiency in Spanish
• At least 2-3 years of work in the field of immigrants’ rights or immigration law
• LGBTQ+ and HIV cultural competence
• Experience working with asylum seekers, including in particular direct personal experience with the immigration system
• This hybrid position requires working on site at CBST’s building in Manhattan’s north Chelsea Neighborhood (West 30 Street, between 6 and 7 Avenues) at least 3 days a week in person (currently Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays)

Preferred Qualifications:

• JD or DOJ Accredited Representative preferred
• Professional proficiency in a language other than English and Spanish
• Familiarity with Jewish community, including a basic understanding of the Jewish calendar and terminology are a plus

Equal Opportunity Employment:

Our Congregation benefits from clergy, rabbinical and cantorial interns from the Reconstructionist, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform movements of Judaism. Our staff and lay leaders bring a diversity of backgrounds, expertise, and experience to the community. Together, we take pride in our work and in the strong community we lead, learn with, and support. Apply now and become part of our mission- driven and vibrant community.

CBST is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.