Job Description
Dallas, TX ( Hybrid)
Must be in the office at least 2-3 days per week
About HRI
For the past 25 years, HRI has been committed to offering comprehensive legal services for courageous and resilient immigrant survivors of human rights abuses from around the world. Our work is funded by contributions from the private and public sectors.
Our organization is driven by the following Core Values, which are integral to how we operate. These Core Values are expected of every stakeholder of HRI:
- Foster Respect
- Promote Stewardship
- Demonstrate Commitment
- Act with Integrity
- Uphold Accountability
- Maintain Service Excellence
Position Summary
HRI is seeking a strategic and dedicated Legal Services Director to join our team. While the role includes limited direct representation and pro bono mentorship, the primary focus is on managing a high-performing team, strengthening internal systems, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality legal services.
The Director oversees legal strategy, team supervision, and casework in core relief areas including asylum, VAWA, U-visa, SIJS, and secondary reliefs such as AOS, work permits and naturalization. Deep expertise in all areas is not required, but candidates must have working knowledge of humanitarian immigration law and a resourceful, growth-oriented mindset.
Reporting to the Executive Director and serving on the Senior Leadership Team, the Director must bring strong management experience, a collaborative leadership style, and a commitment to trauma-informed, client-centered services. The role supervises attorneys, DOJ Accredited Representatives, legal support staff, fellows, and interns.
Annual goals for this position include:
- Conduct monthly case file reviews and provide feedback and guidance as needed.
- Ensure 100% compliance with grant or program deliverables.
- Set at least 3 annual performance goals for direct reports and provide guidance to supervisors in setting annual performance goals for their direct reports.
- Establish quarterly performance conversations across legal team.
In the first 6 months, the Legal Services Director will achieve the following:
- Hold weekly 1:1 meetings with direct reports.
- Hold weekly team meetings to support problem solving, planning, and coordination.
- Meet with at least 8 existing probono partners to establish rapport and garner feedback.
- Establish clear performance expectations and goals for legal team.
- Assess current workflows, identify gaps, and refine at least two core systems or set of procedures.
- Review 40 casefiles to determine legal accuracy, completeness, and compliance and provide recommendations for improvement.
- Redesign and implement an improved consultation screening process to ensure consistent and thorough vetting of cases prior to acceptance.
Responsibilities
Supervision/Management (40%)
- Effectively lead the legal team using the Leadership, Management, and Accountability (LMA) framework to foster a high-performance, mission-aligned culture.
- Clearly communicate roles, responsibilities, expectations, and performance standards across the legal team.
- Directly supervise senior or staff attorneys, and support their effective supervision of DOJ reps, legal assistants, and interns.
- Serve as a subject-matter resource, offering guidance on complex cases and coordinating support across teams and pro bono attorneys or seek guidance from external experts or resources.
- Deliver timely, constructive feedback and support professional growth through coaching, mentorship, and development planning.
- Oversee quality onboarding/offboarding, training, and integration of new legal staff to ensure continuity and consistency.
Pro-bono Program Support (25%)
- Screen and evaluate potential cases for pro bono placement in collaboration with legal team.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, and retention of pro bono attorneys.
- Provide hands-on mentorship to pro bono attorneys throughout case preparation:
- Help develop legal strategy and assist with research as needed.
- Guide case preparation and review all filings before submission to courts and agencies.
- Help prepare attorneys & clients for hearings & interviews before EIOR, USCIS, & Texas state courts.
- Successfully contribute to the creation and maintenance of training materials, templates, and resources for pro bono attorneys.
- Maintain accurate case records in HRI’s case management system (LollyLaw).
- Complete administrative and compliance-related tasks tied to pro bono representation.
Direct Representation (15%)
- Manage a limited caseload, including case strategy development, client preparation, legal research, and representation before EOIR, USCIS, and Texas state courts.
- Consistently ensure complete and accurate case documentation using HRI’s LollyLaw system, with a strong emphasis on virtual file management.
- Effectively direct and coordinate the handing of associated administrative and procedural tasks with assigned legal assistant.
Program/Budget Oversight & Sustainability (10%)
- Partner with the Executive Director to evaluate programmatic needs and identify opportunities for sustainability or strategic growth.
- Monitor legal program budgets and grant deliverables, including planning, forecasting, reporting, and compliance.
- Maintain timely, accurate case data for grant administration, performance tracking, and organizational reporting.
- Collaborate with the Development team and Executive Director on proposals and funding opportunities to sustain and expand legal services.
Additional Responsibilities (10%)
- Remain up to date on immigration or program developments through regular training, CLE participation, and professional engagement, and ensure timely dissemination of key updates and practice changes to the legal team.
- Participate in trainings and communication facilitated by our federal grant administrator.
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with law schools, community organizations, bar associations, and other stakeholders.
- Represent HRI at public events and speaking engagements (some evening and weekend participation may be required).
- Perform other duties as needed to support departmental or organizational needs.
Qualifications
Essential Job Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor and licensed to practice law in Texas, or ability to waive into Texas bar within 6 months in the position.
- 2 to 3 years experience in supervising and training attorneys or other legal staff.
- 4 to 5 years of experience in immigration law.
- Ability to address complex legal problems strategically by utilizing a variety of approaches.
- Strong management, planning, and organizational skills, having the ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines while being strategic and forward-looking.
- Strong commitment to HRI’s Core Values and mission.
- Proficiency with technology, or a demonstrated willingness to independently learn and master new systems.
- Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
Preferred Job Qualifications:
- Bilingual language skills in Spanish.
- Experience in removal defense.
- Appellate litigation experience.
- Experience with Texas family law.
- Experience working with survivors of trauma.
- Experience working with children.
- Additional language(s) proficiency.
Salary and Benefits
The position is a full-time exempt position. The salary range is $103,000 - $113,000, commensurate with experience. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:
- Affordable and robust health, vision, dental, and ancillary benefits offerings
- Paid parental leave
- Employer paid short-term disability benefit
- Employee Assistance Program
- Flexible work hours
- Hybrid schedule (minimum two days in-office a week: Wednesday is mandatory)
- 11 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, a week-long holiday closure between December and January, and generous vacation and sick time
Physical Demands
- Ability to sit at a desk and work on a computer for extended periods.
- Manual dexterity for keyboard use.
- Clear verbal communication skills in person and over the phone.
- Occasionally lift objects up to 15 pounds.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Human Rights Initiative of North Texas is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status.
We are a fair chance employer. A criminal background check will be conducted prior to finalizing an offer of employment.
Application Instructions
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Shalaina Abioye at [email protected]
Job Tags
Holiday work, Full time, Temporary work, Relief, Remote job, Work visa, Flexible hours, Weekend work, Afternoon shift, 2 days per week, 3 days per week,