Legal Services Director jobs in La Crosse, WI

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:

World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization that is fighting for change that lasts, right here in the U.S. and across the globe. We bring sustainable solutions to the world’s greatest problems – disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression, and mass displacement. The organization is approximately 75 years old and has worked in over 100 countries around the world since its founding.

In the United States, we come alongside local churches, community organizations and hundreds of individual volunteers to support newly arriving refugee and other immigrant families. Today, we are proud to partner with over 6,000 local churches, and 95,000 volunteers globally to bring hope, healing and transformation to the most vulnerable.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Are you a person of compassion? An advocate for justice? Someone who stands up for the rights of the vulnerable and speaks out for the marginalized, the exploited and the forgotten?  Do you believe in our calling as Christians to welcome the least of these and love our neighbor?

If you answered ‘yes’, to any of the above, World Relief, and millions of people around the world need you.

World Relief seeks an Immigration Legal Services (ILS) Specialist. The Immigration Legal Services (ILS) Specialist will focus on obtaining Department of Justice (DOJ) Partial Accreditation (training paid for by World Relief) to eventually be authorized to practice immigration law as a non-attorney. The ILS Specialist will provide direct immigration legal services as a DOJ Accredited Representative to newly resettled refugees and potentially other immigrants within the community. Prior to obtaining Accreditation, ILS Specialist will provide refugee resettlement support to the Chippewa Valley team as needed. The intent for this position is to eventually transition to a full time role in ILS. ILS Specialist will report directly to the Regional Director of ILS in coordination with Chippewa Valley Site Manager for all non-ILS related tasks before obtaining Accreditation.

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work towards Department of Justice Partial Accreditation to practice Immigration Law as a DOJ Accredited Representative
• Attend 40-hour basic immigration law course and successfully pass legal exam
• Apply for and obtain DOJ Partial Accreditation
• Once DOJ Accreditation received, provide thorough consultations and direct immigration legal services
• Administrative work such as organizing and preparing supporting documentation, client case management and maintenance, case review of application packets, and any other tasks assigned by supervisor
• Assisting with the scheduling of appointments
• Helping to maintain online databases and in particular uploading and preparing consultation files
• Work independently and as a team with remote World Relief support staff, attend webinars, and virtual meetings within network or with community partners
• Work towards broader understanding of LawLogix system and possible administrative status in the future
• Shadow Fox Valley (Appleton, WI) ILS department on various processes
• Meet with clients for consultations and filing appointments under the supervision of Regional Director of ILS
• Work as the main legal services provider (once accredited) at the Chippewa Valley office
• Provide refugee resettlement support to Chippewa Valley office as assigned by Chippewa Valley Site Manager
• Other duties as assigned by Regional Director of ILS or Chippewa Valley Site Manager

• Self-starter with a curious mindset, positive attitude, and excellent problem solving skills
• Able to work well with others in a professional, friendly, and flexible manner
• Ability to work and communicate effectively and sensitively with people of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds  
• Exceptional organization skills 
• High level of punctuality
• Dependable, reliable, and accountable
• Detail oriented and able to juggle multiple tasks and demands
• Ability to work as a team doing resettlement functions outside of ILS
• Enjoy working in a fast paced, challenging, and multi-cultural environment
• Ability to problem solve independently and improve office functions independently
• Preferably bilingual (Arabic, Dari, Kinyarwanda, Spanish or Swahili)
• Bachelor’s Degree Preferred

• Mature and personal Christian faith
• Committed to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief
• Desire to serve and empower the Church to impact vulnerable communities
• Able to affirm and/or acknowledge World Reliefs Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity and National Evangelicals For the Health of The Nation document
• Need to occasionally travel to Fox Valley (Appleton, WI) office for training
• Advanced proficiency of Microsoft Office 365 applications (Excel, Word, OneDrive)
• Ability and willingness to learn and understand LawLogix immigration software
• Experience in data entry
• Fluent in English, both spoken and written
• Valid drivers license and good driving record

World Relief offers a competitive benefits package (25 hours per week):

- Medical, Dental, Vision

- Offer 16 company Paid Holidays 4 additional Personal days per year!

- Paid Sick and Vacation Time

- Paid Parental Leave (12 weeks for qualified employees)

- FSAs: Medical & Dependent Care, & Commuter Funding

- Supplemental Life Insurance (employee, spouse, and children)

- Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and Accident insurance policies

- Legal Shield Insurance

World Relief pays 100% for eligible employees:

- Group Term Life (employee, spouse, and children)

- Long Term & Short-term Disability

- Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)

- Long Distance Travel Insurance

- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

World Relief - Retirement:

- 401K & Roth

- WR matches up to 4%, then an additional quarter percent up to 10%

- Eligibility: Full Time (40 hours per week) is eligible after 3 months of employment. Part time is eligible after 1000 hours in a year. 

World Relief Discounts (Immediately Eligible):

- Verizon

- Pet Insurance through Nationwide

- Home and Auto insurance through Liberty Mutual

- Working Advantage Discount Program

- Active & Fit Gym Membership

World Relief is honored to be recognized with the Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for exceeding the core components of our well-being program including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole person health.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

·         While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations

·         The ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of 10-15 pounds.

·         Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read application information.

·         The employee frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

·         General office setting. World Relief also offers hybrid and remote schedules for limited positions.

·         Great lengths of time working on computer, reading from computer screen, entering information, standing at copier or fax machine, and some time on the phone or in virtual meetings may be required.

·         Year-end archiving activities involve repeated lifting and bending.

·         Physical, emotional and intellectual demands

·         Equipment used: Employee computer (desktop or laptop), printer, and copier.

·         All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. All job requirements listed indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills and/or ability deemed necessary to perform the job proficiently. This job description is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Individuals may be required to perform any other job-related instructions as requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation. This position description is not all-inclusive and is always under review.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.

For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of World Relief is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment, based upon United States federal guidelines provided in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Legal Background in the United States

World Relief is both an equal opportunity employer and a faith-based religious organization. World Relief strictly prohibits and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination against employees on the basis of person’s race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law, which does not conflict with the protections afforded World Relief as a faith-based employer.  

In addition, physical or mental limitations will not be a factor in the application of World Relief's employment policies or employee practices, except for those situations in which occupational requirement make consideration of such factors necessary.

Pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 702 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 1(a) World Relief has the right to, and does, hire only candidates who agree with World Relief’s Statement of Faith.