About the IRAP Europe Team

IRAP Europe is made up of 17 staff members, including a team of 12 who provide legal aid to clients in Family Reunification and Humanitarian Visa procedures through direct legal services and partnerships with local NGOs and pro bono law firms. Working primarily from our office in Berlin, Germany, our staff directly represent clients in French, German, and Swedish procedures. Our international practice gives us a unique view of structural hurdles and inconsistencies in family reunification processing, and in addition to providing direct legal aid, we seek to address these issues through advocacy and litigation. To learn more about our team and its work, see here.

Opportunity

IRAP is seeking to hire a parental leave cover for the position of Staff Attorney to represent refugees seeking relocation through family reunification and humanitarian visas, primarily to France. In addition to directly representing clients, the Staff Attorney will provide guidance to IRAP staff members and volunteers on complementary pathways cases. Casework will primarily be done remotely, as IRAP clients are located throughout the world. The position reports to the Supervising Attorney (French Law).

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual interested in refugee rights to be part of a growing, international legal aid organization.

The position is limited to 9 months, starting ideally from May 2024.

Responsibilities

• Directly representing clients (including conducting intake interviews and research, elaborating strategies, informing clients of their rights and applicable procedures, drafting submissions, and ensuring follow-up and advocacy with adjudicating bodies) and working in collaboration with partner NGOs and French lawyers on (1) family reunification cases to European countries and/or North America (with a focus on family reunification to France); and (2) humanitarian visa applications to countries in Europe and North America (with a focus on French Asylum Visas)
• Drafting administrative appeals and, where necessary, coordinating with lawyers regarding further appeals.
• Overseeing work of other IRAP staff, caseworkers, and volunteers on individual complementary pathways cases (including trainings and review of intake interviews and submissions).
• Ensuring detailed and accurate record-keeping regarding all potential and active cases.
• Coordinating with partner organizations on cases IRAP is representing and more broadly on advocacy related to complementary pathways in France.
• Providing guidance and training to pro bono legal teams individually representing asylum seekers in France.
• Keeping up to date on legislative and caselaw-related developments on family reunification and asylum law at European and French domestic levels.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Law degree (LLM or equivalent) required
• Demonstrated experience providing legal assistance to refugees and/or asylum-seekers in France, particularly in family reunification or humanitarian visa procedures
• Sound knowledge of French (and preferably European) legislative framework and jurisprudence regarding refugees and/or human rights
• Strong research, writing, and analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills and prior experience interviewing and counseling clients in a legal setting
• Highly organized and flexible, able to multi-task and manage a high-volume workload, and excellent time management skills
• Sensitivity to client empowerment and to working with clients of all backgrounds, including LGBTI clients, survivors of trauma, and other vulnerable populations
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Suite
• Excellent written and spoken English and French skills required; excellent skills in other languages (particularly Arabic, Farsi, German, Somali, Swedish, Tigrinya) a plus but not required

Location: The candidate will work in IRAP’s office in Berlin. In addition, candidates who prefer to work remotely will be considered.

Compensation

The annual full-time equivalent salary range for this position is €62.672-€75.944, commensurate with experience and office location.

Benefits

IRAP’s benefits vary across office locations, and IRAP seeks to offer equitable and generous benefits to all employees. Benefits for IRAP’s employees in Germany include:

* Supplementary company health insurance for staff as well as their partners and dependents

* Berlin transport pass (A, B, C)

* Daycare reimbursements

* A wellness reimbursement twice per year

* Generous professional development opportunities

* 25 vacation days

* Office closure December 25-January 1

* Approximately 20 additional paid office closures throughout the year (incl. Public holidays)