Staff Attorney (German Law)

About IRAP

The International Refugee Assistance Project(“IRAP”) is a dynamic and growing legal and policy advocacy organization that works to develop and enforce a system of legal and human rights for refugees and displaced people around the world. We are a leading organization providing free and comprehensive legal services to people in need of a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.

IRAP operates offices in the U.S. (New York City, Washington, D.C.), Jordan (Amman), Lebanon (Beirut), and Europe (Berlin), providing legal representation to refugees and engaging in systemic litigation and policy advocacy work. Through this work, we aim to assist refugees and other displaced people to find pathways to safety and to transform the landscape of refugee rights. IRAP has over 100 full-time staff members. We are a nimble organization staffed by an innovative and collaborative team that is committed to high standards of quality and close partnerships with our clients, peers, and colleagues.

IRAP believes that diversity is critical to fostering a strong workplace and serving our clients well. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities that we serve, members of other marginalized communities, and individuals whose identities are underrepresented in the legal profession.

About the IRAP Europe Team

IRAP Europe’s legal team is made up of 11 members who provide legal representation and related assistance to clients in family reunification, humanitarian visa, and asylum 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, including before the European Court of Human Rights.

Opportunity

IRAP is seeking to hire a Staff Attorney to represent refugees seeking relocation through family reunification and humanitarian pathways to Germany. The Staff Attorney’s main responsibility will be the representation of clients at all levels of the family reunification and humanitarian visa processes. Casework will primarily be done remotely, as IRAP clients are located throughout the world.

In addition to direct representation of clients, the Staff Attorney will provide guidance to IRAP staff members and volunteers on German family reunification cases and will participate in the strategic work of the team (e.g. organization of workshops, publications in legal journals, etc.).

This position will report to the team’s Supervising Attorney for Germany and will be part of a 3-person team (also including the team’s Advocacy Manager).

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

Responsibilities

• Directly representing clients in family reunification and humanitarian visa cases to Germany at embassy and court level (including conducting intake interviews and research, developing strategies, informing clients of their rights and applicable procedures, drafting submissions, and ensuring follow-up and advocacy with adjudicating bodies)
• Working in collaboration with partner NGOs and German lawyers on family reunification cases to Germany (including coordination on both cases and advocacy work)
• Ensuring detailed and accurate record-keeping regarding all potential and active cases
• Keeping up to date on legislative and caselaw-related developments on family reunification and asylum law at European and German domestic levels
• Participating in drafting legal manuals and pro se guides for family reunification cases to Germany and providing training to legal practitioners
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Education:

• Second German law degree required (2. Staatsexamen).

Experience

• Demonstrated experience providing legal assistance to refugees and/or asylum-seekers in Germany (experience in family reunification procedures preferred).

Values, Competencies and Skills:

• Sound knowledge of European and German 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 LGBTQI clients, survivors of trauma, and other vulnerable populations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
• Excellent German and English communication skills required; excellent skills in other languages (particularly Arabic, Farsi, French, Somali, Swedish, Tigrinya) a plus but not required.

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
• Berlin transport pass (A, B, C)
• Daycare reimbursements
• A wellness reimbursement twice per year
• Generous professional development opportunities
• 30 vacation days
• Office closure December 25-January 1
• Approximately 20 additional paid office closures throughout the year (incl. Public holidays)

IRAP is an equal-opportunity employer; people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. IRAP does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship status, ethnic background, religion, political orientation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We consider all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of all local, state, and federal laws related to the Fair Chance Act.

59740 - 84505 EUR a year

The annual full-time equivalent (100%) salary range for this position is 59,740€ to 84,505€ commensurate with experience.

The contract offered for this position will be 80-100% depending on the candidate’s experience and budgetary constraints.

The position is offered on a permanent basis (unbefristet) from the outset and includes a six-month probationary period (Probezeit).