Overview
The organization is seeking a Senior Practice & Ethics Counsel to serve as a subject-matter expert (SME) in immigration practice, legal ethics, and professionalism. This role provides direct guidance to members, leads development of ethics and professionalism resources and educational programming, and partners with the Director to ensure Center guidance on AI, legal technology, and government digitization is accurate, ethically sound, and relevant to real immigration practice.
This role may occasionally require extended hours, including evenings and weekends.
Responsibilities
Resource Development
- Develop and deliver high-value resources, including articles, publications, educational programs, and practice tools that support member success and advance the profession.
- Identify emerging member needs and practice challenges and lead the development of resources, programs, and solutions to address them.
- Serve as staff liaison and strategic advisor to assigned committees, supporting volunteer leadership and fostering member engagement.
- Lead the development and delivery of ethics education, including resources and thought leadership related to professional responsibility.
Guidance and Consulting to Members
- Provide one-to-one guidance to members on legal ethics and on running a law firm (management, marketing, technology, and financial management), as well as building a career in immigration practice.
- Research and analyze member legal ethics issues and provide confidential guidance to resolve ethics dilemmas that arise in their practices.
Strategy, Vision, and Leadership
- Work with the Director and Center staff to identify members’ long- and short-range practice issues and develop resources to address them.
- Partner with the Director to ensure guidance on AI, legal technology, and government digitization is grounded in sound immigration law and ethics practices.
- Co-manage Center staff and serve as lead when the Director is unavailable.
- Develop and produce key performance indicators on a regular, established cadence.
Educational Programming
- Create and present original legal education programs to national and chapter conferences focused on legal ethics, practice management, and career issues and dilemmas.
Requirements
- J.D. degree required; active bar admission required (any U.S. jurisdiction).
- 5+ years of combined experience in immigration law practice and law practice management.
- Demonstrated experience in law practice management (running a practice or advising lawyers on practice operations).
- Experience advising lawyers on legal ethics issues.
Preferred Qualifications
- Deep understanding of legal ethics, professional responsibility, and risk management as they apply to immigration practitioners.
- Knowledge of legal technology, artificial intelligence, and other emerging tools affecting the delivery of legal services.
- Prior supervisory or talent-development experience, including delegation, coaching, and performance management.
- Prior experience in an association, member-service, or customer-service environment.
Location and Travel
- Remote (DC Area Preferred).
- This position is fully remote and does not include regularly scheduled in-office days or a requirement to be based in the Washington, DC area.
- Preference will be given to candidates located in the Washington, DC area or near a major airport to support occasional travel and in-person organizational activities.
Occasional travel may be required for conferences, member events, organizational meetings, or other business needs.
- Participation in the Annual Conference each June is a job requirement; the conference is held in varying cities.
- Some travel may include overnight or weekend stays and, depending on the role, may involve domestic or international travel.
- Advance notice will generally be provided when possible.
This role requires the ability to work effectively in a remote environment, including extended periods working at a computer workstation, participating in virtual meetings, and communicating regularly with colleagues and external stakeholders.
While not a frequent requirement, occasional lifting or moving of materials up to 25 pounds may be necessary in connection with conferences or organizational events.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary: $93,000 – $128,000, commensurate with experience.
Eligible benefits (for full-time and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week on a regular basis):
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Employee assistance program
- 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 3 months of employment
- Generous paid time off
- Paid parental leave
- Professional development opportunities
- Employer-paid life insurance and disability benefits
Eligibility to Work
In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, applicants must be authorized to work in the United States and must be able to provide documentation verifying eligibility to work in the U.S. without the need for employer sponsorship.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The organization is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. It does not discriminate or harass based on any protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, or local law.