Staff Attorney (Swedish Law)

Opportunity

IRAP Europe is made up of 16 staff members, including a team of 11 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 as well as in litigation before international courts. 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.

The IRAP Europe team is seeking a Staff Attorney (start date March 2024) to represent refugees seeking relocation through complementary pathways, including family reunification and humanitarian visas, with a focus on family reunification to Sweden. In addition to directly representing clients, the Staff Attorney will oversee the work of caseworkers and 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 Staff Attorney will report to IRAP Europe’s Supervising Attorney (Swedish Law).

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

Responsibilities

• Directly representing clients at first instance and appeal stages and working in collaboration with partner NGOs and Swedish lawyers on family reunification cases to Sweden
• Overseeing work of other IRAP staff, caseworkers, and volunteers on 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 family reunification to Sweden
• Keeping up to date on legislative and caselaw-related developments on family reunification and asylum law at European and Swedish domestic levels
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Law degree (LLM or equivalent)
• Demonstrated experience providing legal assistance to refugees and/or asylum-seekers in Sweden, particularly in family reunification procedures to Sweden
• Sound knowledge of European and Swedish 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 Swedish skills required; excellent skills in other languages (particularly Arabic, Farsi, French, German, Somali, Tigrinya) a plus but not required

Location

The candidate will work in IRAP’s office in Berlin. Remote candidates who are willing to travel to Berlin (at IRAP’s expense) on a periodic basis will also be considered.

Compensation

The annual full-time equivalent salary range for this position is €70,400-88,095 commensurate with experience.

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)

We will start reviewing applications a week after the role has been posted.