Jobs & Internships

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks law student applications for full-time summer internship positions in its Granger, Seattle, Tacoma, and Wenatchee offices. Interns will be asked to commit to 35-40 hours per week for a period of 10-12 weeks. Applicants with additional language skills are strongly preferred. Internships may be hybrid, in-person, or remote, subject to office COVID policy and capacity. Select positions in NWIRP's Eastern Washington offices are funded; all other positions are unpaid, but NWIRP will work with applicants to secure outside funding or academic credit when possible. Interns will have direct exposure to a fast-paced work environment centered on immigration law and advocacy.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until positions are filled, so early submission is recommended.

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks law student applications for a full-time winter/spring externship position in its Legal Orientation Program (LOP) unit, based in NWIRP’s Tacoma office. The extern will be asked to commit to 35 hours per week for a period of 10-12 weeks, beginning in early January 2024. A part-time externship may be considered with a commitment of at least 20 hours per week. Applicants with additional language skills are strongly preferred, but proficiency in an additional language is not a requirement.

This is not a remote position; travel within the city of Tacoma will be required. Externs must be able to commit to work from within NWIRP’s Tacoma office and at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC). The position is unpaid, but NWIRP will work with applicants to secure outside funding or academic credit when possible. Externs will have direct exposure to a fast-paced work environment centered on immigration law and advocacy through their work within the LOP unit.

Legal Orientation Program Unit in Tacoma, WA

NWIRP’s Tacoma office serves up to 1,575 immigrants detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC), 85% of whom are unrepresented. The LOP unit is one of two units in NWIRP’s Tacoma office providing direct legal services to people detained in the NWIPC. Through their work within LOP, the extern will make weekly visits to the NWIPC and help give detained individuals essential information about court procedures and available options for legal relief prior to their immigration hearings. In addition to participating in the formal LOP program, we anticipate that the extern will provide direct representation to detained community members, including through representation for custody and/or removal proceedings in the Tacoma Immigration Court.

Full consideration will be given to applications received by October 23, 2023. All applications must be received by November 6, 2023. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until positions are filled, so early submission is recommended.

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks a full-time Bilingual Social Services Advocate to join an interdisciplinary legal team. As a Social Services Advocate, you will work closely with NWIRP’s legal staff across the organization, primarily in the coordination of social services available to NWIRP clients. This position has a focus on helping immigrants and refugees to apply for public benefits.

The applicant must be fluent in English and one other language (please indicate in application materials), and must be able to start the position as soon as possible. Additional languages spoken are a plus.

The position is supervised from the NWIRP office in Tacoma, Washington, however the Social Services Advocate will serve all four NWIRP offices (Granger, Tacoma, Wenatchee, and Seattle), and we welcome candidates with an interest in working from any of the four NWIRP offices. Regardless of the position’s location, you will occasionally travel within the State to each office. This position is ever-evolving, based on the needs of the communities NWIRP serves, and will require someone who excels at initiating and leading delivery of services, works well independently as well as in a team, is highly adaptable, and able to build rapport with a diverse community of clients, partner organizations and internal staff.

The anticipated hours of work are Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, with a 60 minute unpaid lunch. Under NWIRP’s current COVID policies, new staff members must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (unless eligible for an exemption). Staff may choose to wear a face mask in the workplace, but it is not currently required. At the time of this posting, most NWIRP staff are operating in a hybrid model. At the time of this posting, NWIRP is operating in a hybrid model, and some in-office work will be expected of this position (at least two days per week).

Are you interested in working with NW Immigrant Rights Project but don’t see a current opening that fits your skills? We’d love to hear from you! Please use this link to submit a cover letter addressing the questions below, your resume, and 3 references. Our HR team will review your information and reach out if a new position becomes available!

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks a full-time Spanish-speaking attorney to be placed in NWIRP’s Seattle office.

As an attorney in the CYAP Unit, you will provide direct representation, individual consultations, and community outreach and education to unaccompanied children and youth facing removal (deportation) proceedings. You will also assist children and youth to apply for various forms of immigration protection, including Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification, asylum, self-petitions under VAWA, U visas, T visas, and adjustment of status before USCIS. Children and youth attorneys also handle Washington State court proceedings related to a child or youth’s eligibility for SIJ classification. The staff attorney may also be assigned work relating to other immigration matters, including cases of people in immigration detention.

This position is expected to travel to the immigration court in Seattle, and state courts in specific counties across WA State. A valid driver’s license will be required in order to meet these expectations. The position may involve evening and weekend work hours.

Under NWIRP’s current COVID policies, new staff members must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (unless eligible for an exemption). Staff may choose to wear a face mask in the workplace, but it is not currently required. At the time of this posting, NWIRP staff is operating in a hybrid model, and some in-office work will be expected of this position (at least two days per week).

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) seeks a full-time Spanish-English bilingual legal advocate to join our Wenatchee office.

Under the supervision of an attorney, the legal advocate will provide community outreach and education, and assist in direct representation to immigrant community members in Washington State. The legal advocate will primarily work on cases involving immigration protections for immigrant survivors of crimes, including domestic violence, and may also be assigned work relating to other immigration matters as needed.

The anticipated hours of work are Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm, with a 30 – 60 minute unpaid lunch break. Under NWIRP’s current COVID policies, new staff members must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (unless eligible for an exemption). Staff may choose to wear a face mask in the workplace, but it is not currently required. The position is eligible for a choice of hybrid or in-person work models. The hybrid model requires at least two full days in-office per week.

A minimum two-year commitment to the position is preferred.

NWIRP seeks a full-time, English-Spanish bilingual Receptionist/Office Manager to join NWIRP’s Wenatchee team. Applicants must be fluent in English and Spanish (other language(s) are welcome), and must be able to start the position as soon as possible.

The Receptionist / Office Manager is the individual serving as the face and voice of NWIRP’s Wenatchee office. The person in this position will serve hundreds of callers and in-person visitors per year, and coordinates all aspects of the front desk. This includes working directly with clients and potential clients, conducting prescreens, as well as taking on certain administrative duties, such as overseeing incoming and outgoing mail and placing orders. Applicants must be able to handle a fast-paced, dynamic work environment and engage in prompt and regular verbal and written communication with potential clients as well as fellow staff.

Under NWIRP’s current COVID policies, new staff members must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (unless eligible for an exemption). Staff may choose to wear a face mask in the workplace, but it is not currently required. At the time of this posting, some NWIRP staff are operating in a hybrid model. However, this position requires a full-time in-office presence, Monday to Friday during office hours.

A minimum two-year commitment to the position is preferred.

Jesuit Volunteer/AmeriCorps Member

Engage in a meaningful year of service and community with JVC Northwest! For one year, Jesuit Volunteer (JV)/AmeriCorps members serve local organizations across the Pacific Northwest, helping them address a pressing community need that they've identified.

By living together in intentional community, JV/AmeriCorps members lean on each other for personal growth in the four core values of community, simple living, social and ecological justice, and spirituality/reflection.

Here at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) we are looking to fill the following roles with a JV/AmeriCorps member for the 2023-24 service year that begins in August.

Asylum Unit, Seattle

Asylum Intake and Legal Coordinator
NWIRP's Asylum Intake and Legal Coordinator will provide critical legal services to low-income asylum seekers from around the world. The Asylum Intake Coordinator will interview asylum seekers, write narratives of their reasons for fleeing their home countries, and, with the assistance of the supervising attorney, analyze their eligibility for immigration protections through asylum.

Children and Youth Advocacy Program, Seattle

CYAP Intake Coordinator
The Children and Youth Advocacy Program (CYAP) at NWIRP works on behalf of both accompanied and unaccompanied immigrant youth who need legal assistance with their immigration status. The CYAP Intake Coordinator will fulfill a critical piece of this process by screening children and youth for immigration relief and assisting in the preparation of immigration and family law/juvenile law petitions. The CYAP Intake Coordinator will also assist with screening, case management, and intakes for young immigrants eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, including coordination of legal clinics.

The CYAP Intake Coordinator will fill the critical, unique role of coordinating intakes for CYAP. NWIRP relies on critical support from staff at all stages of legal assistance, from greeting clients and screening cases to scheduling intakes and coordinating the collection of documents; from conducting intakes to providing advice/counsel or taking on a case for direct representation. The CYAP Intake Coordinator plays an essential role in the earlier stages of the process, ultimately enabling us to ensure that we provide quality service to as many children and youth as possible in this time of significant need for our communities.

Tacoma & South Unit, Tacoma

TSU Intake and Legal Coordinator
The Intake and Legal Coordinator will serve in a supportive environment with other members of the Tacoma and South Unit (TSU). Under attorney supervision, the Tacoma and South Unit Intake and Legal Coordinator will be responsible for answering phone calls to the TSU hotline, responding to voicemails, and providing brief support to non-clients with questions about the immigration process. The JV will greet potential clients, pre-screen clients for eligibility for NWIRP services, and maintain and coordinate our intake waitlist system for the whole unit. A typical day may also include requesting documents from potential clients, drafting forms and declarations, preparing application packets to file with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, reviewing mail and files, and maintaining the electronic case management system for potential clients.

TSU Rural Outreach Specialist
The Rural Outreach Specialist position will specifically focus on opening accessibility across the mostly rural region and reducing our service wait time. This position involves building partnerships with community organizations and coordinating and assisting in outreach opportunities. Additionally, the JV will conduct 10-20 intakes per month with potential clients. Under attorney supervision, the JV will be responsible for researching and conducting outreach, completing intakes, and providing pro se assistance to potential clients. A typical day might consist of meeting with clients to draft forms and declarations, returning phone calls and emails to partner organizations, mailing documents to clients for signatures, preparing application packets to file with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, reviewing mail and files, and maintaining the electronic case management system.

As a service fellow, you will help us meet our mission of advancing immigrant rights. We are actively seeking advanced or fluent Spanish speakers to fill these roles, but will consider other languages.

All JV/AmeriCorps members will be provided with a living stipend, communal housing, health insurance, potential student loan forbearance, and a $6,895 AmeriCorps Education Award to be used towards future tuition or to pay back qualified student loans

NWIRP seeks full time English-Spanish bilingual attorneys to provide direct representation and community outreach and education to immigrant community members in Washington State. The applicants must be fluent in English and Spanish, and must be able to start their position as soon as possible.

Under NWIRP’s current COVID policies, new staff members must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination (unless eligible for an exemption) and must wear a face mask while in all common areas at the job location. At the time of this posting, NWIRP staff is operating in a hybrid model, and some in-office work will be expected of this position (at least two days per week). The position may also be eligible for the choice of a full-time in-person work model. A minimum two-year commitment to this position is preferred.

Staff Attorney (General): NWIRP is looking for English-Spanish bilingual staff attorneys to be placed in NWIRP’s Granger and Wenatchee offices. Additional languages spoken are a plus. As a staff attorney, you will provide direct representation, individual consultations, and community outreach and education to immigrant community members seeking immigration protections before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the immigration courts. The staff attorney may also be assigned work relating to other immigration matters, including cases of people in immigration detention.

This position is expected to travel to immigration courts in Seattle or Tacoma and USCIS offices in Seattle, Spokane or Yakima in Washington State (and occasionally in Portland, Oregon). A valid driver’s license will be required in order to meet these expectations. The position may involve evening and weekend work hours.