Immigrant Rights Defense Attorney

Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

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Job Summary

About TIRRC

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration. Our mission is to build power, amplify our voices, and organize communities to advocate for our rights. Our vision is a stronger, more inclusive Tennessee where people of all nationalities, immigration statuses, and racial identities can belong and thrive. TIRRC’s growing legal team engages in community legal education, direct representation, and advocacy to protect the rights of immigrant community members and support the power-building mission of the organization.

Position Description

TIRRC seeks an Immigrant Rights Defense Attorney to provide legal representation and legal education to immigrant community members in Tennessee and to support TIRRC’s efforts to challenge abuses in the immigration enforcement system. The position will be focused on equipping community members and partners with information about immigration enforcement processes and identifying and challenging rights violations in those processes. It will require extensive engagement with local criminal legal systems across the state as well as with the federal immigration detention system. The Attorney will be embedded in TIRRC’s legal team but will work closely with organizing and advocacy team members as well as with external partners.

Job Responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
● Prepare community legal education presentations and materials regarding the detention and removal
process and the intersection between local and federal law enforcement systems;
● Provide community-based organizations, members of the bar, and other partners with information and
training regarding immigration enforcement and “crimmigration” issues;
● Provide short-term direct representation to detained individuals in bond and habeas petitions;
● Provide advice and counsel to immigrant community members, including being available for referrals
from resource line staff;
● Monitor violations of immigrants’ civil rights throughout Tennessee and work in collaboration with
TIRRC colleagues and external partners to address them;
● Support TIRRC’s organizing team in cultivating community-led efforts to address local rights abuses;
● Maintain comprehensive knowledge of and keep abreast of changes in U.S. immigration law,
regulations, and practices, especially in regard to substantive and procedural issues that arise at the
intersection of criminal and immigration systems;
● Participate in professional networks for immigration practitioners at local, state, and national levels;
● Oversee tracking and gathering data and records for funders as needed;
● All TIRRC staff are expected to participate in and help support certain organization-wide trainings and
events, such as Day on the Hill and the Membership Convention.

Job responsibilities include but are not limited to those listed above. As with every position at TIRRC, every
person in the organization will assist their colleagues to ensure a cooperative environment and respond to the
needs of the moment. This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change
with business necessity.

Qualifications

Skills and Qualifications
● Active attorney license in Tennessee or the ability to gain admission to the Tennessee Bar within 6
months;
● Minimum of two years of post-graduate practice experience, preferably in a public interest setting
(nonprofit or public defender office), is required;
● Experience with the intersection between immigration and the criminal legal system is preferred;
● Removal defense experience is preferred;
● Belief in TIRRC’s mission and demonstrated commitment to social justice, progressive social change,
empowering communities’ rights and justice;
● Excellent judgment and a high level of integrity;
● Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing;
● Ability to be very organized, work on deadlines, and juggle multiple priorities and cases;
● Ability to work effectively with low-income immigrant clients who have diverse personalities, lifestyles,
cultures, and faiths;
● Ability to coordinate and advance strategies within a coalition and internal team in a rapidly moving
environment;
● Ability to collaborate effectively with legal and non-legal stakeholders and partners;
● Fluency or high proficiency in languages spoken by our clients (particularly Spanish or Arabic) is
preferred, as the job requires extensive legal counseling and representation with clients who primarily
speak languages other than English;
● Ability to work flexible hours, including some nights and weekends;
● Must have reliable transportation.

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@tnimmigrant.org.

Details

• Date Posted: June 3, 2025
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Other
• Service Area: Social / Human Services