Minnesota Habeas Project Staff Attorney

Minnesota Habeas Project Staff Attorney

James H. Binger Center for New Americans
University of Minnesota Law School

Job Summary:

The University of Minnesota Law School is seeking applicants for a Staff Attorney Position with the Binger Center to work with partners and volunteers of the Minnesota Habeas Project to provide representation to individual noncitizen clients in habeas corpus petitions. The full-time position will begin as soon as possible and is anticipated to be a one-year commitment, with an option to renew based on project needs.

Appointment: This is a 100% time, renewable, 12-month professional appointment. The initial appointment will be for one year. The appointment may be renewed for up to an additional two years following the successful completion of the first year, and based on the current needs of the project.

Duties and Responsibilities: Under the mentorship of Binger Center faculty and staff, the Minnesota Habeas Project Staff Attorney will work with partners to review new client intakes for habeas representation, assess eligibility, and place them with volunteer attorneys. The staff attorney will track case law and trends in immigration habeas cases and provide guidance and support to volunteer attorneys who provide pro bono representation to clients through the project. The staff attorney will work with partners at Minnesota State Support to ensure that the clearinghouse of training and template materials is maintained to include the most current and relevant resources for volunteer attorneys.

Specific duties include:

• Develop legal arguments for habeas petitions and prepare templates for pro bono attorneys. (25%)
• Independently manage a docket of habeas case filings. (20%)
• Coordinate and collaborate with a panel of habeas mentor attorneys, providing support to volunteer attorneys. This may include facilitating connections between volunteers and mentor attorneys, hosting mentor roundtables, and onboarding new mentors interested in assisting volunteers. (15%)
• Conduct and lead training on habeas practice. (10%)
• Engage law students to support the work of the project through legal research, document drafting, and case summaries (10%)
• Organize, lead, and oversee regular meetings of the Minnesota Habeas Project to discuss litigation strategies, which includes stakeholders internally and externally to the Binger Center. (10%)
• Liaise among legal teams, clients, and other stakeholders to ensure clear communication and accurate case data management. (5%)
• Ensure timely and accurate data tracking of Habeas Project work for stakeholders and members of the public. (5%)

Required Qualifications

• J.D. degree from an A.B.A. accredited law school.
• Applicants must be licensed to practice law in at least one state (whether Minnesota or another state) and be eligible for admission in state and federal court in Minnesota, if not already admitted.

Preferences

• Strong preference will be given to recent law school graduates with a demonstrated commitment to a career providing comprehensive legal representation to noncitizens in federal and administrative courts, particularly those who hope to pursue such a career in Minnesota.
• Preferred applicants will have experience in relevant immigration litigation, such as petitions for review in circuit courts and habeas and mandamus actions in federal district court, spanning substantive areas that include, but are not limited to, the intersection of immigration and criminal law ("crimmigration"), immigration detention, post-conviction relief, and due process in removal proceedings.
• This includes experience gained in law school immigration clinics, or other immigration experience gained during law school.
• Proficiency in Spanish or other languages widely spoken in immigrant communities in Minnesota will be considered favorably.
• Applicants should have superior academic records, exceptional writing ability, and proven commitment to public service.
• Individuals who have graduated from law school in the past 1 - 3 years, including those completing judicial or other relevant clerkships, are encouraged to apply.

About the Binger Center for New Americans

The James H. Binger Center for New Americans ("Binger Center") is a comprehensive immigration law center composed of four interrelated clinics- the Detainee Rights Clinic, the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic, and the Rural Immigrant Access Clinic-as well as an education and outreach program. The Center's mission is to protect and advance the rights of noncitizens through advocacy, litigation, and community education. The Binger Center was created and operates as a collaborative partnership with the pro bono programs of Minnesota's leading law firms and the state's principal non-profit immigration legal services providers: the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, and The Advocates for Human Rights.

The Binger Center is housed within the Legal Clinics at the University of Minnesota Law School. The Law School currently offers over 25 clinical courses with a broad range of subject matter. Eleven in-house clinical faculty members and over twenty part-time adjunct instructors teach in the program. The Law School is committed to providing national leadership in clinical education and ensuring that students are prepared for the increasing complexities of legal practice in a diverse community.

About The Minnesota Habeas Project

The increase in the detention of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Minnesota has led to a collaborative effort to quickly develop and launch a project to provide urgent representation in petitions for a writ of habeas corpus in federal court for noncitizens detained in Minnesota The Minnesota Habeas Project will assist unlawfully detained immigrants by connecting them to pro bono lawyers who can file habeas petitions for them in federal court seeking their release from immigration detention. The Project is a collaborative effort by the Binger Center and local and national partners, including non-profit immigration legal service providers, law firms, members of the immigration bar, and pro bono volunteer attorneys.

Pay Range: $65,000 - $75,000 annually, depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

This position is open until filled. Review of applications will begin immediately with the goal of having the individual hired to begin in March 2026. Applications will only be accepted
through the University of Minnesota online employment system and only complete applications will be considered.

A complete application consists of the required online application, a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references.

To apply, go to: https://humanresources.umn.edu/content/find-job and reference job 372086.

For further information, applicants should contact Sarah Brenes, Executive Director of The Binger Center for New Americans at (612) 301-8648 / sbrenes@umn.edu or Nadia Anguiano, Director of the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic at 612-301-8653 / angui010@umn.edu.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).