Interview With Luisa Martin-Price of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh
CLINIC launched a new project called the Recent Arrivals Capacity Building Mentorship Initiative (RACMBI) in which leaders of existing community-based legal service organizations are invited to provide mentorship to aspiring Department of Justice representatives who are looking to gain accreditation and build up their legal service programs. CLINIC sat down with Luisa Martin-Price, one of the mentors who participated in the initiative, to hear about her experience serving as a mentor for the project.
Q: Can you tell me about your role and how long you’ve worked at Catholic Charities?
I am a fully accredited DOJ representative. I became partially accredited in November 2016 and received full accreditation in 2018. I started out at Catholic Charities as a volunteer a long time ago. I have always been interested in helping others, and when I had more time after raising my children, I dedicated more time to volunteering. Eventually I moved into a full-time role.
Working at a nonprofit, my role is doing everything – I wear lots of hats and have many cases, a wide variety of types of immigration cases. We oversee 52 counties at our organization! But we are now getting a good group of volunteers and I coordinate all they do. We are always looking for new ideas for working together as a community and increasing our capacity to meet the need.
Q: What inspires you to do this work?
First, my own experience as an immigrant. I came to the United States from Venezuela many years ago — but back when it was easier to do the paperwork to immigrate. In 1995, it was like 2 pages to fill out, one form. It was very different for me back then.
In 2016 I saw how the immigration system was struggling, and I wanted to help more immigrants like myself. I had been volunteering at Catholic Charities since my kids were little, mostly with the Hispanic community, because my first language is Spanish.
I had seen how hard it is to immigrate, even for myself, doing it legally, coming in and out of the country as I needed to. I knew it was much harder for so many other people. When my family came here, we could work, we had degrees — but some people don’t have anything. I knew I needed to help them. So I switched from being a part-time volunteer to a full-time employee.
Q: What prompted you to participate as a mentor for the RACBMI?
First, because I was asked to be a mentor! CLINIC staff reached out to me, and I was glad to be asked. Second, because I think it is very important. I wish I had had someone to guide me when I was first starting out so I didn’t make so many mistakes. I still make mistakes of course, but I have learned so much. Mentorship is important at all stages, really – there’s so much to learn in this field. But it is so important for people just starting out.
Q: What has the mentor-mentee relationship looked like?
It has been great. I have had two mentees so far and am just starting with my third. I used to be a teacher, so I love to teach. Teaching prompts you to always be learning yourself, challenging yourself to be better.
My first two mentees were at the same organization and were both new, aspiring DOJ reps. I helped them do their first few cases when they were just starting out (and signed the forms because they were not yet DOJs).
Via Zoom calls, I helped them with a naturalization and an adjustment of status. These cases we chose were straightforward, and we walked through all the small details, helping them do things in practice that they had learned in training. There were a lot of moments of “Ohhh, that’s what they were talking about?”
We planned to meet them in person at CLINIC Convening!
The third mentee I have, whom I’m just starting with, is taking the Comprehensive Overview of Immigration Law course (COIL) and he will be the first DOJ representative at his organization.
Q: How has mentoring aspiring accredited representatives impacted your program or community?
It keeps me constantly learning and improving in my practice.
We don’t work with refugees much, so it has been good to keep up those skills through helping with those cases. We have learned from our mentees, too; one of the mentees was formerly a refugee. She knew the details of being a refugee that we didn’t know, and it was great to learn and see her point of view.
Q: What advice do you have for DOJ accredited representatives or attorneys who may consider mentorship in the future?
Go for it, don’t think it twice! You’re doing such a good service, because the need is great. It’s not that much time – and it’s worth it. It really benefits both parties; it’s always a win-win.
Staff Attorney/Advocate
Summary
The Staff Attorney/Advocate has responsibility for providing technical assistance, conducting trainings (both in-person and virtual), and writing/updating articles and other resource materials on immigration program management (including Department of Justice Recognition and Accreditation), substantive immigration law, and the ethical practice of law.
Primary Responsibilities
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Training and Technical Assistance
- Maintain knowledge and understanding of fundamentals of U.S. immigration law and practice relevant to the services provided by CLINIC’s network of immigration legal services providers (“CLINIC affiliates”) and partner legal service providers (“LSPs”).
- Remain up to date on immigration law, policy, and regulation changes.
- Provide accurate and comprehensive advice, resources, and tools to CLINIC affiliates and partner LSPs on immigration program management and ethical practice of law through CLINIC’s Affiliate Support Form.
- Work collaboratively with other CLINIC teams to address competency concerns and high-risk immigration legal services programs.
- Provide accurate comprehensive legal advice to affiliates on substantive, case-specific questions through the Ask the Expert portal.
- Consult with CLINIC affiliates and partner LSPs on requests for assistance with DOJ Recognition and Accreditation. Guide CLINIC affiliates and partner LSPs through the application process through reviewing and providing feedback on DOJ agency recognition and staff accreditation applications (both partial and full).
- Develop, prepare, and present high-quality training on topics related to immigration program management, ethical practice of law, and substantive legal issues.
- Work collaboratively with CLINIC’s Field Engagement team as needed to:
- determine topics for training and resources;
- identify internal and external barriers that impede local program successes based on affiliate inquiries and feedback and creatively brainstorm solutions and make recommendations to programmatic challenges;
- coordinate and collaborate on affiliate check-in calls, site visits, assessment reports, recommendations, and progress as well as on affiliate cohort sessions;
- determine areas for continued excellence or improvement in providing training and technical assistance.
- Maintain accurate records in CLINIC’s data management system.
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Writing
- Assist in creating, disseminating, and updating written resource materials on immigration program management, the ethical practice of law, and substantive legal issues.
- Support CLINIC’s Advocacy section on select issues including analyzing and drafting comments to proposed regulations, changes in policy guidance and revisions to immigration forms.
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Grant Implementation
- Assist in implementation and management of grant-funded projects including maintaining accurate records, statistics, and data and providing information needed for funding applications and reports.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Juris Doctor Degree or DOJ Full or Partial Accreditation
- At least three years of experience with non-profit immigration legal services program management; program evaluation/assessment; organizational/strategic planning; and substantive immigration practice.
- Knowledge of immigration laws/policies/regulations; delivery of direct immigration legal services; resource development; best practices; and non-profit management
- Ability to manage work on multiple projects effectively and efficiently
- Ability to coordinate and manage special projects
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong training content development and public speaking skills
- An uncompromising commitment to social justice
- Ability to travel on occasion for trainings and conferences
Other
- Demonstrate knowledge of and support the organization’s mission, vision, value statements, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior
- Fulfill CLINIC’s expectations that all staff:
- Serve with integrity
- Develop innovative solutions
- Promote learning — for themselves, for their colleagues, and for our network
- Cultivate constructive relationships
- Model stewardship
- Maintain professionalism and positivity in workplace interactions
- Demonstrate leadership and takes initiative
- Take responsibility for actions, results and mistakes
- Communicate in a timely and effective manner, keeping individuals informed of key issues and needs
- Develop and exercise strong problem-solving skills and judgement
- Focus on building and strengthening relationships across and outside the organization
- Demonstrate flexibility and openness by adapting to changing priorities, ideas, strategies, procedures and methods
- Make effective decisions
- Resolve conflicts constructively
- Demonstrate behavior that supports fundraising as a critical and shared responsibility
Work Environment
- This position may require extended periods of standing, sitting, repetitive movements, bending and lifting of significant weight.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the key components and primary responsibilities.
- The work you will do is covered by a collective employment agreement between Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. "CLINIC" and the Nonprofit Professional Employees' Union "NPEU" Local 70. Please contact your local union representative at clinicworkersunited@gmail.com with any union-related questions.
Salary
- $80,000 – $85,000
Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Commitment
- CLINIC considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, family responsibilities, religion, age, disability, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. CLINIC also provides “reasonable accommodations” to qualified individuals with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws. All interested individuals, regardless of background, are encouraged to apply.
- We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.
- Accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the key components and primary responsibilities
To Apply
If you are interested in applying for this vacancy, please click here. Please be sure to include both your resume and cover letter in your application.
Closing Date
Employment Type
Employment Level
Hours
Classification
Reports To
Position
Organization
Job Location
Anywhere within the continental United States , MD
United States
