Description

About AILA

Founded in 1946, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit bar association of more than 18,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law. AILA’s mission is to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and support the professional development of its members. Headquartered in Washington, DC, AILA provides continuing legal education, policy resources, and advocacy leadership through its national network of chapters and committees.

About the Team

The Practice Innovation and Professionalism Center supports AILA members in building ethical, effective, sustainable, and future-ready immigration practices. The Center develops practical resources and educational programs, provides guidance on ethics and practice management, supports volunteer leaders and committees, and advances innovation, professionalism, and member success. 

About the Role  

The Program Associate develops and manages member-facing programs, resources, and services for the Practice Innovation and Professionalism Center. The position serves as the primary staff lead for member-support and volunteer engagement programs and initiatives; develops operational practice management resources; supports volunteer experts and assigned committees; identifies emerging member needs; and translates those needs into practical services, educational programs, and content. The Program Specialist Associate also supports AILA Affiliated Paralegals (AAP) programming in coordination with the Professional Development and Membership teams and resources and serves as a first-line resource for inquiries related to practice management, technology, professionalism, and available Center services. Immigration law firm experience, particularly as an immigration paralegal or legal operations professional, is strongly preferred. 

What You’ll Do      

Manage Member Support and Volunteer Engagement Programs - 35%

• Lead the development, evaluation, administration, and continuous improvement of the Center’s member-support and volunteer programs (currently the Mentor Directory, Military Assistance Program, and Pro Bono Committee) and serve as staff liaison to the Pro Bono Committee.
• Recruit, onboard, support, and retain volunteers.
• Manage member intake, referrals or matching, communications, follow-up, and quality assurance, and set recordkeeping standards. 
• Monitor member needs and program outcomes, identify service gaps, and recommend improvements to the member and volunteer experience.
• Use recurring questions and service patterns to develop supporting resources and tools and propose educational programming topics to the Senior Counsel.

Practice Management Resources and Member Guidance - 25%

• Serve as a first-line resource for inquiries related to practice management, technology, workflows, professionalism, and available AILA resources; refer legal, ethics, policy, or other substantive matters as appropriate.
• Develop, maintain, and update practice management checklists, templates, articles, toolkits, guides, and other practical resources for members and AAPs with   substantive review by the Senior Counsel
• Identify recurring member challenges by monitoring communities and recommend responsive resources, programs, services, or process improvements.
• Contribute practical immigration-firm, workflow, and implementation perspectives to   Center initiatives and projects.

Content Development   and Knowledge Management - 20%

• Draft, edit, and maintain website content, templates, samples, articles, toolkits, educational materials, practice guides, and resource collections.
• Manage assigned content workflows from concept through publication, including research, contributor coordination, editing, routing for approval, posting, review, updating, and archiving in collaboration with the Center’s   Administrative Assistant.
• Collaborate with staff and volunteer experts to translate practice knowledge into clear, useful, and accessible member resources.
• Help organize, bundle, maintain, and repurpose content for lawyers, paralegals, and legal teams.

Workflow, Systems, and Process Improvement - 10%

• Serve as the department lead for workflow documentation, process mapping, standard operating procedures, and systems improvement.
• Maintain program databases, tracking systems, templates, and resource inventories, and set data-entry standards.
• Identify and help implement opportunities to improve efficiency, member experience,   program consistency, and knowledge sharing through technology and process redesign.
• Support adoption of tools and processes that advance departmental goals.

Support Growth and New Opportunities - 10%

• Research and identify opportunities to expand or enhance programs, services, partnerships, and resources aligned with member needs and organizational priorities.
• Monitor member needs, participation trends, recurring requests, and industry developments to identify opportunities for new or enhanced offerings.
• Support the evaluation and development of new initiatives, including research, outreach, coordination, implementation, tracking, and reporting.
• Research potential partnerships, sponsorships, grants, and other opportunities that could strengthen or expand member programs and services, coordinating with the Director and appropriate AILA departments before outreach.
• Collaborate with staff and organizational partners to assess the member value, feasibility, sustainability, and potential impact of new initiatives.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides additional member-service, research, content, program, and project support to the Practice Innovation and Professionalism Center as assigned. Duties and priorities may evolve with the Center’s portfolio and member needs.   

Requirements

What you'll bring

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
• 3-5 years of experience in an immigration law firm, immigration legal services organization, legal operations, association program, or related setting.
• Immigration paralegal experience strongly preferred; paralegal certificate or equivalent practical experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of immigration law practice, law firm workflows, and the roles of attorneys, paralegals, and legal staff.
• Demonstrated ability to respond to member or client inquiries, identify underlying needs, and recognize matters requiring escalation.
• Strong writing, editing, research, organization, project management, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience with Microsoft 365 and comfort learning project-management, content management, database, analytics, and artificial intelligence tools.

Remote (DC Area Preferred)

This position is fully remote and does not include regularly scheduled in-office days or a requirement to be based in the Washington, DC area. AILA maintains a remote workforce strategy designed to support collaboration, organizational connection, and operational efficiency. As part of that approach, preference will be given to candidates located in the Washington, DC area or near a major airport to support occasional travel and in-person organizational activities.

Occasional travel may be required for conferences, member events, organizational meetings, or other business needs. Participation in the AILA Annual Conference each June is a job requirement; the conference is held in varying cities. Some travel may include overnight or weekend stays and, depending on the role, may involve domestic or international travel. Advance notice will generally be provided when possible.

This role requires the ability to work effectively in a remote environment, including extended periods working at a computer workstation, participating in virtual meetings, and communicating regularly with colleagues and external stakeholders. While not a frequent requirement, occasional lifting or moving of materials up to 25 pounds may be necessary in connection with conferences or organizational events.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range provided reflects a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on AILA’s commitment to equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will depend on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, years of experience, certifications or professional licenses, job-related skills, internal equity, and business needs.

Our compensation structure is based on industry-specific market data for similar-sized nonprofit organizations. Typically, individuals are hired at or near the starting point of the salary range for their role. Compensation decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, considering the unique facts and circumstances of each applicant.

Additionally, full-time and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week on a regular basis are eligible to participate in AILA’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, an employee assistance program, a 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 3 months of employment, generous paid time off, paid parental leave, professional development opportunities, and employer-paid life insurance and disability benefits.

Application Process

To ensure a complete application, all candidates must submit the required materials, including a resume and cover letter, through our application portal. As part of our interview process, candidates may be asked to participate in virtual interviews, which will require on-camera presence.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible interview experience. If you require accommodations due to a disability or sincerely held religious beliefs, such as an alternative format or assistance during the interview, please let us know in advance, and we will make every effort to support your needs.

Eligibility to Work

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, we are required to hire only individuals who are authorized to work in the United States. Applicants selected for employment will need to provide documentation verifying their eligibility to work in the U.S. without the need for employer sponsorship. AILA participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization. For more information on E-Verify, please visit dhs.gov/E-Verify.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.