Volunteers
IRAP is currently accepting applications for the following volunteer positions on a rolling basis. Please review each description for specific details on how to apply.
This posting is viewable by itself at this link.
Intake and Screening Volunteer
Legal Department
Based in Amman, Jordan
About IRAP
The International Refugee Assistance Project (“IRAP”) is a dynamic and growing legal, policy, and advocacy organization that works to develop and enforce a system of legal and human rights for refugees and displaced people around the world. We are the leading organization that provides free and comprehensive legal services to people we serve through registration, protection, and resettlement processes.
IRAP operates offices in the U.S. (New York City), Jordan (Amman), and Lebanon (Beirut). Our legal services are supplemented by a corps of pro bono lawyers from leading U.S. and international law firms and multinational corporations, and law students who have created IRAP chapters across the United States and Canada. Through this work, we aim to assist refugees and other displaced people to find safe passage and to transform the landscape of refugee rights in the U.S. and internationally. IRAP has over 85 full-time staff, the majority of whom are based in the New York City office, with others working in field offices in Jordan and Lebanon or remotely. We are a nimble organization staffed by an innovative and collaborative team that is committed to high standards of quality and close partnerships with our clients, peers, and colleagues.
IRAP’s legal department includes over 40 staff who provide individual legal assistance to refugees and other displaced people around the world. Since IRAP’s establishment, we have helped to resettle more than 3,800 individuals to 18 countries.
The IRAP Jordan office is located in the capital city of Amman. Our team consists of a Program and Operations Director, Program and Operations Assistant, Supervising Attorney and a Staff Attorney, Volunteer Program Coordinator, Casework Coordinator and two Caseworkers. Our work is centered on providing remote and in-person legal assistance with refugee resettlement and family reunification through UNHCR referrals, U.S. refugee resettlement, domestic immigration remedies, and relocation through alternative pathways.
Opportunity
This position will work closely with caseworkers, other volunteers, and attorneys in the screening and intake vetting processes of refugee beneficiaries. The volunteer will report to the Volunteer Program Coordinator. The volunteer conducts in-person and phone interviews with refugee applicants and clients. In coordination with staff attorneys, the volunteer screens refugee applicants to ensure programmatic standards and criteria are met, in adherence to IRAP policies and procedures. The volunteer ensures appropriate client service provision per IRAP standards.
Responsibilities
- Conduct objective in-person and phone interviews with refugee applicants in Arabic, to obtain and input biographical and narrative information in a client service database, and to prepare a written report in English.
- Serve as a primary point of contact for refugee applicants and clients, and provide accurate information to refugee applicants on behalf of the team advising or representing them.
- Under the supervision of staff attorneys, provide legal counseling and information to refugee clients.
- Contribute to improving service provision through participation in office, departmental and organizational working groups, advisory meetings and committees.
- Ensure quality and complete documentation of service provision in the client service database in accordance with internal guidelines.
- Maintain and ensure confidentiality of all IRAP matters to ensure client privacy and program integrity.
- Periodically support other branches of IRAP as needed with an eye towards providing information about the Jordan and MENA context. Examples include identifying potential plaintiffs for the Litigation Team or providing compelling client stories to the Communications Team.
Location
- This position is based in the IRAP Jordan office in Amman, Jordan.
Qualifications
- Commit to at least eight (8) hours a week
- Fluency in both written and spoken English and Arabic
- Sensitive to client empowerment and to working with clients of all backgrounds, including LGBTI clients, survivors of trauma, and other vulnerable populations
- Highly organized
- Excellent time management skills
- Strong writing skills
- Highly motivated with strong interest in humanitarian work
- Proficiency with Microsoft and Google suites
IRAP believes that diversity is critical to fostering a strong workplace and serving our clients well. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities that we serve, members of other marginalized communities, and individuals whose identities are underrepresented in the legal profession.
Application Instructions
Please submit a cover letter and a resume at this link. Review of applications is on a rolling basis.