Staff Attorney (Immigration Removal Defense)

Immigrant Defenders Law Center; Riverside (CA); On-site; USD 82,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401(k) with match

Paid holidays

Vacation days

Sick days

Parking stipend

Public transportation stipend

Cell phone stipend

Job summary

Immigrant Defenders Law Center is seeking an attorney to provide direct representation in removal proceedings for unaccompanied children, families, and individuals with complex immigration issues.

You will determine eligibility, develop legal strategies, and work with SIJS youth and other clients in state and federal forums, including interviews at shelters and detention centers.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate or LL.M. required.
• Active California Bar License or eligibility to waive into the CA Bar.
• Strong case management, legal research and writing skills.
• Willingness to pursue new and untested legal theories.
• Ability to take initiative and work under pressure.
• Commitment to working in a diverse professional environment.
• Passion for social justice for immigrants.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct representation in removal proceedings for diverse client groups.
• Represent clients in deportation and other immigration-related hearings.
• Prepare and submit legal relief applications and strategy plans.
• Represent SIJS-eligible youth in related state court proceedings.
• Coordinate with other defense and post-conviction relief teams.
• Travel to shelters, detention centers, and courts to interview clients and prepare declarations.

Skills

Case management

Legal research

Legal writing

Initiative

Work under pressure

Diversity & social justice mindset

Education

Juris Doctorate or LL.M.

Active California Bar License or eligibility to waive into CA Bar

Tools

Bar admission

Job description

Immigrant Defenders Law Center (“ImmDef”) is a next-generation, social justice law firm that provides high-quality representation and legal services to immigrants in Southern California and beyond. ImmDef was founded with the belief that no immigrant should be forced to face an unjust immigration system alone and our universal representation programs are a first step towards that goal. Learn more about us at www.immdef.org.

Job responsibilities

• Provide direct representation in removal proceedings to unaccompanied children, adults with mental competency issues, and detained or non-detained adults and families. Many clients face complex immigration issues, including those with juvenile or criminal histories.
• Provide high-quality, client-centered representation for clients facing deportation proceedings;
• Determine eligibility for legal relief and develop legal strategy case plans;
• Represent SIJS-eligible youth (under age 21) in related state court proceedings, including guardianship and custody matters, or coordinate closely with juvenile dependency and delinquency counsel to obtain SIJS predicate orders;
• Identify the need for post-conviction relief and collaborate with ImmDef’s Post-Conviction Relief team to pursue available remedies;
• File appeals, motions to reopen or reconsider, and habeas corpus petitions, as needed and as funding and program capacity permits;
• Coordinate with public defenders and appointed counsel for clients with ongoing criminal or juvenile delinquency proceedings;
• Travel to shelters for unaccompanied children, ICE detention centers, and other custodial settings to interview and prepare clients, take declarations, complete immigration benefit applications, and provide legal advice;
• Represent individuals in court at initial or prolonged custody redetermination hearings, master calendar hearings, individual merits hearings, and in ancillary state court proceedings;
• Represent clients before USCIS at asylum interviews, credible fear interviews, ICE check-ins, and other immigration-related appointments;
• Prepare and submit country conditions, declarations, and other supporting evidence for applications to defend clients against removal;
• Work with country conditions experts, expert witnesses, psychologists, and medical professionals to develop supporting evidence for immigration relief applications;
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and participate in weekly group case review, on-site trainings, and provide supervision for support staff’s legal work;
• Support ImmDef’s overall mission by working closely with colleagues and ImmDef leadership on various initiatives through community engagement, peer mentoring, and event participation;
• Perform other duties as assigned to support programmatic and organizational needs.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate degree or L.L.M. degree;
• Active California State Bar License or licensure from another state or U.S. jurisdiction and, if required, willingness and eligibility to "waive into" the CA Bar via the Multi-Jurisdictional Practice Program;
• Strong case management, legal research, and legal writing skills;
• Willingness to zealously pursue new and untested legal theories;
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure;
• Commitment to working in a diverse professional environment.
• Passion for social justice for immigrants required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with any of the following forms of immigration cases is helpful: asylum/WOR/CAT, special immigrant juvenile status (child custody/family court/guardianship), cancellation, waivers, adjustment of status, immigration consequences of criminal convictions, bond, humanitarian parole, post-conviction relief, habeas petitions, BIA appeals, motions to reopen, naturalization.
• Experience in immigration law (non-profit or private practice) is a plus, but not required as we are ready and able to provide training;
• Experience working with survivors is helpful, including populations that have experienced trauma, abuse and persecution;
• Knowledge of best practices in working with clients with mental competency issues, including those suffering from mental health challenges and children, is a plus;
• Commitment to working in a diverse professional environment.
• DACA Recipients encouraged to apply!

Language Proficiency

• Spanish language proficiency is preferred but not required; fluency in other languages is also helpful.

You can learn more about ImmDef's programs, services and client populations at www.immdef.org. ImmDef is considering applicants for any of our Greater Los Angeles Area offices, but particularly needs attorneys in Los Angeles and Riverside. Attorneys who wish to be based in Santa Ana should expect frequent travel to courts and offices in Los Angeles and/or Riverside.

Summary

• Starting salary range for this position is $82,000 to $97,000 DOE.
• This position is part of the ImmDef employee union bargaining unit. Salary calculations are based on experience pursuant to the terms of our union collective bargaining agreement.

Schedule

• ImmDef’s business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., but our office reception hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. As an exempt employee you will be expected to work a minimum of 35 hours per week, or 70 hours per pay period. You will be required to work from an ImmDef worksite during business hours at least 3-days per week, and 2-days per week you will have the flexibility work from home or take a day off in accordance with ImmDef’s Flexible Work Schedule policies, subject to supervisor approval.
• Attorneys should expect to occasionally work on nights or weekends as needed.

Professional Memberships

• ImmDef provides attorneys with membership in American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG), and opportunities to attend conferences, trainings and seminars/webinars hosted internally and by partner organizations.
• ImmDef covers California Bar Dues (or equivalent in one other jurisdiction) for all attorneys.

Holidays and Paid Time Off

• 13 paid holidays
• 1-Week paid winter break between Christmas and New Years
• 15 vacation days per year
• 15 Sick Days per year

Health, Dental and Vision Insurance

• ImmDef provides health coverage on the first of the month following 30 days on the job.
• We cover 100% of premiums for our base dental and vision plans for our staff members and 75% of base plan dental and vision premiums for their dependents. ImmDef also covers 89% of the base plan medical premiums for our staff and 69% of the base plan medical premiums for their dependents.

FSA and Dependent Care FSA

• ImmDef offers FSA plans to help offset the costs of eligible health care expenses for you, your spouse, and your eligible dependents using pre-tax dollars
• We also offer Dependent Care FSA to pay for eligible dependent care services, such as preschool, summer day camp, before or after school programs, and child or adult daycare.
• Eligible for Parental Leave which includes six (6) weeks of ImmDef paid leave.

401(k) Retirement Savings Plan & Employer Matching

• ImmDef staff are eligible to enroll in our 401(k) plans upon three (3) months of service, contributing pre-tax dollars towards their retirement goals
• After three (3) months on staff, ImmDef will match 100% of contributions up to 4% of the employee’s salary
• Funds are vested immediately!

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

• As a 501(c)3, full-time ImmDef staff with qualifying student loans are eligible for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Parking and Public Transportation Stipends

• Staff members assigned to an office without free on-site parking are eligible to receive a parking stipend of up to $130 per month in actual accrued parking or transportation costs.
• Staff in all offices are eligible to receive a public transportation stipend of up to $100 per month in actual accrued public transportation costs.

Cell Phone Stipends

• ImmDef provides a $15 monthly cell phone stipend to staff members whose job duties require them to consistently work at sites outside of ImmDef offices, or travel between ImmDef worksites, and whose jobs require use of their personal cell phones or communications that cannot be accomplished with ImmDef-issued equipment.