Supervising Attorney | Deportation Defense Unit

Carecen; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

CARECEN seeks a Supervising Attorney for the Deportation Defense Unit in Los Angeles. The role oversees day‑to‑day operations, staff, and legal services, collaborating with the DDU Managing and Supervising Attorneys across LA and San Bernardino offices.

The attorney will also support CARECEN’s policy advocacy efforts. Required are a law degree and California bar admission, strong immigration law knowledge, and 3–4 years in removal defense.

Qualifications

• Law degree and active admission to the California bar.
• Excellent legal skills and broad knowledge of immigration law.
• 3–4 years of substantive immigration law experience preferred.
• 3–4 years in removal defense preferred.
• Bilingual fluency English/Spanish required.
• Experience supervising support staff.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Commitment to CARECEN's mission and goals.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Commitment to a diverse work environment.
• Ability to develop innovative service delivery models with limited resources.

Responsibilities

• Supervise DDU staff in LA and San Bernardino offices.
• Assign cases, monitor timesheets, and manage caseloads.
• Organize trainings and staff development activities.
• Conduct regular case reviews with legal staff.
• Perform performance evaluations for staff.
• Recruit, hire, and evaluate team members.
• Provide consultations and represent applicants before USCIS, Immigration Court, and state courts.
• Manage own complex caseload and mentor staff on complex cases.
• Engage in outreach, presentations, and community education.
• Respond to media requests on immigration issues.
• Develop relationships with local partners and funders.
• Participate in grant writing and reporting for grants.

Skills

Immigration law

Supervisory experience

Bilingual English/Spanish

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Independent worker

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

• Supervising Attorney | Deportation Defense Unit

Supervising Attorney | Deportation Defense Unit

Job Title: Supervising Attorney

Classification & FLSA Status:Full time | Exempt

Salary: $90,000 - $105,000, depending on experience

Department: Legal Department | Deportation Defense Unit

Reports to: Managing Attorney

Location: Hybrid - Telecommute and CARECEN’s Los Angeles Office

Job Summary: The Supervising Attorney will be responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations, personnel, and legal service provision at CARECEN’s Los Angeles office in the Deportation Defense Unit. The Supervising Attorney works in close collaboration with the DDU Managing and Supervising Attorneys in CARECEN’s Los Angeles and San Bernardino offices. The Supervising Attorney is also responsible for supporting CARECEN’s policy advocacy efforts.

Job Requirements/Essential Functions

• Supervise and direct DDU staff in the Los Angeles and San Bernardino offices, including assigning cases, monitoring timesheets, managing caseloads, planning and conducting legal case review, as well as organizing trainings and other professional development activities for staff, and handling the process of discipline and grievance adjustment
• Conduct trainings and facilitate ongoing legal education for team
• Conduct regular individual case review with legal staff
• Conduct periodic written & performance evaluation for legal staff
• Recruit, hire, and evaluate team staff
• Provide individual consultations, prepare cases, represent applicants before USCIS, the Immigration Court, the California State Court, and on appeal
• Manage own caseload of complex cases for ongoing legal development and review of staff complex cases
• Responsible for presentations, outreach and community education activities
• Respond to media requests on relevant immigration issues
• Develop relationships with local CBOs, law schools, foundations, government and other organizations
• Participate in grant writing, including the planning of grant proposals, reviewing drafts by development staff, and conducting primary grant writing duties when necessary
• Monitor team goals and deliverables and facilitate reporting to various grants
• Participate in policy advocacy on immigration issues relevant to CARECEN’s mission, including conducting primary writing duties on policy pieces and public comments when necessary
• Facilitate and/ or conduct team meetings
• Facilitate legal staff meetings when Managing Attorney or Legal Director is unavailable
• Conduct team bonding activities and retreat for ongoing staff support and team morale
• Other duties as assigned by the Managing Attorney

Required Skills/Qualifications

• Law degree and active admission to the bar of California
• Excellent legal skills and broad knowledge of immigration law
• 3-4 years of substantive immigration law experience strongly preferred
• 3-4 years of experience in removaldefense, including detained and released removal defense strongly preferred
• Bilingual fluency in spoken and written (English/Spanish) required
• Experience supervising support staff
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills required
• Ability to work independently
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and goals of CARECEN
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Commitment to working in a diverse working environment
• Ability to develop and implement innovative models of service delivery with limited resources and leverage other community resources
• Ability to effectively work and communicate with diverse groups of individuals, including representatives of government, foundations, English/Spanish media, and other grassroots organizations

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Supervising Attorney directly supervises a team of attorneys, accredited representatives, legal assistants, and support staff and carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the employer’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

This job operates in a professional office environment. The position requires the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary. Flexible work from home schedule may be offered. Work is performed in a variety of work settings, including a hybrid office and work from home model depending on COVID-19 office policy, CARECEN’s offices, workspace provided by others including community libraries and other government facilities, among others.

Classification & Work Schedule

Office hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday during which time staff is required to be available for clients, additional work hours are required based on the needs of the organization. This is a full-time, exempt position. The normal office hours for this position is 35 hours, but a greater emphasis of hours is placed on meeting the responsibilities assigned to the position. Responsibilities may require working evenings and some weekends. Exempt employees do not receive overtime compensation, compensatory time off, or additional compensation beyond the salary assigned to the position.

Travel Requirements

This position is based out of CARECEN’s Los Angeles office and requires occasional travel to CARECEN’s San Bernardino office and Van Nuys office. The position also requires occasional travel to Immigration Courts in Adelanto, Los Angeles, Van Nuys, and Santa Ana, State Courts around the Southern California region, and the Adelanto ICE Processing Center and Desert View Annex. The position may comprise up to 50% of travel time. Mileage reimbursement is available. Ability to drive with a valid CA license and a registered vehicle is preferred.

CARECEN offers a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. Supplemental insurance and a 403(b) retirement savings plan are also available. Paid time off is also provided.

Application Deadline

CARECEN is an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants shallreceive consideration foret employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ethnic group identification, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, political affiliation, condition of physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation, in accordance with requirements of Federal and State laws.