Immigration Attorney and Legal Assistant

Cabrera & Hart Law is a boutique immigration litigation, criminal defense, and post-conviction practice dedicated to high-quality legal representation rather than high-volume case processing. We intentionally limit our caseload so that every client receives thoughtful, individualized representation, and the large majority of our cases originate through client and attorney referrals.

Our practice focuses on complex immigration matters, including removal defense, federal litigation, waivers, VAWA, vacatur of convictions, criminal-immigration defense, and complex USCIS, BIA, and federal court filings. We also handle family petitions, adjustment of status, I-601 and I-601A waivers, U visas, and other forms of relief, including N-400 and Parole in Place for Military Family Members, as well as Advanced Parole through DACA.

We are a collaborative office that values professionalism, efficiency, and intellectual curiosity. We embrace technology and artificial intelligence as tools to improve efficiency and quality, while recognizing that excellent legal judgment is essential.

About the role

As a boutique firm, we are looking for an attorney candidate who is interested in jumping right in and getting hands-on experience. This is not a position where a new attorney will be stuck reviewing depositions or being third chair on a removal case. You do not need to have court experience, as the firm's managing partner and owner is very hands-on, and we have a strong training process in place.

We are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys legal writing, which is very helpful for this position, though you will have access to an extensive database of templates and previously filed motions, briefs, and waivers. You will work directly with Attorney Kristen Hart, who will mentor and train you in complex immigration litigation and legal writing. Over time, you will become one of the primary authors of first drafts for many of the firm's most sophisticated filings.

Our firm is rapidly expanding, and we are looking for a person who takes pride in their work and considers themselves detail-oriented. This position offers excellent work-life balance, and the associate will almost never be expected to work more than 40 hours/week. We offer flexible vacation and sick day policies, summer Fridays, and highly competitive referral compensation for cases that associate attorneys refer to the office.

For the legal assistant position, this role is ideal for someone who enjoys working with clients, organizing facts, building humanitarian narratives, and, depending on experience level, drafting persuasive arguments and improving written work. If you have experience in immigration law, that would be a huge bonus, but it is not required.

Responsibilities

• Drafting first versions of legal briefs for:
  • I-601A Provisional Waivers
  • I-601 Waivers
  • I-212 Applications for Permission to Reapply
  • Motions to Reopen
  • Motions to Continue Immigration Court Motions
  • Bond Motions
  • Habeas Petitions
• Reviewing medical records, psychological evaluations, criminal records, and country conditions evidence.
• Organizing complex evidence into persuasive legal arguments.
• Conducting legal research using statutes, regulations, BIA precedent, federal case law, and agency guidance.
• Working with AI tools to improve efficiency while independently verifying all legal authority, citations, and factual assertions.
• Assisting with development of the firm's internal legal knowledge base, templates, research library, and drafting systems.
• Collaborating with legal assistants to identify evidentiary gaps and strengthen client declarations.

Who We're Looking For

We're much more interested in how you think than what title you currently have, or your direct immediate experience in immigration law. Ideal candidates may include:

• Experienced immigration paralegals
• Recent law school graduates
• Newly licensed attorneys
• Experienced legal writers
• Judicial externs or law clerks with exceptional writing skills
• Legal assistants who are strong writers
• Individuals who have never worked in a law firm but are in paralegal school and interested in doing so in the future

We are willing to train the right person.

Qualifications

• Excellent writing and grammar
• Strong research skills
• Exceptional organizational abilities
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Intellectual curiosity
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to accept and incorporate feedback
• Interest in immigration law and litigation
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat
• Experience using AI thoughtfully and responsibly in legal drafting is strongly preferred
• Spanish fluency is extremely helpful but not required for the attorney position; it is required for the legal assistant position

Pay

The anticipated salary range for legal assistants is approximately $36,000–$55,000, depending on qualifications. The anticipated range for attorneys is $70,000–$125,000 depending on experience, excluding performance bonuses, holiday bonuses, and referral compensation. We are open to both full-time and part-time arrangements for attorneys.

Schedule

Both positions are full-time, but we are also willing to consider starting both offerings as part-time positions, with a minimum of 20 hours/week. The start date is flexible but ideally in the next few months.