Staff Attorney, Immigrant Family Legal Clinic

Worksite location: 701 S Catalina St. (RFK Community Schools), Los Angeles, CA 90005. Onsite requirement: 4 days per week, with one of those days at UCLA School of Law possible. This is a 2-year contract position with the possibility of extension depending on funding.

About the Role

The Senior Staff Attorney is based at ImmFam's office on the campus of RFK Community Schools (701 S Catalina). This position is the clinic's key community-based lawyer, taking primary responsibility for free and confidential legal consultations for RFK students and family members. The attorney coordinates and supervises law students on these consultations.

The majority of consultations involve immigration matters, but some address other legal problems facing immigrant families, including workers' rights, housing, access to public benefits, and encounters with law enforcement. Many consultations will involve limited scope representation and/or preparing warm referrals to partner organizations.

The Senior Staff Attorney will also manage the Clinic's docket: organizing the waitlist, working closely with the Clinic Director on case selection for full representation, and assisting with the legal needs of existing clients after law students have wrapped up. Depending on interest and capacity, they may take a select number of cases for full representation and/or supervise the Clinic's junior staff attorney's work on individual cases.

The attorney will work closely with the rest of the Clinic's RFK-based staff, including the Office Manager, Clinic junior staff attorney, legal assistant, undergraduate interns, and Director of Social Work. Along with the Clinic Director, they will ensure the office is a collaborative and nurturing workspace for staff, students, clients, and school-based partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide free and confidential legal consultations to RFK students and family members, primarily in immigration matters, but also in workers' rights, housing, public benefits, and law enforcement encounters.
• Coordinate and supervise law students during consultations.
• Manage the Clinic's docket, including organizing the waitlist and assisting with case selection for full representation.
• Assist with the legal needs of existing clients after law students have completed their work.
• Take on a select number of cases for full representation and/or supervise the junior staff attorney's work on individual cases, depending on interest and capacity.
• Collaborate with Clinic staff to maintain a productive, inclusive, and supportive workspace.

Requirements

• Minimum of two years of legal practice experience (required).
• Five or more years of legal practice experience (preferred).
• Demonstrated experience with or substantive knowledge of immigration law (required).
• Demonstrated experience and interest in working with low-wage workers, immigrants, refugees, and/or other vulnerable populations (required).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, organize workflow, and follow through on assignments with minimal supervision (required).
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to work effectively under heavy workloads, frequent distractions, and deadlines (required).
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with others to reach decisions, conclusions, or solutions (required).
• Ability to communicate effectively with individuals and groups from diverse social contexts, including immigrant communities (preferred).
• Ability to work flexibly with changing priorities and deadlines (required).
• Ability to work in a busy, dynamic office setting shared by numerous people (required).
• Ability to commute to RFK Community School (primary workplace), UCLA Law, LAUSD partner schools, and other offsite locations as needed.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree or other law degree from a State Bar-accredited or American Bar Association-approved law school (required).
• Member in good standing of the State Bar of California and commitment to maintaining that standing through continuing legal education (required).
• Demonstrated ability to read, write, and speak fluently in Spanish (required).

Special Conditions for Employment

• Continued employment is contingent upon completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
• A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.
• Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible for hire.

Pay

UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure, and certifications, among other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common.

Benefits

Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate total compensation value with benefits.

Schedule

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with occasional evening or weekend time instead.