Staff Attorney (Immigration Removal Defense)

About the role

Immigrant Defenders Law Center (“ImmDef”) is a next-generation, social justice law firm providing high-quality representation and legal services to immigrants in Southern California and beyond. ImmDef represents thousands of adults, children, and families annually who face complex immigration issues. This position involves direct representation in removal proceedings, legal strategy development, and coordination with other legal professionals.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct representation in removal proceedings to unaccompanied children, adults with mental competency issues, and detained or non-detained adults and families.
• 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-Junctional 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.

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.

Language Proficiency

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

Pay

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.