Immigration & Citizenship Staff Attorney

We are looking for an Immigration & Citizenship Staff Attorney to join our team in Orange County!

WHO WE ARE

We are the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). Our mission is to advocate for civil rights, provide legal services and education, and build coalitions to positively influence and impact Asian Pacific Americans and to create a more equitable and harmonious society. We serve more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year, focusing on the most vulnerable members of Asian American and NHPI communities while also building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice. With our Advancing Justice affiliates in Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., we enrich, enhance, and serve our communities all across the country.

WHAT WE BRING

• The special opportunity to join a mission driven team
• Flexible, hybrid work schedules
• Rich medical, dental and vision benefits
• Retirement options through 403B and match

WHO YOU ARE

You share our mission of advocacy for Asian Pacific Americans. You enjoy the thrill of serving the public interest while championing civil rights and social justice. You take pride in your work enriching lives and communities in Los Angeles and across the country. You are looking for your next role in an organization that supports your career as much as you support the organization and its goals. You are looking for a job where you make a difference, and your impact is directly proportional to your contribution. You are a game changer. You are a leader. You are an advocate.

WHAT YOU BRING

• J.D. and active membership in California State Bar
• Minimum four years of immigration experience, including immigration court experience, with experience working with victims of crimes and removal proceedings.
• Experience assisting immigrant, limited English speaking and/or low-income clients
• Experience appearing in immigration court preferred
• Bilingual / biliterate in at least one Asian or Pacific Islander language (Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Khmer, Samoan, Tongan or others) preferred 
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends
• Valid driver's license and/or access to alternative means of transportation

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Staff Attorney works directly on complex immigration cases, including on immigration cases dealing with victims of crimes (VAWA, U, T visas, etc), affirmative applications with USCIS (Naturalization applications, family petitions, Adjustment of Status, etc) and removal defense cases, provides technical support and capacity building to other nonprofit organizations on immigration, and staffs evening and weekend workshops. Primary duties assigned to the staff attorney include, but are not limited to, providing direct application assistance in complex immigration cases, providing legal representation for diverse clients with complex immigration cases before USCIS and Immigration Court, including appeals and habeas petitions, and conducting immigration trainings for other CBOs and partner agencies. Will also engage in community outreach efforts for Orange County based legal programs and clinics with an emphasis on Immigration.

Your day-to-day typically includes:

70% Provide direct application assistance with immigration cases

• Undertake administrative and logistical duties related to direct application assistance
• Conduct legal review of immigration cases
• Provide legal representation for diverse clients with complex immigration cases before USCIS and Immigration Court
• Maintain an active caseload to meet project deliverables
• Regular travel to detention centers

20% All other program support

• Work with team to conduct community centric outreach and education for immigration and homelessness prevention
• Attend outreach engagements with local community based organizations and adult education centers to present information sessions on immigration and housing law
• Provide supportive legal outreach and intakes

10% Provide Technical Assistance and Support

• Organize and implement various immigration trainings
• Work with intake staff to provide immigration consultations, reviewing and approving appoint-ments; answering immigration related questions and documents
• Provide technical assistance and/or coordination support of workshops and clinics
• All other duties as assigned