Staff Attorney - Immigrants & Workers’ Rights (Farmworker Project)

For over 50 years, Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys, volunteers, and staff help resolve civil legal problems, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation, regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a hybrid work environment. Our office, located in downtown Chicago at 200 N. LaSalle Street, is ADA accessible and has convenient access to public transportation and local expressways. This position may require travel to court or other outreach events.

Position: Legal Aid Chicago’s Immigrants & Workers’ Rights Practice Group (“IWR”) seeks a full-time Staff Attorney to provide direct legal services and outreach to migrant and seasonal agricultural workers who work in Illinois. This position reports to either a Supervising Attorney or Director.

Responsibilities: Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provide comprehensive legal services to agricultural worker clients with employment law related matters, including unemployment, wage theft, discrimination, unlawful working and housing conditions, human trafficking, and pesticide exposure, and immigration law matters including labor-based U visas and T visas for survivors of human trafficking
• Represent agricultural workers in administrative complaints and state or federal litigation
• Conduct community outreach throughout Illinois to migrant agricultural workers
• Train stakeholders on identifying the legal needs of agricultural worker clients
• Make appropriate referrals to outside agencies
• Attend training and maintain up-to-date knowledge of current farmworker law issues
• Assist with grant reporting requirements
• Help supervise law student interns
• Other duties as determined by the Supervising Attorney and Director.

The attorney will work with staff of Legal Aid Chicago’s IWR Practice Group, which provides legal services statewide. IWR consists of four projects: Farmworker Legal Assistance, Immigration, Employment, and Human Trafficking.

Salary and Benefits: 

This position is part of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers, UAW Local 2320. The Collective Bargaining Agreement sets employment terms and compensation is determined by the CBA salary scale, based on paid experience.

The budgeted salary range for this position is $69,433-$77,090, which reflects 0-10 years of paid, credited experience. 

Legal Aid Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Bilingual Staff Attorneys are eligible for an additional stipend
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, effective the first day of employment
• Time Off: 15 vacation days and 18 sick days accrued within the first year of employment
• 19 paid holidays, including four (4) floating holidays
• Twelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of the salary after six months of employment
• 403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution after one year of employment
• $50,000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance, at no cost
• Access to Employee Assistance Program resources, at no cost
• Monthly internet reimbursement
• Legal Aid Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is an eligible employer for the federal public service loan forgiveness program

Applicants must have a J.D. degree and be a member of the Illinois bar or have taken the Illinois bar by fall 2026. The successful applicant will be collegial, well-organized, and demonstrate a commitment to and experience with our client communities and/or people living in poverty, especially in issues affecting migrant and seasonal farm workers, and applicants are encouraged to share that experience in their cover letter. Applicants must have Spanish fluency, a driver’s license and good driving record, excellent communication skills, the ability to work well under pressure, and a commitment to working with a diverse team of advocates.

To Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, and the contact information of two primary professional references and one alternative professional reference. For applicants with previous work experience, at least one reference must be a former supervisor. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled.

Legal Aid Chicago is firmly committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of creed, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital or parental status, alienage, disability, political affiliation or belief, military or military discharge status, ex-offender status, family responsibilities, reproductive health decisions  or any other protected status.

If an accommodation is needed to complete this application, contact Human Resources at humanresources@legalaidchicago.org.

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding an application status. We will contact candidates who are selected for the next stage of the hiring process.