Attorney, Immigration Law Project

Position: Attorney - Immigration Law Project

Program: Immigration Law Project

Department: Legal Services

Reports to: Manager. Immigration Law Project

Compensation: $92,761 Annually

Status: 100%, Full-Time, Regular, Exempt

Probation: 180 days

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, and 403(b) Retirement Plan

CENTER’S MISSION: Building a world where LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society.

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:  The Legal Services Department provides trauma-informed and client-centered holistic services, including consultations, representation, legal advocacy, and safety planning to members of the LGBTQI+ communities, with a focus on serving transgender, non-binary and intersex adults, immigrants at-risk of deportation, and youth and seniors at risk of homelessness. Our clients are predominantly BIPOC survivors of violence and discrimination, including domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, hate crimes/incidents, and police/government misconduct. We have 3 inter-related projects: Community Legal Clinics, Immigration Law Project, and Homeless Youth and Housing Rights Project. At the center of our work is Survivor Services, with which all our projects work closely, and which includes the Legal Advocacy Project for Survivors/Anti-Violence Project.  All clients are served at multiple locations, including: the Trans Wellness Center in Koreatown, Mi Centro in Boyle Heights, Center South in Leimert Park, and the Village and the Youth Center—across from each other in Hollywood.

JOB SUMMARY: The Immigration Law Project Attorney will provide comprehensive, trauma informed legal services to LGBTQ+ immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other violence based upon identity. Under the supervision of the Immigration Law Project Manager, and working closely with Survivor Services, responsibilities include handling all aspects of a significant immigration client caseload before EOIR and USCIS; recognizing and triaging the needs of clients within the context of available resources, both within and outside the Los Angeles LGBT Center (Center); and being responsive to community and institutional needs. Presence on- site and/or at community partner locations 4 days a week is required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Direct Client Support

•    Manage a significant immigration client caseload by directly providing comprehensive trauma informed legal services to LGBTQ+ immigrant survivors of violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, as well as caseload of defensive cases before EOIR at the various regional Immigration Courts. 

•    Conduct conflict-of-interest checks, over-the-phone and in-person immigration intakes and consultations, prepare applications, obtain supporting documents, conduct research, prepare briefs, and represent clients at interviews and before EOIR and USCIS.

•    Provide removal defense to LGBTQ+ immigrant survivors detained by the Department of Homeland Security at local detention facilities, including providing remote parole/bond support to those detained in remote facilities.

•    Work in collaboration with Survivor Services staff, as well as mental health, healthcare, and youth services providers in furtherance of providing LGBTQ+ immigrant survivors with coordinated legal services that are holistic, client-centered, strength-based, and trauma-informed. This includes doing legal work to advance the protections provided by U-Visas, T-Visas and VAWA.   

•    Provide immigration consultations, intakes, and legal screenings at different office locations of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and within community centers and spaces around Los Angeles.

Community Outreach

•    Attend and convene meetings and community events to develop, sustain and strengthen new and existing coalitions and collaborations with immigrant legal service providers, immigrant advocacy organizations, victim support agencies, social services providers, and government agencies.

•    Develop, sustain, and strengthen educational outreach to immigrant communities.

Program Support

•    Assist with writing grant proposals and reports, conduct supportive research to help sustain and strengthen the project, and partner with internal Center resources to strengthen media presence.

•    Daily attention to administrative and operational responsibilities to ensure reporting compliance, including detailed and comprehensive data collection.

•    Participate in meetings within the Legal Services Department, throughout the Center, and with external entities.

•    Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of or experience working with the LGBTQ community and familiarity with issues of particular relevance to LGBTQ people.

A passion for the Center’s work and its mission to make the world a better place for LGBTQ people.

Active member in California State Bar or another state bar.

Verbal and written fluency in Spanish and English. 

3 years of experience with managing a significant immigration removal defense client caseload, including substantial litigation experience.

3 years of experience in a non-profit setting, in providing trauma-informed, empathetic, and culturally responsive direct legal services to members of LGBTQI+ BIPOC communities, including transgender communities, who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, hate crimes and other violence. This requires both an understanding of the unique issues facing these communities, and experience in ensuring client safety, autonomy, agency, choice, and empowerment.

Organizational and time management skills, including the ability to balance and prioritize multiple responsibilities, including providing direct legal services, data inputting and grant reporting, and other administrative tasks that require attention to detail. 

Demonstrated commitment to self-care.

Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to effectively convey complex legal information to clients, staff and volunteers who are not attorneys; and experience in giving presentations/trainings. 

Experience in being part of, creating and sustaining inclusive and engaging workplaces that promote positive interactions, trust, and collaborations with clients, team members and volunteers in a multicultural environment that includes diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, ages, English-speaking abilities, immigration status, and physical abilities.

Location in Los Angeles, flexibility for occasional evening and community-based weekend work, access to reliable transportation and ability to be insured. 

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering diversity within its staff. Applications are encouraged from all persons regardless of their race, color, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, religion, disability, age, military or veteran status, including status as a victim of domestic violence, assault or stalking, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation or activities, medical or health conditions, and marital status.

The Center has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy as a condition of employment for all employees who work on the Center’s premises, subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws. For more information, please contact jobs@lalgbtcenter.org.