Staff Attorney, Immigration

Position: Immigration Attorney

Program: Immigration Law Project

Department: Legal Services

Reports to: Manager of Immigration Law Project

Compensation: $84,347 Annually

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

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision; also including Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability, Employee Assistance Program, and a 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, hate crimes/incidents, and police/government misconduct. We have 4 inter-related projects: Community Legal Clinics, Legal Advocacy Project for Survivors/Anti-Violence Project, Immigration Law Project, and Homeless Youth and Housing Rights Project. Each project serves clients 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: Responsible for all aspects of a full-scope immigration client caseload before EOIR and USCIS, including 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. On-site presence at Center Community Program locations, the Department office and/or in court and/or at community partner locations is required 4 days a week.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Manage a significant client caseload of affirmative and defensive cases by directly providing comprehensive legal services for LGBTQ immigrants survivors of violence, including conflict-of-interest checks, over-the-phone and in-person intakes and consultations, preparing applications, obtaining supporting documents, conducting research, preparing briefs, and representing clients at interviews and hearings.

• 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.

• Provide affirmative asylum support by maintaining a client caseload, representing clients at asylum interviews, and organizing and leading workshops for pro-se asylum seekers.

• Participate in community outreach by conducting consultations, intakes, and legal screening at the main department office, Center Community Program Sites, and remotely.

• Collaborate with mental health, health, and youth services providers to deliver holistic, client-centered, strength-based, and trauma-informed legal services to LGBTQI+ immigrant survivors.

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

• Maintain a reliable and consistent onsite presence 5 days a week at main office, Center Community Program Site Locations, and/or in Court.

• Participate in staff meetings with the Center, the Department, its Projects, and external entities.

• Other duties as assigned.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• 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 California State Bar License.

• Experience in providing direct legal services in a non-profit setting.

• Experience in appellate litigation, a plus.

• Passion and demonstrated commitment to serving survivors of violence, including experience working with diverse communities of transgender and undocumented immigrant survivors.

• Experience in delivering inclusive, client-centric culturally responsive services to marginalized LGBTQI+ communities, including survivors of violence and trauma.

• Experience in overseeing a caseload, data reporting, and other vital administrative task.

• Experience in conducting client interviews and consultations, showing empathy and understanding while gathering pertinent information.

• Strong understanding of principles of safety, trust, collaboration, choice, and empowerment in trauma-informed care, with a commitment to ensuring autonomy and agency.

• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships with team members, clients, and stakeholders.

• Bilingual skills, a plus (English/Spanish fluency required).

• Flexibility for occasional evening and community-based work.

• Ability to work on-site 5-days a week at main office and/or Center Community Program Sites and/or Court.

• Access to reliable transportation and the ability to be insured.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expression, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, ages, English-speaking abilities, immigration status, and physical abilities in a multicultural environment.

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, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical/physical/mental condition, pregnancy/childbirth and related medical condition, age, marital status, or veteran status.

The Center has implemented a policy requiring all staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, subject to applicable federal, state and local laws. For more information, please contact [email protected]