Staff Attorney - San Francisco - Legal Services for Children

Description

Staff Attorney (Immigration)

ABOUT THE POSITION  

LSC seeks an attorney to represent children in immigration proceedings. Our immigration clients are primarily monolingual Spanish speakers and also include Central American and Mexican indigenous youth as well as youth of African descent. We welcome applicants at all levels and provide opportunities for training and leadership.  Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. 

Key areas of responsibilities include:  

·      Conducting legal screenings, client interviews, and factual and legal investigations, counseling clients, developing case strategies and case plans, and engaging in oral and written advocacy as part of representing children in immigration matters (primarily Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Asylum, T and U visa cases)  

·      Representing non-detained youth in Immigration Court proceedings and related state court matters (probate guardianship and dependency as needed), as well as applications before U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) and cases before Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)  

·      Engaging in advocacy efforts on behalf of children, including conducting community presentations for children, families, schools, and community organizations  

·      Representing LSC in local and national coalitions and collaboratives as needed  

·      Occasional on-call attorney rotations with the Rapid Response Network

·      Other duties as assigned

You can get further details about the nature of this opening, and what is expected from applicants, by reading the below.

Qualifications:  

· years experience as a licensed attorney. Current California Bar Membership in good standing preferred – candidates barred in good standing in other states who are eligible for provisional licensure will also be considered, but presence in the SF Bay Area is required. We will consider candidates with pending Bar Exam results.

·      Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred 

·      Prior experience in the practice of immigration law preferred

·      Experience working with children who have experienced trauma preferred

·      Excellent research, analytical, writing and verbal communication skills  

·      A strong commitment to the rights of youth  

·      Ability to respond quickly and efficiently to the demands and deadlines of a fast-paced caseload  

·      Well-organized, motivated, creative, and independent, yet also able to work cooperatively in an interdisciplinary team-oriented environment  

·      Commitment to providing services with cultural humility and with an approach that values all individuals and respects differences regarding race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, socio-economic circumstance, immigration status, and record of arrest or conviction  

·      Ability to work efficiently and effectively under pressure and in crisis situations  

SALARY & BENEFITS 

Salary scale is non-negotiable and is based on years of relevant full-time experience as an attorney, ranging from $78,13 years). Benefits include fully paid health insurance for employees and majority paid for child dependents (medical, dental, and vision), retirement contribution and generous paid leave (vacation, sick, holiday, and sabbatical). LSC also offers a flexible spending account for qualified health expenditures.

LSC has a "hybrid" model in which the employee can work a blend of field, home and office. This position is based in San Francisco and requires presence in the area with the ability to come to the office and other locations in the Bay Area.

This position is in a bargaining unit represented by IFPTE Local 20.

APPLICATION PROCESS 

Please send cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to   with "Immigration Staff Attorney" in the subject line. In your cover letter, please address the following in order for your application to be considered:

LSC's clientele is extremely diverse, and the majority of our clients are low-income youth of color. To ensure that our agency is best serving these children, LSC strives to promote an evolving set of behaviors and attitudes amongst our staff, as well as policies that enable us to work effectively in all cross-cultural situations, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community. We see this as a commitment to enhance the provision of our services to all clients; to raise the level of positive client outcomes; and to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued. How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural humility and diversity amongst our staff? Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences.

ABOUT LEGAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN  

Founded in 1975, Legal Services for Children ("LSC") is one of the country's first non-profit law firms dedicated to providing free legal representation and social work services to children. Our mission is to ensure that all children in the San Francisco Bay Area are raised in a safe environment with equal access to a meaningful education and other services that are necessary to thrive and grow. We believe that youth deserve positive alternatives to unnecessary placement in foster care, juvenile justice facilities, and immigration detention. LSC started the interdisciplinary approach that is considered a best practice in juvenile law today. We deploy attorney-social worker teams to assist Bay Area children who need to access the legal system to stabilize or improve their lives. LSC's attorneys represent children in legal matters that involve guardianship, dependency, school discipline, immigration, and other civil legal matters. Our social workers provide crisis intervention, case management, counseling, and psychosocial assessments. LSC staff also engage in policy and advocacy projects aimed at advancing the rights of children.  

To promote social justice and best serve our clients, LSC is committed to maintaining a diverse staff and providing services with cultural humility.  We are committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion and ensuring a workplace where staff can flourish and grow professionally, and well beyond. We strongly encourage candidates from traditionally underrepresented communities and historically oppressed groups including People of Color and LGBTQ individuals to apply. xhmxlyz   Bilingual/bicultural candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.