Project Director (Attorney) of the Los Angeles County Detained Immigrant Defense Bar Panel, USC Gould Immigration Clinic

University of Southern California•Los Angeles, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA) has established the Los Angeles County Detained Immigrant Defense Bar Panel, which is administered by the USC Gould School of Law Immigration Clinic. The Gould Immigration Clinic is seeking applications for a Project Director for this new initiative. The Bar Panel will be composed of immigration attorneys in private practice or employed by nonprofit organizations who will be compensated for providing legal representation in immigration court to detained residents of Los Angeles County. The Project Director will have responsibility for the administration of the Bar Panel, including vetting Bar Panel applicants, conducting client intakes, placing cases, providing technical assistance to Bar Panel members, administering payments to Bar Panel members, monitoring compliance with Bar Panel requirements, and providing case tracking reports. The Project Director will supervise support staff who will assist with these activities. Bar Panel members will represent clients in immigration and / or U.S. District Court matters that include bond hearings, credible fear interviews, removal proceedings, and habeas corpus petitions. The Bar Panel will concentrate on providing representation to individuals while detained. If released from detention, after providing appropriate assistance with change of venue, providing referral information for new non-detained legal representation and case management services, the Bar Panel will generally no longer provide representation. The Project Director will work with and be overseen by the co-directors of the Gould Immigration Clinic. The Project Director will also regularly consult with and coordinate with the Office of Immigrant Affairs in the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA).

Requirements

J.D. degree
Admission to and active California Bar license (attorneys admitted outside of California will be considered)
Minimum of 5 years of experience practicing immigration law
Experience with representation of clients in removal proceedings and bond proceedings in immigration court
Strong management skills
Strong organizational skills
Experience supervising staff members
Ability to work independently
Fluency in Spanish