Staff Attorney

CHIRLA•Los Angeles, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) is seeking a Staff Attorney to join its legal department. This role involves assisting clients with immigration benefits and representation in various legal proceedings, as well as engaging in community-based systemic reform and advocacy. The Staff Attorney will conduct consultations, provide zealous representation, and supervise paralegals or support staff. The position requires staying current with immigration law, making referrals, and potentially assuming caseloads of departing staff. The role also includes reviewing documents prepared by subordinate staff, providing coaching and mentorship, and maintaining professional, compassionate communication with clients. Regular updates on cases and prompt responses to inquiries are expected. Participation in legal screening events and community presentations, including monthly Saturday Legal Triage events, is also a responsibility. The role requires diligent updating of case notes, databases, and tracking sheets, and working collaboratively with colleagues to ensure ethical and efficient client representation. Other duties may be assigned to address urgent issues or priorities.

Requirements

Active attorney license and good standing with a CA State Bar
At least one year’s experience practicing immigration law.
Demonstrated commitment to social justice, progressive social change, empowering communities’ rights and justice
A high level of integrity and the ability to maintain confidentiality
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
Must be flexible to work early morning, evenings and Saturdays during clinical/consultations times as needed
May require some travel in and out of California

Nice To Haves

Fluency or high proficiency in the Spanish language and/or other languages that would allow communication with existing, new or potential clients is preferred as the job requires extensive legal counseling and representation with clients who primarily speak languages other than English.
Experience in assisting noncitizens applying for a wide variety of immigration benefits and processes before USCIS and/or the Immigration Court.
Engaging communication skills that can effectively and independently communicate with diverse audiences and network collaboratively among a variety of stakeholder groups.
Excellent creative problem solving, strategic thinking, and analytical skills.
Excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail.
Experience with providing direct services to the community, ideally in a nonprofit setting.
Experience working with survivors of trauma, victims of violence, and human trafficking
Experience working with underserved and diverse populations.
Ability to be comfortable in a collaborative, consultative environment.
Highly self-motivated, creative, takes initiative, ability to learn quickly, flexible and able to work as part of an interdisciplinary team of legal staff.
Demonstrated experience working effectively as part of a team and with colleagues of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, both in person and within a remote work environment.
Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships within their team, within the legal department and throughout the organization.
Demonstrated ability to be proactive in their approach to assigned responsibilities, completing tasks and/or using technology and systems to maximize efficiency.
Strong commitment to CHIRLA’s mission of empowering low-income community groups.

Responsibilities

Provide representation to clients with cases involving issues such as criminal history, immigration law violations, family law issues, current or previous removal proceedings, appeals, or other issues related to their immigration matters as needed.
Responsible for the preparation, review, revision and submission of any documents needed to address a client’s immigration issues, including but not limited to, applications, motions, legal memos or briefs, petitions or requests, before USCIS and/or immigration court proceedings.
Represent individuals before federal, state or local courts, agencies or tribunals at all levels as needed to properly address and resolve issues for clients in their cases. Such a representation should follow both ethical and professional responsibility obligations as well as funder requirements.
Responsible for creating and communicating timelines and tasks to supervisors, colleagues, and subordinate staff that will properly and efficiently resolve issues to achieve the best possible outcome for clients. Also responsible for communicating this information to clients.
Ability to work effectively under pressure with urgent deadlines.
Research and analyze complex and straightforward legal matters pertaining to own caseload and assuming responsibility and risk for outcomes of client cases.
Screen potential clients for all potential and available immigration benefits that they may qualify for and use that information to assess their ability to successfully pursue and obtain those benefits.
Communicate to potential clients an assessment or evaluation of their immigration cases or circumstances, including but not limited to any rights these individuals possess, any requirements these individuals must complete, and any deadlines they must comply with.
Stay up to date with changes in immigration law and other immigration related developments to be able to provide clients with the best representation possible in their immigration matters.
Make appropriate referrals as necessary for immigration legal services beyond the scope of the program or one’s own competencies, and for other social service needs.
Assume caseload of any departing staff member as needed.
Conduct review of all applications and other documents prepared by subordinate staff that are to be filed with USCIS, the Immigration Court, or other courts, agencies or tribunals prior to their submission. Provide revisions and directions for other staff assigned to the case in order to effect necessary changes or to take actions to properly represent the client.
Provide coaching and mentorship whenever possible to colleagues and subordinate staff to improve their knowledge, skills, accuracy, and efficacy in understanding the practice of the various areas law related to our clients’ cases and to improve the quality of service provided to clients.
Communicate and interact with clients with professionalism, respect, compassion, and sensitivity to their life circumstances and potential or actual trauma that they have suffered.
Maintain regular communication with clients and provide them with updates regarding their cases no later than 90 days after the last case update provided to them.
Respond to any client communications or inquiries no later than within 48 – 72 hours of receipt of message from client(s).
Participate at in-person legal screening events, community presentations, and other special events as scheduled. For example, participation is required on Saturday Legal Triage events, which are scheduled monthly on Saturday mornings (7A – 11A) throughout the year.
Update case notes with any developments or client interactions within 48 - 72 hours to provide accurate and up to date information for other staff to rely on in a timely manner.
Update and maintain all current databases, tracking sheets or other documents mandated by policies and procedures issued by CHIRLA, the legal department, and any legal team(s) to which they are assigned.
Work closely and diligently with all other staff to represent clients in their legal matters ethically, efficiently and properly to maximize client outcomes and deliverable requirements for funders.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as necessary to address urgent issues or priorities either within their assigned team(s), other legal department teams, or for the legal department as a whole.