Staff Attorney

Job Summary & Position Rationale

The Staff Attorney is responsible for providing direct legal representation, consultations, and case management for immigrants seeking immigration benefits. This role provides both affirmative and removal defense immigration cases, ensuring that individuals and families receive high-quality legal services to secure lawful status, work authorization, and protection under U.S. immigration law. They will represent clients with both affirmative and removal defense immigration needs. They will also conduct legal consultations, case assessments, and application preparation, ensuring clients receive thorough and compassionate legal assistance.

Duties & Responsibilities

1. Represent clients in affirmative and removal defense immigration matters, including detained and non-detained individuals, before USCIS, EOIR Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and other relevant California state courts.
2. Provide full-scope removal defense representation to clients, including bond hearings, merits hearings, motions, appeals, and post-order relief.
3. Provide direct representation to unaccompanied minors, including proceedings before USCIS, EOIR, and state court child welfare matters such as guardianship and custody for SIJS eligibility.
4. Conduct client intakes, legal consultations, and case assessments for individuals, families, children, community members, and students, including those in immigration detention.
5. Participate in triage meetings to screen potential clients and identify urgent or high-priority cases.
6. Prepare, file, and litigate applications and petitions for immigration benefits, including but not limited to: Naturalization, DACA, Employment Authorization, Family-Based Petitions, Adjustment of Status, LPR renewal, Consular Processing, Parole-in-Place, Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and CAT relief, SIJS, U Visas, VAWA, T Visas, Temporary Protected Status, Other humanitarian and discretionary relief.
7. Draft and submit legal briefs, motions, affidavits, declarations and supporting documentation for affirmative filings, removal filings and other court filings.
8. Collect and organize supporting evidence, country conditions reports and expert evaluations or reports in support of affirmative relief, removal relief and other court filings.
9. Prepare clients for USCIS interviews, immigration court hearings, and other proceedings, using trauma-informed and client-centered advocacy.
10. Review criminal records and dispositions and analyze immigration consequences, including inadmissibility, deportability, and eligibility for relief.
11. Supervise, mentor, and provide technical assistance to non-accredited staff, DOJ-accredited representatives, legal assistants, interns, fellows, volunteers, and service providers, including support for DOJ accreditation and renewal.
12. Stay updated on immigration law changes, USCIS policies, and relevant case law, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
13. Conduct community legal education and outreach, including Know Your Rights presentations, immigration information sessions, and workshops (e.g., naturalization and DACA events).
14. Maintain accurate, timely, and detailed case records in legal case management systems and ensure compliance with documentation and filing deadlines.
15. Collaborate with schools, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and service providers to ensure accessible legal services.
16. Track work hours, case outcomes, and grant deliverables, ensuring accurate reporting for funders and stakeholders.
17. Work closely with program leadership to maximize case quality and output while maintaining ethical and professional standards.
18. Participate in staff meetings, case reviews, internal policy discussions, and program development activities.
19. Support organizational fundraising efforts, community advancement initiatives, and application workshops, as assigned.
20. Attend court hearings, detention facilities, community colleges, service centers, outreach events, and trainings as required, including domestic travel within and outside California, and occasional evenings or weekends.
21. Complete additional duties, job-related training, and professional development as assigned.

Work Environment, Conditions & Requirements:

• Work generally takes place within an office environment. Air quality is good, with typically adequate lighting at desks/workstations. Occasionally, they will be expected to perform work duties in outdoor spaces during events or services related to outreach, walk-ins, high-demand service days, etc.
• Noise conditions are moderate and limited to self and others on telephone calls and general interactions with coworkers and the public.
• When performing most job duties, they will work in a private or shared office space with a designated workspace
• At times, they may be required to provide coverage or support in shared working environments.
• Works independently on day-to-day tasks and works collaboratively alongside other staff, volunteers, contractors, or interns as needed.
• Some travel may be required to pick up equipment, attend training, etc.
• Schedule - Typical work hours will be between 8-5 PM, with events on evenings and weekends as needed.

Physical Requirements

• able to hear staff on the phone and those served in person and speak clearly to communicate information to patients and staff.
• able to read memos, computer screens, personnel forms, and clinical and administrative documents.
• able to use fingers and hands to type on a keyboard or phone, print or scan documents, etc.
• able to sit or stand at a desk for extended periods.

Work Environment Accommodation Request

You can request a worksite accommodation to support a personal or medical need. Please note that any listed work environment accommodation request will undergo an interactive process that involves you (as the employee) and ELF leadership in determining a workable solution. If necessary, ELF will request documentation supporting your personal or medical needs.