Immigration Staff Attorney

Description

About the Organization  

Canal Alliance exists to break the generational cycle of poverty for Latino immigrants and their families by lifting barriers to their success. 

Canal Alliance is a nonprofit champion of immigrants who are challenged by a lack of resources and an unfamiliar environment. Every day, we educate, empower, support, and partner with motivated immigrants to best meet all their unique needs—from putting food on the table, to becoming American citizens, to learning English, to graduating from college. 

Canal Alliance strives for a trauma-informed collaborative and inclusive culture. We invest in high quality services, professional development, and work-life balance. 

Position Summary

The Staff Attorney will represent ILS clients in a variety of humanitarian immigration matters, focusing on public charge.  

The Staff Attorney should be comfortable cultivating relationships with community members, students, attorneys, and corporations. 

The Staff Attorney will maintain a caseload representing clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). 

The Staff Attorney will work in a collaborative and trauma-informed environment delivering high quality service. This is a full-time, exempt position with a hybrid work model requiring three days a week in the office. Must be available to attend hearings and interviews in San Francisco as needed, as well as travel within the Bay Area. The Staff Attorney reports to the Senior Supervising Attorney of the Affirmative Unit. 

Responsibilities

• Remain current on changes to public charge and provide updates within the agency and to the community through public charge consultations and various outreach events 
• Prepare written materials and presentations on public charge 
• Coordinate with local health clinics to provide individual public charge consultations 
• Organize events and workshops to address the concerns of the community regarding public charge 
• Develop and implement an ILS Pro Bono Program and internal procedures for pro bono case management to provide education and outreach on public charge as well as case assistance as needed and capacity permitting  
• Conduct client intakes, consultations, provide eligibility assessment, develop case strategy, and represent individuals before USCIS in a variety of humanitarian applications 
• Cover hearings before EOIR as needed  
• Assure all cases are filed timely in accordance with departmental policies and grant deliverable timelines 
• Comply with ILS policies, procedures, and best practices, including entering data into our case management software (LawLogix), collecting fees, executing contracts with clients, and filing applications in a timely manner  
• Compile client data for reporting requirements  
• Participate in regular peer review meetings, one-on-one check-in meetings with supervisor, Affirmative Unit meetings, ILS department meetings, all staff meetings, and quarterly all-staff retreats 
• Attend immigration legal trainings and behavioral health trainings as needed 
• Participate in other team and agency meetings 
• Assist Senior Supervising Attorney in improving effective and efficient inter- and intra-agency referral systems.  
• Special projects as assigned by the Senior Supervising Attorney 

Requirements

• J.D. and a member in good standing of any state bar
• Ability to effectively communicate with, train and manage legal practitioners with varied experience
• Bilingual -English and Spanish- oral and written fluency
• Project management experience preferred
• Experience working with LawLogix or other legal case management software preferred
• Able to sit for an extended period and sufficient mobility to work in standard office/courtroom setting
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational, communication, writing and analytical skills
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment and excel in working individually/remotely as well as in a team setting
• Commitment to serving immigrants and sensitivity to the needs of low-income, vulnerable clients
• Canal Alliance requires all staff be COVID vaccinated except for those who have medical or religious beliefs exemptions

Compensation

This is a full-time, exempt position with benefits. We offer a competitive salary range from $80,000-$85,000 with a benefits package that includes: 

• 3 weeks paid vacation per year 
• 12 days of sick leave per year 
• Paid Birthd