About our Catholic Charities Family

We seek compassionate, talented individuals with a heart for helping others and making a positive impact on the lives of men, women, and children across our large region. People of faith helping people in need achieve self-sufficiency and live with dignity.

Job Description

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is seeking a full-time, experienced Staff Attorney to provide direct legal representation to clients served by St. Francis Cabrini Immigration and Legal Services Program in immigration matters.

Join our team as a Staff Attorney! The Staff Attorney works under the direct supervision of Senior Attorney and/or Managing Attorney and collaborates with a team of legal assistants, paralegals, and other Cabrini Center staff. Legal representation includes but is not limited to entering an appearance as the attorney of record on matters and in proceedings before the USCIS, Asylum Office, State, federal and immigration courts, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, Department of State, as well as appellate agencies such as the Administrative Appeals Office and Board of Immigration Appeals. The Staff Attorney also provides legal services in the form of community outreach and legal education, legal workshops, legal intake, legal research, individual legal representation as well as supervising caseworkers and/or law student interns.

The Expertise We’re Looking For

• You have a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school
• You have 0-2 years of work experience as a licensed attorney
• You are licensed to practice law in the State of Texas or will be licensed to practice law in the State of Texas within 12 months of hire

The Skills and Assets You Bring, and More

• You are detail-oriented and organized, with excellent time management and collaboration skills
• You are fully bilingual in Spanish and English (read, write and speak)
• You have excellent legal research and legal writing skills
• You have excellent verbal and written communication and negotiation skills
• You can handle a high-volume caseload, multiple deadlines, and other tasks simultaneously
• You have knowledge and proficiency in basic typing skills and computer applications such as MS Office
• You have demonstrated multi-cultural skills and sensitivity
• You can handle and maintain confidential information
• You have experience working with low-income immigrant community

The Value You Deliver

You join Catholic Charities and help people in southeast Texas by providing caring, compassionate services and advocating for social justice in collaboration with parishes and communities.

What you Deliver

• Direct Representation: You provide direct representation to immigrant survivors of crime and qualifying family members before USCIS, Asylum Office or Immigration Court on matters such as U visas, T visas, VAWA, adjustment of status, and any related immigration proceedings. Direct representation encompasses the following tasks: conduct legal intake and screening, interview with clients, affiants, witness, experts, case managers, and others who can provide information or statement in furtherance of the principal client's immigration matters; draft, prepare and assemble relevant immigration petitions; conduct legal research; write a memorandum of law, motions or briefs in support of applications and petitions filed before USCIS. Asylum Office. State, Immigration and federal Courts, Board of Immigration Appeals, Administrative Appeals Office, EOIR, and other immigration agencies; prepare clients for interviews or court hearings. Maintain an active caseload of at least 40 active cases providing individual representation to immigrant survivors of crime and their qualifying family members.
• Case Management: You maintain client physical and electronic files according to program requirements, including case notes, correspondence, filings, calendars, and dockets. Maintain a case status list and case service statistics for Cabrini Center and program funders. Participate in case reviews with Senior Attorney, Managing Attorney or Legal Director as applicable. Maintain a minimum of 30-40 active cases.
• Meetings: You attend and participate in mandatory unit and Cabrini staff meetings, and other agency meetings. You participate in calls and meetings organized by funders, city-wide advocacy groups, local service providers, and national support centers when appropriate and helpful.
• Contract and Agency Compliance: You comply with all contract requirements. You provide data and statistical information for the grant, contract, and other reporting purposes. You provide accurate and timely monthly data, time logs, and reports for internal use, funder use, and other entity use. You participate in trainings, meetings, calls, etc. as required by funders or to serve program needs.
• Outreaches: You participate in Charlas by presenting and performing legal consultations. You participate in program and agency community legal education, training, and outreach efforts (Spanish and English), particularly as they relate to issues of immigration law, providing direct information to prospective clients, attending information sessions on asylum, deportation, and other immigration relief. You recruit and mentor pro bono attorneys, plan and coordinate CLE and other outreach/training sessions.
• Supervision: You provide supervision and direction to Legal Assistant and/or Paralegal on a full range of legal services provided by the program.
• Other: Perform other duties as assigned by the Legal Director and supervisors, such as assisting and training staff in legal and regulatory changes, participating in coalition activities, participating in staff retreats, United Way activities, agency fairs, speaking engagements, assisting with special organization projects/events, etc.

How Your Work Impacts our Organization

The work you do will help us advocate for the vulnerable among us, a network of support services to people of all ages and from all walks of life and religious backgrounds.

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