Summary

Centro Legal’s immigration practice encompasses full-scope direct representation before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), including the Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA); in affirmative applications filed with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); in federal district court (e.g., in habeas corpus actions); and before the federal courts of appeals. Centro Legal has served as both class counsel and organizational plaintiffs in impact litigation mounting constitutional, statutory and administrative law challenges to immigration policies. AID’s casework primarily involves detained removal defense, the intersection of immigration and criminal law, and immigration detention issues. AID additionally engages in local, state, and national advocacy and supports ongoing organizing efforts inside the detention centers we serve.

Responsibilities

Centro Legal is seeking an attorney with experience in detained removal defense and in organizing and advocacy to help lead the AID team. Primary duties will include:

• upervise, mentor, and support the ongoing professional development of staff attorneys and non-attorney advocates.
• Help our team grow into a less hierarchical model, driven by the principles of movement lawyering.
• In collaboration with local, regional, and national partners, lead AID in developing and executing a policy advocacy strategy to advance clients’ interests and move towards the abolition of immigration detention.
• Support organizing and advocacy efforts led by directly impacted people, including incarcerated and detained individuals, and grassroots community organizations.
• In collaboration with partners, develop and execute a media strategy. Assist in preparing press releases and participate in press interviews.
• Work with management and development teams to educate funders about the impact of our detention-related work. Advocate for funding that supports the on-the-grounds needs of people in detention and allows us to respond in real time to changes in immigration law and policy. Assist with grant proposals and reports when necessary.
• Directly represent individuals—primarily detained—in bond, removal, credible fear review, and reasonable fear review proceedings before the San Francisco, N. Los Angeles, and Van Nuys Immigration Courts (and other Immigration Courts as necessary). Litigate appeals before the BIA, Petitions for Review before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and habeas corpus proceedings in federal district court.
• Prepare, review, and file applications, legal briefs, and supporting documents for cases involving contested removal and various forms of relief, principally including asylum, withholding of removal, relief under the Convention Against Torture, VAWA, adjustment of status with applicable waivers, and LPR and non-LPR cancellation of removal. Prepare and file affirmative immigration applications (e.g., U visa, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status) as necessary.
• Conduct telephonic and/or in-person intakes with detained and incarcerated individuals, principally at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility, the Golden State Annex, and FCI Dublin, and possibly other detention centers. Working with team to assess cases for possible representation and referrals.

Qualifications

First and foremost, the applicant must profoundly share Centro Legal’s mission and vision of social justice. Qualifications include:

• J.D; admitted and in good standing with a State bar;
• Fluency in Spanish required;
• Strong leadership skills and experience supervising others;
• Significant experience in engaging in advocacy and organizing work
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in removal defense required, including on behalf of detained individuals, individuals with criminal convictions, and individuals experiencing mental illness;
• Excellent writing, research, analytical, and verbal communication skills;
• A demonstrated commitment to civil liberties, immigrant justice, and public interest law;
• Experience with circuit court appeals and federal habeas litigation preferred;
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively on projects with other advocates and diverse community organizations;
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity within the office and a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences regarding race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, socio-economic circumstance, immigration status, and record of arrest or conviction;
• Familiarity in working with clients in crisis or who are recent trauma survivors; and
• Willingness to conduct training and outreach activities in the community.

Compensation

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience ranging from $78,413-$87,823.We provide a generous benefits package, including life insurance, LTD, leave policies, vacation, and December holiday office closure at full pay.

To Apply

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Submit via email only: 1) cover letter, 2) resume, and 3) a list of three professional references. Include “Immigrants’ Rights Supervising Attorney – AID” in the subject line. Please note that candidates who move on to the second round of interviews will also be asked to provide references from clients whom they have previously represented as well as individuals they have previously supervised. Please email application materials jobs@centrolegal.org

About Centro Legal de la Raza

Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Oakland, California, Centro Legal de la Raza (Centro Legal) is a comprehensive legal services and advocacy organization protecting and advancing the rights of immigrant and low-income communities of color through multilingual representation, education, and advocacy. We envision a world where all people enjoy dignity, respect and the freedom to move; where the most marginalized voices lead movements for change; where migration builds bridges; where communities remain together; where all people find safety; and where carceral systems are abolished. We ground our work in principles of anti-racism, community and movement lawyering, and intersectionality. Centro Legal’s Abolishing Immigration Detention (AID) team, which sits within the Immigrants’ Rights Project, works to dismantle racist and inequitable policies at the intersection of the criminal and immigration legal systems through high-quality direct legal services and litigation, advocacy and organizing, and community empowerment and know-your-rights education. We believe that following the leadership of people most directly impacted by immigration detention, and upliftingt the demands of the mostmarginalized and criminalized people in detention—including Black migrants, people with disabilities, and queer and transgender individuals—holds the key to our collective liberation.

Finally, we are committed to building a diverse team that reflects the values and experiences of the communities we serve. We strive to create an inclusive and supportive work environment that rejects the same harmful dynamics of power oppression we fight in court and in the streets. For more information, please visit our website: https://centrolegal.org/

A Note On Our Organization’s Mission and Commitment to Diversity

Centro Legal’s mission includes advancing social, economic and racial justice. We are committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion within and ensuring a workplace where all staff can flourish and grow professionally and well beyond. Our staff are the most important part of our ability to achieve our mission. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation, sustainability and our organization’s success. Centro Legal de la Raza is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, pregnancy), gender, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, medical condition including genetic characteristics, mental or physical disability, military or veteran status, marital status, family responsibilities, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity (including transgender status), gender expression, weight, height, linguistic characteristics (such as accent and limited English proficiency where not substantially job-related), citizenship status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, HIV/AIDs status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Centro Legal also prohibits discrimination based on a perception that an individual has any of the characteristics of the protected classes listed above, and further prohibits discrimination against an individual who is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any of those characteristics.

POSITION OPEN UNTIL FILLED