Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, a program of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.
, is a non-profit law firm which provides community education and legal representation to immigrant adults, families, unaccompanied minors, individuals with mental health issues, and in cases involving crimmigration.
Esperanza has proudly provided legal services to immigrants and their families in Southern California for over 15 years.
The immigration court system does not provide court-appointed counsel to individuals facing deportation who cannot afford an attorney, so this vulnerable population relies on our community education programs to obtain critical information about the process, understand their legal options and access assistance.
Esperanza’s community education programs were established to more effectively meet this need and to guide pro se immigrants through the increasingly complicated and strained immigration system.
Core services of the programs include legal orientations regarding removal proceedings and legal relief; intake and follow-up services; self-help workshops; and referrals for pro bono assistance or social services.
More information can be found about Esperanza at www.
esperanza-la.
org
Responsibilities:
Esperanza seeks a full-time Senior Attorney (Staff Attorney II) to provide legal services to Esperanza’s community education programs for unaccompanied minors.
Some of the services provided by the programs include group legal orientations, individual orientations, pro se assistance and clinics.
The position is supervised by a Managing Attorney or the Director of Youth Immigration Services.
The position may also include providing legal representation to unaccompanied minors in removal proceedings and related state court proceedings.
The Senior Attorney for Released Youth and Representation will engage in both substantive and operational tasks, which include:
Serving as a source of substantive knowledge on all legal aspects related to unaccompanied minors’ immigration cases for staff, including attorneys, DOJ Accredited Representatives, paralegals, and legal assistants
Coordinating the training, staffing, and oversight of legal orientation presentations for unaccompanied minors in office and at Los Angeles-area immigration courts
Overseeing the operation of the Unaccompanied Minor Self-Help Centers
Supervising legal aspects of the Esperanza Call Center
Supervising legal screenings for unaccompanied minors
Developing and updating legal educational materials
Expanding access to counsel for unaccompanied minors through pro bono placement and the Universal Referral Syste
Training, mentoring, and supervising legal interns, fellows, and volunteer
Maintaining and developing relationships with stakeholders that work with unaccompanied minor
Provide advocacy and/or representation to Esperanza clients in front of the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Board of Immigration Appeals, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and various California state courts.
The Senior Attorney will be supervised by the Director of Youth Immigration Services and/or a Managing Attorney.
Qualifications:
Juris Doctorate
California State Bar License, or license from another jurisdiction and commitment to sitting for next available CA Bar Exam
Minimum 2 years of experience in the practice of immigration law required
Strong organizational skills, case management, legal research, and legal writing skills required
Experience working with vulnerable client populations, particularly with children, and families
Public speaking experience, highly desirable
Spanish-language proficiency required (and will be tested at time of interview)
Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure required
Willingness to work independently and also to be a team-player
To apply go to https://catholiccharitiesla.
org/employment-opportunities/
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