Overview
The Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) seeks a full-time staff attorney or recent law school graduate to participate in the Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) and Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP) for the San Francisco Immigration Court. The Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) and Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP) are court-based legal education programs for non-detained noncitizens in immigration court proceedings. The goal is to provide non-detained respondents appearing before the court with information about court practices and procedures, available legal options, and other relevant topics. Because immigrants in court proceedings are not entitled to legal representation at the government’s expense, ICH and FGLOP prepare unrepresented individuals to understand the immigration court process and navigate a complex legal system on their own.
ICWC is a non-profit legal organization providing affordable immigration services to underrepresented immigrants in California. ICWC strives to provide security and stability for children who are abused, abandoned or neglected and for immigrants who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes. The offices primarily work with federal immigration laws that allow marginalized immigrants apply for work authorization and permanent residency. More information about ICWC is available at www.icwclaw.org and https://www.facebook.com/268356376532931/videos/451709055513411/?t=41.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The staff attorney will work with the Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) and the Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP). These court support services include: providing information and consultations to respondents in individual and group settings, serving as a Friend of the Court to unrepresented respondents before the Immigration Judge at Master Calendar Hearings, offering pro-se (self-help) workshops and materials to respondents, and assisting respondents in finding pro bono legal representation. The staff attorney will collaborate with other attorneys, legal assistants and administrative assistants at ICWC on this project.
The staff attorney will have room for growth after year one – to provide direct immigration legal services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes. Those duties would include: conducting client intake, case assessment, and ongoing case management; researching and drafting legal documents and attending court hearings. The attorney will work collaboratively with social service and law enforcement agencies. The attorney’s casework would involve providing relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the U visa, asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases. The attorney may supervise law students and other volunteers.
This position could develop into a supervising attorney role, depending on attorney’s previous experience. For law graduates awaiting bar results, we could apply for your DOJ Accreditation in advance of your admittance to the bar.
Requirements:
- Juris Doctor degree or recent law graduates
- Either (1) Bar admission – California bar preferred but not required or (2) Applicants who have sat for the 2022 bar exam.
- Spanish language fluency required. Please indicate your language capacity in your application.
Other Qualifications:
- Experience: 0-10 years of experience in immigration law practice
- U visa, VAWA, SIJS, and/or asylum experience (including law school clinic experience and internships) preferred
- Strong writing skills and meticulous attention to detail
- A demonstrated interest in low-income legal services and/or a commitment to immigrants’ rights
- Ability to work effectively with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault
- Ability to work effectively and communicate with law enforcement, representatives of government and English/Spanish media