Staff Attorney, Immigrant Foster Youth Team - Bet Tzedek Legal Services

For over 50 years, Bet Tzedek has been committed to providing free legal services to those who need them most. In that tradition, Bet Tzedek, the House of Justice offers free legal services to undocumented youth in need of assistance securing Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and adjusting to lawful permanent resident status. Bet Tzedek assists unaccompanied minors under California Probate Court jurisdiction as well as DCFS-supervised children. Bet Tzedek is seeking a determined, organized, and zealous bilingual advocate to serve as counsel for these foster youth, representing unaccompanied children in Immigration Court, USCIS, and if necessary, Board of Immigration Appeals.

This position is eligible for Bet Tzedek Legal Services’ hybrid/remote workplace designation. At the discretion of the immediate supervisor, the employee may be required to work in the office or other locations to meet workload/business obligations. This requirement may be on a temporary or ongoing basis.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Conduct intake/interview of referred undocumented children;
• Represent children in affirmative and defensive immigration matters;
• Advocate on behalf of minors eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status in removal proceedings, adjustment of status, asylum relief, U-visas, T-visas, and applicable appellate venues;
• Respond to Requests For Evidence (RFEs), Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs), and Denials;
• Work collaboratively within immigration teams to ensure consistent practice and strategy;
• Supervise law clerks and pro bono attorneys assigned to undocumented minor cases; and
• Comply with case management and reporting procedures, including preparing case status reports and keeping case data current within case management software.

$82,221.99-$102,231.38 (DOE/DOQ)

Requirements:

•  Active member of California State Bar in good standing (required).
• Demonstrated proficiency in training and working with social workers, volunteer attorneys, and students (required).
• Spanish proficiency and ability to provide written and oral Spanish translation (required).
• 3+ years of experience in SIJS-related advocacy and removal defense (required).
• Demonstrated proficiency in providing person-centered, trauma-informed lawyering to undocumented minors or another vulnerable population with a history of trauma (required).
• Demonstrate an understanding and commitment to Bet Tzedek’s mission of equal justice for all and Bet Tzedek’s core values of leadership, community-based advocacy, and innovation. (required)
• Candidates should be able to articulate their interest in assisting people of diverse ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, immigration status, physical abilities and ages with varying English-speaking abilities.

BENEFITS PACKAGE:

Bet Tzedek offers an excellent benefits package in addition to competitive salaries. These benefits currently include:

• A generous number of paid holidays (up to 21 per year), vacation (up to 20, depending on number of years with agency), and sick days (up to 45) annually.
• Personal and floating holidays
• Compensatory time for exempt employees.
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave (after 1 year of employment.)
• Various paid leaves
• Medical, dental, vision, chiropractic and acupuncture coverage for employees and dependents, with office visit co-pay reimbursement for HMO enrollees.
• Life/accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, long-term disability insurance, and Employee Assistance Plan.
• Voluntary (employee-contributed) life/AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital confinement, and pet insurance.
• Employee-contributed 401(k) plan.
• Employee-contributed 403(b) plan.
• Healthcare and childcare flexible spending accounts.
• Commuter transit and/or parking benefits.

How To Apply: 

• Email letter of interest, resume, and writing sample bettzedek.B7.A4E@applynow.io, subject: “Staff Attorney- Immigrant Foster Youth Team”).  Please, no phone calls.

Note: All positions are subject to funding; ongoing funding or employment cannot be assured.

Bet Tzedek is a unionized environment. Our salary range for unionized positions reflects our agreed upon step placement system, and the final offer extended to candidates is based on an internal equity review and candidates’ relevant experience, skills, background, and bar date, if applicable.

To best serve our communities, Bet Tzedek seeks diverse staff with cultural competency reflecting our client populations. We strongly encourage candidates from traditionally underrepresented communities and historically oppressed groups to apply.