Immigration Senior Staff Attorney

About the Organization

Canal Alliance exists to break the generational cycle of poverty for Latino immigrants and their families by lifting barriers to their success. Canal Alliance is a nonprofit champion of immigrants who are challenged by a lack of resources and an unfamiliar environment. Every day, we educate, empower, support, and partner with motivated immigrants to best meet all their unique needs—from putting food on the table, to becoming American citizens, to learning English, to graduating from college. Canal Alliance strives for a trauma-informed collaborative and inclusive culture. We invest in high quality services, professional development, and work-life balance.

Position Summary

The Senior Staff Attorney for the Unaccompanied Children Unit will represent ILS clients in a variety of humanitarian immigration matters with an emphasis on representation of unaccompanied children in removal proceedings. They will maintain a caseload representing clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The Senior Staff Attorney will work in a collaborative and trauma-informed environment delivering high quality service. The Senior Staff Attorney will also train, mentor and supervise support team (such as law fellows, legal advocates, and paralegals). This is a full-time, exempt position with a hybrid work model requiring three days a week in the office. Must be available to attend hearings and interviews in San Francisco as needed. The Senior Staff Attorney reports to the Senior Supervising Attorney of the Unaccompanied Children Unit.

Responsibilities

• Conduct client intakes, consultations, provide eligibility assessment, develop case strategy, and represent individuals before USCIS in a variety of humanitarian applications
• Respond to complex Requests for Evidence
• Represent clients before EOIR and attend court hearings as needed
• Train, mentor and supervise support team (such as law fellows, legal advocates, and paralegals)
• Assign and help supervisees manage caseload in a manner that supports work-life balance
• Manage, track, and report on contract obligations and deliverables
• Collaborate with the Senior Supervising Attorney to develop the Unaccompanied Children Unit’s Capacity
• Comply with ILS policies, procedures, and best practices, including entering data into our case management software (LawLogix), collecting fees, executing contracts with clients, and filing applications in a timely manner
• Compile client data for reporting requirements
• Participate in regular peer review meetings, one-on-one check-in meetings with supervisees, supervisor, Unaccompanied Children Unit meetings, ILS department meetings, all-staff meetings, and quarterly all-staff retreats
• Attend immigration legal trainings and behavioral health trainings as needed
• Participate in other team and agency meetings
• Assist Senior Supervising Attorney in improving effective and efficient inter- and intra-agency referral systems.

Qualifications

• J.D. and a member in good standing of any state bar
• Bilingual -English and Spanish- oral and written fluency
• Minimum 2 years of experience representing clients before EOIR and USCIS
• Experience working with LawLogix or other legal case management software
• Able to sit for an extended period and sufficient mobility to work in standard office/courtroom settings
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational, communication, writing and analytical skills
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment and excel in working individually/remotely, as well as in a team setting.
• Commitment to serving immigrants and sensitivity to the needs of low-income, vulnerable clients
• Canal Alliance requires all staff be COVID vaccinated except for those who have medical or religious beliefs exemptions