Staff Attorney – Immigration Practice

East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is a non-profit legal services organization, the community-based clinical program for U.C. Berkeley Law School, and one of the Bay Area’s largest and most effective systems disrupters. With a dual service and teaching mission, EBCLC is a racial justice organization committed to building a culturally diverse workplace, centered on equity. With about 80 staff, 150 law students a year, and a nearly $9 million annual budget, EBCLC is the largest provider of free legal services in Alameda County, providing multimodal, collaborative, and holistic legal services to over 8,000 clients annually and engaging in legislative and policy advocacy at the state and local level.

EBCLC’s Immigration team includes 7 attorneys, 5 paralegals/BIA Accredited Representatives, 1 program coordinator, and 1 social worker. The team provides a full range of legal and social work services to low-income immigrants with a focus on the most vulnerable populations—people with disabilities and chronic illness, members of the LGBTQ community, youth, and existing EBCLC clients with other legal issues. Attorneys and advocates counsel and represent individuals in matters including adjustment of status, deportation defense, DACA, immigration effects of criminal convictions, naturalization, asylum, public benefits eligibility, waivers, T visas, and U visas. The practice represents clients before the asylum office, the United States Citizenship, and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration Court, and on appeal before the Board of Immigration Appeals.

The Immigration Staff Attorney represents immigrants with a wide variety of immigration matters. The position requires an excellent advocate with strong writing, interpersonal, and organizational skills who works well in a fast-paced collaborative environment, has experience providing immigration services to low-income people, has a strong interest in clinical teaching, and is committed to furthering the mission for racial justice.

Primary Responsibilities

• Represent low-income immigrants on wide variety of immigration matters before the Immigration Court, USCIS, and the Board of Immigration Appeals, including deportation defense, political asylum, U visas, VAWA, SIJS, adjustment of status, consular processing, waivers, immigration effects of criminal convictions, naturalization, and DACA.
• Work on a holistic-oriented legal team providing consultations and direct representation to the low-income community in the East Bay and students at UC Berkeley, local community colleges, and La Clinica de la Raza’s school-based health centers.
• Work collaboratively with our social work team and other attorneys at EBCLC to provide holistic wrap-around services addressing the criminalization of immigrants and efforts to deny them access to critical supports and services.
• Teach, supervise, and mentor law students, including designing curriculum, providing highly interactive legal and skills training, and facilitating weekly individual and group supervision meetings
• Conduct outreach, workshops, and presentations in the community.
• Participate in collaborative partnerships with other community and legal services organizations providing similar services.
• Complete administrative tasks, such as those related to grant management and reporting.
• Additional tasks as assigned by Supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. required, member of the California State Bar in good standing
• Minimum one (1) year experience providing immigration legal services
• Ability to manage a demanding caseload; excellent time-management, priority-setting, and organizational skills
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse range of groups, including people of color, people experiencing housing insecurity, immigrants, non-English speakers, people with mental disabilities, people experiencing domestic violence, law students, service providers, government employees, community partners, and law school faculty
• Passion for the principles of racial justice, equity and for advancing the mission and work of EBCLC to increase justice through education and advocacy
• Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and demonstrated ability to work well independently and as part of a team
• Experience with, or strong interest in, law student supervision and training
• Bilingual in Spanish preferred

Salary and Benefits

Starting salary for this exempt position is $68,000 – $90,000 based on law school graduation date, as dictated by the EBCLC salary scale.

Benefits include fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents, life and disability insurance, and generous paid leave (vacation, sick, and holidays); EBCLC also offers flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures; and retirement options.

Professional development support includes membership in the relevant local, statewide and/or national associations, attendance at relevant conferences, as determined by EBCLC’s professional development policy and budget.

Workplace Expectations

Due to COVID19, all EBCLC employees are working remotely. The Immigration Staff Attorney and all EBCLC employees will continue to work remotely if California’s Shelter in Place remains in effect, and any necessary use of the office must be pre-approved. The expectation is that the Staff Attorney will work in our office in Berkeley, California when it is safe to do. EBCLC will provide the necessary equipment to fulfill the job responsibilities of working from home.

Working at EBCLC

EBCLC is strongly committed to advancing justice through education and advocacy, and the need to transform legal services and legal education. Please take time to review EBCLC’s mission, vision, programs, and website, and ensure that your cover letter reflects how your background, experience, and expertise have prepared you to be successful in performing the responsibilities of the position.

Additionally, EBCLC is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

To achieve this goal, EBCLC works actively to improve our office climate, systems and structures, communications, and community engagement to create an inclusive and respectful workplace where differences are acknowledged and valued.  In your cover letter, please address how your personal background and experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural responsiveness and diversity amongst our staff.

We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. EBCLC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Application Process:

Interested applicants should submit an application by visiting https://easyapply.co/a/2b54e613-f670-4fa8-9ca1-50742d6f5b38 until position is filled. EBCLC will review applications on a rolling basis. Application materials should include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, and names/contact information for two professional references.