Staff Attorney, Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Santa Clara, CA, United States
Staff Attorney, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta is the first nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the civil rights of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities in Georgia and the Southeast. They envision a social movement in which communities of color are fully empowered, active in civic life, and working together to promote equity, fair treatment, and self determination for all. The candidate must be local to the Atlanta area, with access to reliable transportation. The position permits working from home but requires travel, as necessary, to the Advancing Justice-Atlanta office and to other local meetings and events. Precautions are in place to ensure safe access to the office. All candidates are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination including the booster shot.
Position:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta seeks an Immigration Staff Attorney to provide immigration legal services to individuals in removal proceedings or seeking humanitarian forms of immigration status from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Holding over 10% of all immigration detainees in the United States, Georgia is a leader in immigration detention. The Atlanta Immigration Court’s denial rates are also amongst the highest in the country, making the need for deportation defense and humanitarian protections even more critical. The Immigration Staff Attorney will directly represent and advise noncitizen clients with the support of the Legal Services team and will report directly to the Director of Legal Services. This opportunity is geared towards an attorney with experience or interest in immigration law.
Responsibilities:
Independently manage a caseload of deportation defense and humanitarian relief, including bond and parole proceedings, asylum, withholding of removal, relief under the Convention Against Torture, U nonimmigrant status, T nonimmigrant status, VAWA, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status with applicable waivers, motions to reopen, and appeals
Conduct immigration consultations and provide pro se legal advice;
Collaborate with other attorneys and legal representatives in the Legal Services Department to conduct legal research and develop creative case strategies;
Travel to detention centers in Georgia to meet with detainees (once safe to do so per public health guidelines and organizational policy)
Participate in community outreach and educational activities, including Know-Your-Rights workshops and citizenship clinics
Develop relationships with stakeholders and community partners
Facilitate social service referrals to community organizations and other service providers for clients
Participate in external and internal communications related to the Legal Services Department
Share in administrative tasks and general office duties of the Legal Services Department, as needed
Provide information regarding casework in support of grant applications and reports
Collaborate with other departments to develop strategies and tactics to advance the organization’s mission, particularly as related to immigrant justice
Other responsibilities may be identified by a supervisor, as necessary, to meet organizational needs
Qualifications:
J.D. from an accredited university;
Membership in good standing in the bar of any state and/or the District of Columbia;
A sincere desire to advocate for social change for immigrant communities through legal services in a community setting;
Excellent communication, analytical, organizational, and writing skills;
Demonstrated ability to work effectively and respectfully with a diverse client population as well as with community members;
Flexibility to attend evening and weekend events and meetings, as needed;
Fluency in Spanish or one Asian language (Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Urdu/Hindi, Arabic) is preferred.
How to Apply:
Send a resume, cover letter, 3 references, and a writing sample to Palmer Lawrence, Director of LegalServices, at [email protected].
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