Staff Attorney - San Joaquin Valley

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center is Hiring!

Staff Attorney - San Joaquin Valley

Central Valley of California

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is seeking a full-time Staff Attorney working remotely from the San Joaquin Valley of California. Applicants living adjacent to the San Joaquin Valley and willing to travel to the San Joaquin Valley on a weekly basis may be considered. For purposes of this announcement, the San Joaquin Valley consists of the following eight counties: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare. This is an exempt position that reports to a Directing Attorney. This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), Local 2320.

Who We Are:  
The ILRC is a leading immigrant rights organization headquartered in San Francisco with staff in Washington, D.C., Texas, Southern California, the Central Valley of California, and Washington state. Since 1979, our mission has been to educate, support, and empower immigrants, community organizations, and legal practitioners to build a more just, inclusive, and democratic society. Our team is passionate, collaborative, and committed to equity and innovation in all we do. Additional information about our organizational values is available here.

The Opportunity:  

This position offers an opportunity to join a mission-driven team dedicated to strengthening the ecosystem of organizations providing family-based affirmative and removal defense services within the San Joaquin Valley. The ideal candidate will help build the capacity of local partners by delivering legal trainings, providing technical assistance, supporting community members directly at legal workshops, and developing clear, accessible community resources and practice advisories for legal practitioners. The ideal candidate will also participate in key collaboratives, networks, and coalitions to share resources, provide timely updates, and advance pro-immigrant efforts across the region.  

Job Responsibilities: The Staff Attorney- San Joaquin Valley will contribute to several concurrent programs. Duties may include: 

• Conducting in-person and/or webinar trainings on immigration law and practice for attorneys and accredited representatives.  

• Providing training to community members in English and Spanish on a variety of immigration law topics, including Know Your Rights and Public Charge. 

• Providing legal review and advice at immigration workshops on various topics.  

• Participating in regional collaboratives and task forces to represent the ILRC and provide relevant information on immigrant rights, immigration law, and policy updates.  

• Traveling for trainings, meetings, and other events throughout the San Joaquin Valley, the rest of California, and, at times, throughout the United States. 

• Contributing to ILRC legal projects, including writing, editing, and updating legal manuals and publications.  

• Conducting case rounds and providing case-specific technical assistance to nonprofit agency staff, private practice attorneys, and pro bono attorneys in the region who work with low-income noncitizens on various areas of family-based defensive and affirmative immigration law.  

• Ability to present accessible information in English and Spanish to on complex legal topics to the media, community members, and practitioners.  

Required Qualifications:  

The successful applicant is required to have: 

• A minimum of 5 years of experience representing clients in the practice of general immigration law including representing clients before USCIS, EOIR, and the BIA; 

• Broad knowledge of immigration law, including the grounds of inadmissibility and deportability and eligibility for relief; 

• Strong foundation in removal defense practice, federal court litigation, and legal responses to immigration enforcement;  

• Ability to lead meetings and communicate with a range of people, including attorneys, community members, advocates, policy-makers, funders, and others; Willing to work closely with and learn from colleagues, including being willing to take direction and editing from others and to incorporate feedback;   

• Excellent writing, editing, and legal analysis skills;  

• Excellent training and presentation skills;  

• Strong time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines;  

• A strong work ethic, including the following qualities: organized, flexible, reliable, and dependable, able to work independently, and able to handle several projects simultaneously;  

• Willing to participate in team-based efforts and a collaborative decision-making environment;  

• A current bar membership in good standing for any state in the United States or the District of Columbia, although California is preferred; and, 

• Demonstrated proficiency in Spanish, including strong speaking and writing skills. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Engagement with rapid response networks and urgent legal response strategies. 

• Technical writing for immigration or other purposes. 

• Training, teaching, or other public speaking experience. 

• Working in, leading, or forming coalitions. 

• Collaborating with organizers, advocates, and immigrant communities. 

Compensation/Benefits:   

Pay is extremely competitive for the field and commensurate with experience according to the ILRC salary scale for attorneys. The starting pay for this position is $93,509.70 for those who are 5 years out of law school. An attorney hired for this position who has been out of law school for more than 5 years will have a higher salary based on their law school graduation year. For instance, an attorney who has been out of law school for 10 years would have a salary of $116,008.70. The ILRC offers excellent benefits, medical/dental/vision insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) sessions, a flexible spending account for medical and dependent care, vacation, and sick leave. The ILRC also sponsors a retirement plan contribution upon fulfillment of eligibility. Additionally, we offer an annual professional development stipend of $2,500 and, from 2024 – 2027, an annual wellness stipend of $2,500. ILRC also offers a sabbatical program: employees are eligible to apply for an 8-week sabbatical after five years of service and a 12-week sabbatical after ten years of service.   

Applications:  
This position will remain open until it is filled and is currently available. We will consider applications on an ongoing basis beginning immediately. To ensure consideration of your application, please submit a cover letter explaining your qualifications for the position, your salary requirements, a current resume, a writing sample that demonstrates immigration and criminal law knowledge, and the contact information for three professional references, one of which must be a supervisor.  

The ILRC is an equal opportunity employer and does not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious beliefs, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, disability age, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state or federal laws. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and other similar state laws and local ordinances, ILRC will also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records.