Description:

Description:
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (“ImmDef”) is a next-generation, social justice law firm that provides high-quality representation and legal services to immigrants in Southern California and beyond. ImmDef was founded with the belief that no immigrant should be forced to face an unjust immigration system alone and our universal representation programs are a first step towards that goal. Learn more about us at www.immdef.org.

ImmDef seeks to sponsor a candidate to apply for various public interest fellowships, including the Skadden, Equal Justice Works, Justice Catalyst, and Soros Justice Fellowships. ImmDef will also consider sponsoring candidates for law school- or institution-based fellowships. Our fellowship candidate will be engaged in cutting edge immigration litigation while supporting the organizational goal of fighting for a more just and humane immigration system.

ImmDef's Fellow will join a team of fearless advocates who are providing creative and zealous representation to thousands of adults, children, and families with multi-faceted, complex, and urgent legal needs as they face our unjust immigration system. The Fellow will be joining the largest non-profit, universal representation-model deportation defense team in the state of California. The Fellow will be placed in one of our four Southern California offices: Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana, or San Diego.

ImmDef is open to placing fellows within any of the following programs:

Litigation and Advocacy (Los Angeles)
Deported Veterans/Post Conviction Relief (Los Angeles)
Border Rights (San Diego)
Community Defense Projects/Removal Defense (All Offices)
Children's Rights Project/Removal Defense (Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana)

For the 2026 fellowship application year, ImmDef will prioritize applicants interested in joining the Litigation and Advocacy (L&A) team, which focuses on impact litigation, policy advocacy, and narrative change strategies for creating systemic change. The selected candidate will work with members of the L&A team to develop a fellowship project proposal related to one of ImmDef's priority areas: ensuring access to counsel, challenging unlawful detention conditions and ending immigration detention, protecting the rights of unaccompanied minors, opposing the cruel and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers, and contesting systemic violations of due process rights.

Fellow duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Provide high-quality, client-centered representation for clients in deportation proceedings.
Engage in policy advocacy and strategic appellate and impact litigation.
Serve migrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, those detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prisons, or non-detained adults and children facing deportation.
Determine eligibility for legal relief and develop legal strategy case plans.
Travel to shelters for unaccompanied children, ICE detention centers, and other custodial settings to interview and prepare clients, take declarations, complete immigration benefit applications, and provide legal advice.
Represent individuals in court at initial or prolonged custody redetermination hearings, master calendar hearings, individual merits hearings, and in ancillary state court proceedings.
Represent clients before USCIS at asylum interviews, credible fear interviews, ICE check-ins and other immigration-related appointments.
Prepare and submit country conditions, declarations, and other supporting evidence for applications to defend clients against removal.
Work with country conditions experts, expert witnesses, psychologists, and medical professionals to develop supporting evidence for immigration relief applications.
Draft appellate briefs for submission to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) or the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Work collaboratively with colleagues and participate in weekly group case review, on-site trainings, and professional development opportunities.

Requirements:
Qualifications (including bar requirements):

Open to JD graduates of the class of 2026, those ending a clerkship, or those who otherwise meet the specific post-graduate fellowship criteria
Intention to sit for the bar exam of any state (preferably CA) prior to start of fellowship, or currently licensed in any U.S. jurisdiction
Experience (including internships) in the practice of law, preferably in immigration and/or social justice law
Experience and/or interest in the intersection of criminal and immigration law is a plus
Experience and/or interest in working with clients suffering from mental illness or disabilities is a plus
Strong case management, legal research, and legal writing skills required
Demonstrated ability and willingness to zealously pursue new and untested legal theories
Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure
Spanish language proficiency preferred but not required; fluency in additional languages, especially Haitian Kreyol or French, is a plus
Commitment to working in a diverse professional environment.
Passion for social justice for immigrants required

How to Apply:
Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter (noting which fellowships the candidate is interested in applying for and which ImmDef program(s) the candidate would like to be placed in), writing sample (limited to 10 pages), and 3 references. Applicants should apply with ample time to collaborate on and submit a proposal to the desired fellowship organization or educational institution by the application deadline.

Those seeking a fellowship that begins in Fall 2027 (e.g., Skadden or EJW) are encouraged to submit their application materials no later than July 22nd.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for a position fighting for our immigrant communities!

Summary:
Compensation and Benefits:
Compensation and Benefits will be set by the terms of the fellowship program. Fellowships are considered temporary positions, but are eligible for medical, vision, and dental benefits at ImmDef.

Additional Information:
Cover LetterRequired