Description:
We engage immigrant and refugee communities through Immigration Legal Services, Naturalization Assistance, Know Your Rights education, community outreach, and legal advocacy. PARS's Immigration Attorney will support the Legal Services Department by providing application assistance for Asylum, Temporary Protected Status, VAWA, U Visa, T Visa, family-based immigration, naturalization, adjustment of status, removal defense, and other immigration matters. The attorney will provide culturally and linguistically responsive legal representation and community education while advocating for the rights of immigrant communities throughout California.Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesDirect Legal Services
- Conduct immigration consultations, client intake interviews, and legal screenings.
- Assess clients' eligibility for immigration benefits, relief, and other legal options.
- Provide legal advice and direct representation in a broad range of immigration matters.
- Prepare, review, and submit immigration applications, petitions, motions, briefs, and supporting documentation.
- Represent clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and other appropriate agencies or courts, depending on the attorney's experience.
- Handle matters that may include:
- Family-based immigration petitions
- Adjustment of status
- Consular processing
- Naturalization and citizenship
- Asylum
- Temporary Protected Status
- Special Immigrant Visas
- Violence Against Women Act self-petitions
- U visas and T visas
- Employment authorization
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
- Removal defense
- Bond proceedings
- Humanitarian and other forms of immigration relief
- Review clients' immigration histories and prior filings to identify legal issues, errors, risks, or additional forms of relief.
- Explain legal processes, timelines, risks, responsibilities, and potential outcomes to clients in clear and accessible language.
- Maintain accurate, organized, and timely client files, case notes, deadlines, and supporting documentation.
- Ensure compliance with professional responsibility requirements, confidentiality standards, grant conditions, and PARS policies.
- Provide referrals to qualified outside counsel or partner organizations when a matter falls outside PARS's capacity or expertise.
- Manage an assigned caseload while meeting filing deadlines and maintaining high-quality legal work.
- Enter and maintain accurate client and case information in PARS's case-management and data-tracking systems.
- Track consultations, applications, filings, approvals, case outcomes, and other program deliverables.
- Provide data and narrative information for grant applications, reports, audits, and program evaluations.
- Participate in regular case-review meetings and collaborate with the legal team on complex matters.
- Assist with the development and implementation of internal legal procedures, templates, checklists, and quality-control systems.
- Support the equitable distribution of cases among attorneys, accredited representatives, paralegals, and other legal staff.
- Conduct Know Your Rights presentations, immigration workshops, naturalization clinics, and community legal education events.
- Provide timely and accurate information regarding changes in immigration laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
- Help develop multilingual educational materials, legal updates, frequently asked questions, and community alerts.
- Support PARS's rapid-response and community-protection efforts when immigration enforcement activity affects local communities.
- Collaborate with nonprofit organizations, legal service providers, government agencies, elected officials, and community partners.
- Participate in coalitions, working groups, and advocacy initiatives supporting immigrant communities.
- Provide accurate legal information for PARS's website, newsletters, social media platforms, and public communications.
- Represent PARS at meetings, trainings, conferences, community events, and public forums.
- Participate in media interviews or public presentations when authorized by PARS leadership.
- Provide training, guidance, and mentorship to Department of Justice-accredited representatives, paralegals, legal assistants, interns, fellows, and volunteers.
- Review legal work prepared by non-attorney legal staff when assigned.
- Assist with law student internship, fellowship, and pro bono attorney programs.
- Support professional development and continuing legal education for the immigration legal services team.
- Help develop partnerships with law schools, bar associations, legal organizations, and pro bono attorneys.
- Promote a collaborative, respectful, trauma-informed, and client-centered working environment.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Support PARS's mission and organizational goals.
- Maintain professional and respectful communication with clients, staff, partners, government representatives, and community members.
- Protect confidential and privileged client information.
- Attend staff meetings, legal team meetings, trainings, and organizational events.
- Remain informed about developments in immigration law and professional responsibility requirements.
- Travel between PARS offices, court locations, government offices, detention facilities, and community sites when required.
- Work occasional evenings or weekends for clinics, workshops, urgent legal matters, or community events.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
- Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California or another U.S. state bar.
- Minimum of one to three years of immigration law experience preferred.
- Knowledge of federal immigration laws, regulations, procedures, and agency practices.
- Experience conducting legal consultations and managing immigration cases.
- Strong legal research, writing, analytical, and advocacy skills.
- Ability to manage multiple cases, priorities, and deadlines.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Commitment to serving low-income immigrants, refugees, and other underserved communities.
- Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights, access to justice, civil rights, cultural humility, and equity.
- Ability to provide trauma-informed and client-centered legal services.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, case-management systems, and electronic filing systems.
- Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
- Reliable transportation and ability to travel when required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Fluency in Farsi, Dari, or another language commonly spoken by PARS clients.
- Experience serving Iranian, Afghan, refugee, asylum-seeking, or other immigrant communities.
- Experience with humanitarian immigration matters, including asylum, VAWA, U visas, and T visas.
- Experience representing clients in removal proceedings.
- Experience supervising Department of Justice-accredited representatives, paralegals, interns, or volunteers.
- Experience working within a nonprofit immigration legal services program.
- Experience with grant-funded programs, data collection, case tracking, and outcome reporting.
- Experience developing legal clinics, pro bono programs, fellowships, or law school partnerships.
- Experience working with survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, persecution, or other trauma.
- Ability to communicate complex legal information in a clear, culturally responsive, and accessible manner.
Physical Requirements:
The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. The position generally requires prolonged periods of sitting and computer use, as well as occasional standing, walking, bending, lifting files or materials, and traveling to meetings, clinics, courts, and community events.
