UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW is hiring a Staff Attorney for its Immigrant Family Legal Clinic.

UCLA School of Law is hiring a Staff Attorney for the Immigrant Family Legal Clinic  to begin in spring or summer of 2022.  The position is open to recent law graduates, with a preference for attorneys with two to five years of practice experience. The position is a one-year contract, with potential for extension. 

The UCLA Immigrant Family Legal Clinic is a unique partnership between the UCLA School of Law and the Los Angeles Unified School District.  Located on the campus of the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in the heart of Koreatown, the clinic serves students at the six public schools on the campus, as well as their family members.  We provide individual representation in cases involving immigration relief and workers’ rights.  We also offer legal consultations involving a wider range of legal topics, including housing, public benefits, and criminal justice.   In addition, we organize programming and enrichment opportunities related to social justice and legal rights for teachers, students, and families in the RFK community.  We collaborate with non-profit organizations and legal service providers in Koreatown on efforts to empower and serve the broader community.  In partnership with the UCLA School of Law’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy, we also develop policy research and advocacy projects that address needs for systemic reform identified through our docket and outreach work. 

The Staff Attorney will be primarily based on the RFK school campus in Koreatown, 701 S. Catalina St., and will have three major areas of responsibility:

• Direct Representation and Docket Management - The Staff Attorney will provide direct representation and assist with the overall management of the clinic’s docket.  This includes providing representation for the clinic’s existing clients throughout the year, including during transitions between semesters and over the summer. Our docket focuses primarily on removal defense for unaccompanied minors and recently arrived families (particularly claims for asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status) and humanitarian visas (particularly labor-related U/T visas).

•  Consultation and Limited Scope Services - The Staff Attorney will provide one-time, free and confidential legal consultations to RFK students and family members, and coordinate and supervise law students on these consultations.  The majority of our consultations involve immigration matters, but a sizable number respond to other related legal problems facing immigrant families, including workers’ rights, housing, access to public benefits, and encounters with law enforcement.  Some of these consultations will involve limited scope representation and/or preparing warm referrals to partner organizations.

• RFK Outreach and Community Education - The Staff Attorney will be the primary attorney consistently on-campus at RFK.  They will be responsible for continuing to develop and deepen our relationships with teachers and administrators at RFK and other LAUSD schools, as well as with community partners.  Responsibilities will include: (a) Planning and presenting regular outreach presentations in the school for teachers, administrators, students, and parents. (b) Meeting regularly with a range of community partners to develop shared initiatives and referral networks. (c) Working with the Clinic Director to develop policy research and advocacy initiatives responsive to the needs and interests of the RFK community.

Qualifications

• J.D. and licensed to practice law in California or taking the bar in summer 2022
• Fluency in Spanish
• Experience working with low-wage workers, immigrants, refugees, or victims of trauma
• Knowledge of immigration law and familiarity with workers’ rights
• Strong communication skills, with particular sensitivity to cultural differences
• Experience working in interdisciplinary settings with minimal direct supervision
• Willingness to work irregular hours (some nights and weekends)

Salary: Commensurate with Experience, plus benefits through UCLA

To apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter through the UCLA career system HERE (if the link does not take you directly to the job posting, it is #35780).  Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to send in materials as soon as possible.  If you have any questions about the position, please contact Nina Rabin, rabin@law.ucla.edu.