Staff Attorney

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC)

FLSA: Exempt, Full-time

Compensation: $72,000 - $78,000, based on experience

Reports to: Kaveena Singh, Co-Executive Director and Director of Immigration Legal Services

Location: 2614 Dwight Way, Berkeley CA 94704

About EBSC: Founded in 1982 in response to civil wars and genocide in Central America, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC) provides legal and social services, community organizing, and transformative education to support low-income immigrants and people fleeing violence and persecution. EBSC provides free or extremely low cost services through programs that work synergistically so that immigrant clients and participants can heal from trauma, gain skills, and support one another to build new lives and strong communities in the U.S.

About the Position: EBSC seeks a Staff Attorney to join its Immigrant Legal Services (ILS) team. The ILS Program provides a range of direct legal services to over 2,000 immigrants a year in the Bay Area. This position will spend 50% on our growing Removal Defense Program and 50% on our Affirmative Program with a focus on asylum and naturalization. We work collaboratively and believe in a balanced caseload to ensure work-life balance.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Typical duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Conduct legal screenings and client interviews, counsel clients, engage in factual and legal research and analysis, develop case strategies, and represent individual clients in a range of immigration cases with a focus on affirmative asylum and naturalization before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services;
• Manage a caseload of direct legal representation for clients before Bay Area Immigration Courts (San Francisco, Concord, and Sacramento) in cases such as asylum, withholding of removal, and cancellation of removal;
• Work collaboratively as part of EBSC’s team and communicate regularly with other staff;
• Train, supervise, and support ILS staff, law students, and other volunteers, as needed;
• Work with staff from other non-profits and coalitions with which EBSC collaborates, including other immigration legal services providers, community organizations, and mental healthcare providers;
• Communicate with the press regarding EBSC’s work as needed;
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Commitment to the values, vision, and culture of EBSC;
• Juris Doctor, admitted to the bar and in good standing to practice law in the United States (California preferred);
• 1+ years of experience providing immigration legal services;
• Strong dedication to promoting immigrant and human rights;
• Experience working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and with low-income and/or traumatized individuals;
• Demonstrated ability to manage a large caseload;
• Interest in expanding EBSC’s Removal Defense Program;
• Competence in working as part of a team as well as independently;
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills;
• Spanish language fluency is strongly preferred.

SUPERVISION

The Staff Attorney will report to Kaveena Singh, Co-Executive Director | Director of Immigration Legal Services, and to other ILS Team Leads. This is a full-time position to begin immediately, based in the EBSC office at 2614 Dwight Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704. Flexibility to work from home is available, but this is not a remote position and the Staff Attorney will be required to come into our office and travel to local immigration courts and offices.

The salary and benefits package is competitive with similar positions at Bay Area nonprofit organizations. Benefits include but are not limited to paid sick time, vacation time, paid public holidays, one week off between Christmas and New years, wellness days, healthcare, dental and vision care, and a 401K plan.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants should send 1) a cover letter, 2) a resume, and 3) a list of at least three references to Human Resources at careers@eastbaysanctuary.org.

This position will remain open until filled. We will consider applications from licensed attorneys and law graduates awaiting bar results. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other prohibited category. We strongly encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and all qualified persons to apply for this position.

Health insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401(k)

Flexible schedule

Paid public holidays

Spanish language fluency is highly preferred.