Shartsis Friese LLP Public Interest Fellow (Immigration Attorney)

If you have a passion for social justice and want to fight for those most in need of legal assistance, we want you to join our team! We need attorneys to meet the ever-growing need for free and low-cost legal services for people living with HIV/AIDS around the Bay Area.

The Shartsis Friese LLP Public Interest Fellow will join ALRP’s immigration team for a two-year fellowship term beginning in September 2025. Alongside a team of two other immigration attorneys, the Fellow will conduct client intakes and consultations; draft applications, pleadings, and motions; represent clients in Immigration Court hearings; engage in outreach activities; and refer cases to volunteer Panel Attorneys and other service providers.

Depending on your experience, the starting salary is $90,000-$105,000 (full-time). We offer generous benefits including comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance. People of color, women, and those with disabilities, including HIV, are encouraged to apply. Bilingual proficiency in Spanish is strongly preferred. Only recent law school graduates and attorneys in their first five (5) years of practice are eligible for this Fellowship.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct client interviews, respond to general inquiries, provide information and advocacy, and make referrals for immigration-related services
• Engage in litigation-related tasks in removal defense cases, including discovery, motions, and court appearances (master and individual hearings)
• Draft applications for asylum (affirmative/defensive), U visas, cancellation of removal, and other forms of immigration relief
• Keep diligent records of client interviews and case narratives in ALRP’s Salesforce database
• Prepare and conduct Know Your Rights presentations on issues relating to immigration
• Perform legal writing and research

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited law school
• Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California (post-Bar candidates considered)
• No more than five (5) years’ experience as a practicing attorney
• Experience working with vulnerable populations including people with mental health disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, people of color, low-income individuals or families, people with substance use disorders, people with a history of homelessness or incarceration, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community
• Commitment to public service and social justice; positive attitude; cooperative approach to lawyering
• Excellent communication skills, active listening, and cultural humility
• Robust organizational skills and ability to work under tight deadlines
• Ability to strictly maintain client confidentiality
• Bilingual or proficient in Spanish strongly preferred

Please submit your resume and cover letter to our Executive Director, Matt Foreman, at mattf@alrp.org. In your cover letter, please address your experience with and commitment to immigrant rights generally and HIV+ immigrants specifically.