Co-Director - Immigration

East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is a non-profit legal services organization, the community-based clinical program for U.C. Berkeley Law School, and one of the Bay Area’s largest and most effective systems disrupters. With a dual service and teaching mission, EBCLC is a racial justice organization committed to building a culturally diverse workplace, centered on equity. With about 75 staff, 100 law students a year, and a $10 million annual budget, EBCLC is the largest provider of free legal services in Alameda County, providing multimodal, collaborative, and holistic legal services to over 4,000 clients annually and engaging in legislative and policy advocacy at the state and local level.

The Opportunity

EBCLC is excited to recruit a Co-Director to lead the Immigration Program’s direct legal services, social services work, and capacity-building advocacy focused on the most vulnerable populations—people with disabilities and chronic illness, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, youth, and existing EBCLC clients with other legal issues. EBCLC’s Immigration team includes 7 attorneys, 4 paralegals/BIA Accredited Representatives, 1 program coordinator, and 1 social worker. Attorneys and advocates counsel and represent individuals in matters including family-based petitions, adjustment of status, DACA, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U-visas, immigration effects of criminal convictions, naturalization, asylum, deportation defense, public benefits eligibility, waivers, and T-visas. The program represents clients before the asylum office, the United States Citizenship, and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Immigration Court.

The Co-Director will support a team of 12 advocates in providing holistic legal services to clients referred through several long-standing medical-legal and community partnerships. The team has partnerships with La Clinica de la Raza’s School-Based Health Centers in the East Bay, California community colleges, UC Berkeley’s Undocumented Students Program, and a collaboration with EBCLC’s Clean Slate program to eliminate and mitigate the consequences of criminal history on immigration outcomes. The program is also part of the Bay Area DACA Initiative to develop policy, infrastructure and pathways for DACA recipients to transition to permanent legal status. Under the supervision of EBCLC’s Co-Deputy Director, the Program Co-Director supervises 3 Staff Attorneys, 3 Paralegals/BIA Accredited Representatives, and a Program Coordinator or Social Worker. They also help train and supervise law students as part of EBCLC’s clinical legal education program. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Co-manage the Immigration Program providing vision, planning, and implementation of the work within the context of EBCLC’s larger racial justice mission;

• Co-supervise a 12-person team providing support and direction on substantive work, professional development, performance evaluation, workload management, and wellness;

• Work with the Executive Director, Deputy Director, and Development team to attract financial support for the Immigration Program, oversee grants management, track deliverables, and provide general administrative oversight;

• Manage a small caseload of immigration cases;

• Manage projects with community partners including referral and service coordination, client outreach, and reporting;

• Engage in community outreach and education;

• Teach, supervise, and mentor law students enrolled in the Immigration Clinic, including helping to design curriculum, providing highly interactive legal and skills training, and co-facilitating weekly individual and group supervision meetings;

• Participate in ongoing professional development to improve management skills, client services, and student supervision;

• Serve on EBCLC’s management team, providing input and support for the broader organization;

• Serve as the primary contact with the community and media, including responding to press and service provider inquiries, making presentations to the public, community, and other professional groups, and overseeing staff to whom these tasks have been delegated; and

• Other tasks as assigned by EBCLC’s Co-Deputy Director.

Minimum Qualifications

• JD required;

• Member of California Bar;

• Demonstrated commitment to racial justice;

• 5 years experience providing representation in immigration cases, including practicing in immigration court;

• 3 years experience supervising attorneys and/or paralegals;

• Experience supporting government and/or foundation grant tracking and reporting;

• Strong interest in law student supervision and clinical teaching;

• Demonstrated inclusive leadership skills;

• Excellent time management, priority-setting, and organizational skills;

• Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and demonstrated ability to work well independently and as part of a team;

• Ability to provide supervision and guidance within a highly collaborative working environment;

• Excellent oral and written communication and advocacy skills; and

• Ability to partner and work effectively with a diverse range of people, including but not limited to clients, law students, community partners, judges and other government employees, and law school faculty.

Salary and Benefits

The starting salary for this exempt position is $104,000 – $115,000, based on the law school graduation date, as dictated by the EBCLC salary scale.

Benefits include fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents, life and disability insurance, and generous paid leave (vacation, sick, and holidays); EBCLC also offers flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures; and retirement options.

Workplace Expectations

Due to COVID-19, EBCLC has shifted its operations to a hybrid work environment. Staff may work from home or in the office, subject to safety protocols. Please note that the Program Co-Director is expected to work in the office at least 3 days each week in order to attend in-person meetings, teach seminars, and/or engage in in-person fieldwork to support our clients, policy work, and the clinical education program. EBCLC will provide the necessary equipment to fulfill the job responsibilities of working from home.

Working at EBCLC

EBCLC is a unionized workplace and members of the bargaining unit are represented by the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20, IFPTE. This position is part of the bargaining unit. EBCLC is strongly committed to advancing justice through education and advocacy, and the need to transform legal services and legal education. Please take time to review EBCLC’s mission, vision, programs, and website, and ensure that your cover letter reflects how your background, experience, and expertise have prepared you to be successful in performing the responsibilities of the position.

Additionally, EBCLC is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. To achieve this goal, EBCLC works actively to improve our office climate, systems and structures, communications, and community engagement to create an inclusive and respectful workplace where differences are acknowledged and valued. In your cover letter, please address how your personal background and experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural responsiveness and diversity amongst our staff.

We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. EBCLC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Application Process 

Interested applicants should submit an application by visiting. https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/2468211/East-Bay-Community-Law-Center/Co-Director---Immigration

The position will remain open until filled. EBCLC will review applications and interview applicants on a rolling basis and will only review complete applications. A complete application must include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, and names/contact information for three professional references. Please submit your complete application as one single PDF file by uploading it under “Upload your Resume.” 

Benefits include fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents, life and disability insurance, and generous paid leave (vacation, sick, and holidays); EBCLC also offers flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures; and retirement options.

Interested applicants should submit an application by visiting https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/2468211/East-Bay-Community-Law-Center/Co-Director---Immigration

 The position will remain open until filled, with application review starting June 7. EBCLC will review applications and interview applicants on a rolling basis and will only review complete applications. A complete application must include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, and names/contact information for three professional references. Please submit your complete application as one single PDF file by uploading it under “Upload your Resume.”