Texas Policy Attorney & Strategist

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center is Hiring!

Texas Policy Attorney & Strategist

Laredo, TX

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is seeking a full-time Texas Policy Attorney & Strategist based out of Laredo, TX. This is an exempt union position that reports to the Policy Director.

Who We Are:

The ILRC is a leading national nonprofit legal support center headquartered in San Francisco with staff in Washington, D.C., Texas, Southern California, the Central Valley of California, and Washington state. Since 1979, our mission has been to educate, support, and empower immigrants, community organizations, and legal practitioners to build a more just, inclusive, and democratic society. Our team is passionate, collaborative, and committed to equity and innovation in all we do.

The Opportunity:

The Texas Policy Attorney & Strategist will work collaboratively with ILRC’s Texas team, including ILRC’s Laredo-based Texas Regional Organizer, to build support for regional pro-immigrant policies in Laredo and surrounding areas, as well as further the ILRC’s technical support and capacity building work on behalf of immigrants and the practitioners who defend their rights. The ideal candidate will help drive local policy advocacy and build strong stakeholder relationships through an emerging collaborative in the region, while also expanding access to immigration legal resources for communities in Laredo and the broader Webb County area.

Job Responsibilities:

The Laredo-based Texas Policy Attorney & Strategist is a new position and will build upon the ILRC’s successful attorney-organizer model in San Antonio and Houston by working in close collaboration with ILRC’s Laredo-based Texas Regional Organizer. The attorney-organizer collaboration model supports a holistic approach and strategic wins by integrating organizing and legal expertise from the outset. The Texas Policy Attorney & Strategist’s primary responsibility is to build the capacity of community-based organizations and coalitions to engage in policy advocacy at the regional and state level, especially relating to ICE enforcement and the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems. The position also requires collaborating with other attorneys to develop and deliver training and educational materials on immigration law to a range of audiences, including immigration practitioners, criminal defense attorneys and immigrant rights advocates in Texas.

The responsibilities include:

• Developing local partnerships with community-based organizations, coalitions, advocates, and local government officials to advance pro-immigrant policies and developing unique legal and policy strategies to support these policies. These pro-immigrant policies include city or county ordinances, local law enforcement policies, community programs etc.
• Helping to build the capacity of legal providers (legal service providers, law students and volunteers) in Laredo and surrounding regions by leading trainings and increasing capacity
• for pro se and community legal clinics and workshops, court observation programs, and practical pro se support.
• Working in partnership with other ILRC Texas-based staff to develop and execute winning strategies that advance immigration and criminal legal system reform throughout Texas.
• Advising local community-based organizations and coalitions and creating resources for diverse audiences about federal law, state immigration-related laws and policies, immigration enforcement issues, criminal legal system reforms and other policies that impact immigrants in Texas locally and providing technical assistance as needed.
• Working with networks of other immigrant rights and criminal legal system organizations and/or organizing with and presenting to coalitions on immigration law, policy and immigrant rights and criminal legal issues.
• Representing ILRC in local coalitions, roundtables and taskforces and encouraging advocates and policy makers to see the benefits of an intersectional approach to immigrant justice and criminal legal system reform.
• Responding to attacks on immigrant communities in Texas, in partnership with ILRC’s communications team, to work towards shifting the narrative around immigrants and migration in Texas to one rooted in humanity and dignity.
• Coordinating strategic responses to attacks on immigrant communities in Texas, such as Operation Lone Star, and its successor laws or practices.
• Writing grant proposals and reports to foundations and representing the ILRC in meetings with funders and supporters.
• Traveling for trainings,
• advocacy meetings, and other events throughout Texas and the United States (but in accordance with COVID-related safety concerns).
• Assisting with writing manuals, practice advisories and educational materials for immigration and criminal defense legal practitioners as well as participating in webinars and in-person seminars on a variety of topics in immigration law.
• The primary audience for these trainings are immigration practitioners and criminal defense attorneys in Texas.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

• A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in immigration law and policy, including experience working with community organizers or community-based organizations and representing immigrants in the practice of immigration law.
• Interest and experience in issues pertaining to immigration enforcement and the intersection of immigration and criminal law.
• Interest in partnering with and supporting organizations led by and/or comprised of immigrants.
• Experience working on campaigns or with coalitions and networks and the ability to manage relationships with multiple partners.
• Ability to speak to and synthesize complex legal and policy information for a diverse range of audiences.
• Excellent writing, editing, legal analysis and presentation skills.
• Exceptional time management skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• A strong work ethic, including the following qualities: organized, flexible, reliable, the ability to be an independent worker and juggle multiple projects simultaneously, and the ability to thrive in a collaborative, team-based environment.
• A willingness to travel throughout Texas and the United States.
• A current bar membership in good standing for any state in the United States or the District of Columbia.
• A willingness to seek admission to the Texas State Bar.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Writing and securing grants from foundations.
• Public speaking experience and familiarity with social media.
• Forming or leading coalitions.
• Bar membership in the state of Texas.
• Familiarity with the theory of abolition and its application to immigration enforcement and criminal legal system entanglement.

Compensation/Benefits:

Pay is extremely competitive for the field and commensurate with experience according to the ILRC salary scale for attorneys. The starting pay for this position is $89,018.43 for those who are 3 years out of law school. An attorney hired for this position who has been out of law school for more than 3 years will have a higher salary based on their law school graduation year. The ILRC offers excellent benefits, medical/dental/vision insurance, EAP sessions, a flexible spending account for medical and dependent care, vacation, and sick leave. The ILRC also sponsors a retirement plan option upon fulfillment of eligibility. Additionally, we offer an annual professional development stipend of $2,500, and, from 2024 – 2027, an annual wellness stipend of $2,500.

Applications:

This position will remain open until it is filled and is currently available. We will consider applications on an ongoing basis beginning immediately. To ensure consideration of your application please submit a cover letter explaining your qualifications for the position, your salary requirements, a current resume, a writing sample that demonstrates immigration law and/or policy knowledge, and the contact information for three professional references, one of which must be a supervisor.

No phone calls, please.

As a condition of employment at the ILRC, you will be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19*

The ILRC is an equal opportunity employer and does not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious beliefs, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, disability age, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state or federal laws. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and other similar state laws and local ordinances, ILRC will also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records.

• The ILRC provides reasonable accommodations as required by law. Employees may request an exception from vaccination requirements (if applicable) if the vaccine is medically contraindicated for them or medical necessity requires a delay in vaccination. Employees also may be legally entitled to a reasonable accommodation if they cannot be vaccinated because of a disability, or if receiving a COVID-19 vaccination conflicts with a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance. There may be other recognized exceptions under applicable state and/or local laws.

This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Legal Services Workers; NOLSW, Local 2320.