Immigration Staff Attorney

STAFF IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY

Unaccompanied Children and Immigrant Youth Program

THE ORGANIZATION

Al Otro Lado is a binational legal services and immigrant rights organization serving

immigrants, asylum seekers and deported persons in Southern California, Tijuana, México, and

beyond. We approach cases using a multidisciplinary, client-centered, harm reduction-based

lens, and engage in zealous individual representation, medical-legal partnerships, human rights

monitoring and impact litigation to protect the rights of individual immigrants and challenge

systemic practices that violate the human rights of immigrant communities. We leverage vital

partnerships with community-based organizations and academic institutions, and engage

thousands of volunteers to maximize our impact and help build a broad-based immigrant

justice movement.

For more information about our organization, please visit us on our website at: alotrolado.org/

or visit us on social media: Instagram and Twitter: @alotrolado_org; Facebook: Al Otro Lado.

ATTORNEY

(UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN & IMMIGRANT YOUTH REPRESENTATION)

Al Otro Lado is seeking a bilingual Spanish-speaking Staff Attorney for the U.S. Based

Advocacy team’s Unaccompanied Minor and Immigrant Youth Representation program. The

US. Based Advocacy team provides holistic, full-scale representation to particularly vulnerable

immigrants, including unaccompanied children, members of the LGBTQA+ community,

Indigenous migrants, Black migrants, torture survivors, survivors of human trafficking, clients

with disabiltiies/medical vulnerabilities, and clients whose cases present family unity concerns.

Our holistic representation strategy includes identifying a client’s needs, goals, and challenges,

and seeking to achieve their best immigration outcomes, not only through legal services but

also by connecting individuals with support to overcome the non-legal obstacles they face in

their cases.

The Attorney will work under the supervision of the Managing Attorney, and work within a team

of staff attorneys and legal assistants working with unaccompanied minors seeking forms of

relief including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJS”), asylum, and other humanitarian

protections as relevant.

The Attorney will be based out of Al Otro Lado’s Los Angeles office and will have the

opportunity to work a hybrid in-person/remote model with in-person duties as needed to serve

our client population. In-person duties may include attending court hearings, ICE check-in’s,

USCIS interviews, and in-person client meetings. Court hearings and other in-person tasks

may require travel throughout the Southern California region, and potentially other locations as

assigned.

JOB DUTIES

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide direct representation to unaccompanied children and immigrant youth located in
• Southern California.
• Represent clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), the
• Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”), and California state courts (Family and
• Probate).
• Peer Review: Review and provide feedback for applications for relief prepared by team
• members.
• Provide support for the legal team in a dynamic immigration environment.
• Assist in developing and implementing policies, templates, and procedures that increase
• effectiveness and efficiency within our representation work
• Keep abreast of changes in case, statutory, or regulatory law in relation to SIJ and
• immigration law in general
• Ensure compliance with Al Otro Lado’s data management policies including
• record-keeping for grants and funders, case management documentation, and internal
• systems for fiscal and personnel oversight
• Assist the managing attorney in the data compilation for and preparation of reports,
• grant and government contract applications, and program budgets
• Other duties as assigned to support the mission of the organization

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• J.D. degree from an accredited university, with active California State Bar license
• Preferred: 1+ years of practical experience in immigration law, preferably working with
• unaccompanied children / immigrant youth
• Fluency in Spanish and English, including the ability to communicate professionally and
• in writing in both languages
• Excellent legal skills and broad knowledge of immigration law and removal defense
• Self-direction and self-reliance, with exceptional attention to detail and ability to balance
• multiple cases, tasks, and deadlines
• Strong organizational, written and oral communication skills
• Flexible, innovative, and able to quickly adapt to changing program needs as
• immigration policies change
• Able to work in a fast-paced setting with limited resources
• Adept at learning to use new technology platforms, as well as experience and
• proficiency with Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Zoom, and Google Workspace
• tools
• Demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of Al Otro Lado
• Commitment to working in a diverse professional environment, with a kind and

respectful attitude towards clients, colleagues, and relevant stakeholders

Please note, this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of

activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties,

responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. The ideal

candidate will be flexible, adaptive, and enthusiastic about responding to needs as they arise.

All Al Otro Lado staff working directly with clients must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19,

including with recommended boosters, and must follow strict COVID protocol while providing

services, including by using a high-quality mask in shared spaces and by testing for COVID if

experiencing any symptoms.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This is a full-time, exempt position with a starting annual salary of $70,304 to $83,000,

depending on experience. Al Otro Lado is piloting a 36-hour work week, with a half-day (4

hours) on Fridays. Payroll adjustments are made to ensure that all staff receive the same wages

as in a 40-hour work week.

Al Otro Lado’s comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Health benefits: Al Otro Lado contributes up to 99% of employee medical & 70% of
• employee dental and vision premiums. Insurance coverage is effective on the 1st of the
• month following the employee’s date of hire.
• Employer Sponsored Insurances: Employer-sponsored Group Long Term Disability,
• Short Term Disability, and Life/AD&D coverage.
• Optional Coverages: Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Insurance.
• Paid Time Off: Up to three weeks of accrued paid time off per year.
• Paid Holidays: 10 paid holidays observed and 2 paid weeks off for Winter Break in
• December/January.
• Paid Parental Leave: Supplemental wage integration following the birth of an employee’s
• child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with adoption or foster
• care.
• 403(B): Retirement plan investment opportunities to include Pre-tax or ROTH options.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Employer sponsored plan offering mental health
• support, and legal and financial services.
• Full-time employees who have completed at least 5 years of continuous full-time service
• with the organization will be eligible to apply for up to eight consecutive weeks of
• Sabbatical Leave, during which the employee will receive full compensation and
• continue to receive their accrued benefits.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please submit a letter of interest, resume, and three professional references to

jobs@alotrolado.org, with Staff Attorney: Unaccompanied Minor and Immigrant Youth

Representation in the subject line. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

No phone calls, please. Al Otro Lado values diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages

applications from people of color, LGBTQ individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals,

individuals with disabilities, and members of underrepresented communities.

• Health benefits: Al Otro Lado contributes up to 90% of employee medical & 70% of
• employee dental and vision premiums. Insurance coverage is effective on the 1st of the
• month following the employee’s date of hire.
• Employer Sponsored Insurances: Employer-sponsored Group Long Term Disability,
• Short Term Disability, and Life/AD&D coverage.
• Optional Coverages: Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Insurance.
• Paid Time Off: Up to three weeks of accrued paid time off per year.
• Paid Holidays: 10 paid holidays observed and 2 paid weeks off for Winter Break in
• December/January.
• Paid Parental Leave: Supplemental wage integration following the birth of an employee’s
• child or the placement of a child with an employee in connection with adoption or foster
• care.
• 403(B): Retirement plan investment opportunities to include Pre-tax or ROTH options.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Employer sponsored plan offering mental health
• support, and legal and financial services.
• Full-time employees who have completed at least 5 years of continuous full-time service
• with the organization will be eligible to apply for up to eight consecutive weeks of
• Sabbatical Leave, during which the employee will receive full compensation and
• continue to receive their accrued benefits.

English/ Spanish is helpful.