The Immigrant Legal Resource Center is Hiring!

Staff Attorney – Texas

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is seeking a full-time Staff Attorney based in Texas. This is an exempt position that reports to the Policy Director.

The ILRC is a national nonprofit legal support center headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Washington, D.C.; Austin, TX; Houston, TX; San Antonio, TX; and the San Joaquin Valley of California. The mission of the ILRC is to work with, educate, and enhance the capacity of immigrants, community organizations, and the legal sector, in order to build a democratic society that values diversity, dignity, and the rights of all people. Founded in 1979, the ILRC is regarded as one of the foremost experts on engaging immigrants and developing their leaderships, providing expertise on complex issues of immigration law, procedure and policy, and engaging in advocacy and educational initiatives on policies that affect immigrants. We are a team-based organization that makes decisions in a collaborative fashion that allows for significant staff input.

The Staff Attorney will work collaboratively with the ILRC’s Texas team, including another Texas-based staff attorney and our two campaign strategists, to build support for local pro-immigrant policies throughout Texas, as well as further the ILRC’s technical support and capacity building work on behalf of immigrants and the practitioners who defend their rights.

Job Responsibilities: The Staff Attorney will provide legal support and policy expertise to ILRC’s Texas campaigns and contribute to several concurrent programs. The primary responsibility of this position is to build the capacity of community-based organizations and engage in policy work at the local level, especially relating to ICE enforcement issues and the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems. This includes:

• Developing local partnerships with community-based organizations, advocates and local officials to advance pro-immigrant policies, and developing unique legal strategies to support these policies.
• Working in partnership with the other Texas-based staff to develop and execute winning strategies that advance immigrant and criminal legal system reform throughout Texas.
• Advising local community-based organizations and creating resources for diverse audiences about federal law, SB 4, 287(g), criminal legal reforms, and other policies that impact immigrants in Texas locally.
• Working with networks of other immigrant rights and criminal justice organizations and/or organizing with and presenting to groups/coalitions on immigration law, policy, and immigrant rights and criminal legal issues.

Other responsibilities include (approximately 10-20% of time):

• Writing manuals, practice advisories, and outreach and educational materials for attorneys, paralegals, community organizers, members of the immigrant community, and others.
• Preparing and leading webinars and in-person seminars on a variety of topics in immigration law, particularly removal defense.
• Writing grant proposals and reports to foundations representing the ILRC in meetings with funders and supporters.
• Traveling for trainings, funder visits, and other events throughout Texas and the United States.

Qualifications: The successful applicant should have:

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in immigration law and policy, including some experience representing clients in the practice of immigration law and removal defense.
• 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 and/or with coalitions and networks and managing relationships with multiple partners.
• Ability to speak to and synthesize complex legal and policy information for a diverse range of audiences.
• Broad knowledge of  removal defense law, including the grounds of inadmissibility and deportability; the intersection of criminal and immigration law; and the rules governing BIA and judicial review.
• Excellent writing, editing, legal analysis, and oral presentation skills. 
• Exceptional time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
• A strong work ethic, including the following qualities: organized, flexible, reliable, and dependable, with the ability to be an independent worker, and able to handle several projects simultaneously while thriving in a team-based, collaborative decision-making 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.

It is a plus if the applicant has additional experience including:

• More than five years of experience representing clients in criminal defense matters or the practice of general immigration law, including experience representing clients before the BIA and the EOIR.
• Writing and securing grants from foundations and corporations.
• Technical writing experience.
• Training, teaching, or other public speaking experience.
• Working in, leading, or forming coalitions.
• Collaborating with immigrant communities or communities invested in criminal justice work.
• Coordinating civic engagement projects or working as a community organizer.
• Bar membership in the state of Texas.

Salary/Benefits: Pay is very competitive for the field and commensurate with experience according to the ILRC salary scale for Staff Attorneys. The range for this position begins at $82,154.31 for those three years out of law school. An attorney hired for this position who has been out of law school for more than three years will have a higher salary based on their law school graduation year. The ILRC offers excellent benefits, medical/dental/vision insurance, 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.

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, a current resume, a writing sample that demonstrates immigration law knowledge, and the contact information for three professional references.

Online applications are preferred. As an alternative, you can mail your application to:

Staff Attorney – Texas Hiring Committee

Immigrant Legal Resource Center

1458 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

No phone calls please.

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.