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Immigration Staff Attorney job at Salud Para la Gente. Watsonville, CA. Job Type: Full-time

The Watsonville Law Center (WLC) is a nonprofit legal aid organization providing free legal services to low‑income households in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. WLC works closely with community and health care partners, such as Salud Para La Gente (Salud), to address legal and social determinants of health including access to housing, health, employment, immigration justice, and economic equity. Salud provides high quality, comprehensive and cost‑effective healthcare to underserved low‑income communities in the Monterey Bay area, including Santa Cruz County and North Monterey County. We began in Watsonville in 1978 as a storefront "free clinic," and with the ever–growing need for health services in 1992 became a federally qualified community health center (FQHC). Today, we are a primary health care network with 11 clinic sites, over 450 employees, and continue to provide high quality services to patients of all ages.

Introduction

We are seeking an immigration attorney to assist clients in various aspects of access to immigration, and other social determinants of health. This position will work under the direction of the Legal Director of the Watsonville Law Center, and will direct client services for primarily low‑income and Spanish‑speaking households including screening for eligibility, ensuring access to public benefits and addressing application and denial issues. The Staff Attorney will work with an interdisciplinary care team of legal, medical, and social service providers ensuring access to legal services. The practice area is immigration but other areas of law will be included to address the social determinants of health with proper training. This position will require community engagement, such as developing and providing workshops for clients; providing trainings for staff and other service providers; and communicating with regional stakeholders.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Directs immigration client services for primarily low‑income, and Spanish and Indiegous speaking households.
• Litigate both affirmative and defensive cases before USCIS, EOIR, the BIA, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Provide legal consultations and screen clients for immigration legal relief. Perform all necessary legal research to determine eligibility for immigration benefits.
• Identifies and addresses opportunities for systemic change and best practices to ensure high quality services and continuing quality improvement.
• Involved with various community functions including developing and providing workshops for clients, trainings for staff and other service providers and communication with regional stakeholders.
• Train, mentor, supervise, and support ongoing development of a diverse staff of attorneys, advocates, legal support, volunteers, and interns to provide follow‑up services and case work.
• Assists in the preparation of program reports, including tracking and reporting on the outcomes of WLC services and appropritate case stories.
• Prepare and lead community presentations and workshops on immigration legal issues, and provide expert testimony to media on current immigration law and policy topics.
• Maintain detailed and organized paper and electronic legal records and files.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• J.D. Degree.
• Member in good standing of the California Bar Association and admission to the bar of the highest court of California.
• A minimum of 1 year of experice providing immigration legal services required.
• At least 3 years of prior practice in a relevant subject matter of legal aid; substantive law school clinical work will satisfy this requirement.
• A demonstrated commitment to civil liberties, immigrant justice, and public interest law.
• Fluency in Spanish languge, including reading, writing and coversational.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong commitment to equal access to justice for low‑income and vulnerable immigrant communities.
• Ability to work with diverse team of legal and non‑legal service providers. Previous experience working with diverse and interdisciplinary teams is preferred.
• Strong case management skills, including proficiency in electronic case management systems as well as standard office software.
• Ability to travel to multiple locations to provide service.

Physical Demands

• Standing walking, sitting, typing, reaching, bending, moving and/or lifting up to 25 pounds

Salary & Benefits

Competitive salary from $75,000 to $83,000 and benefit package, Medical, Dental, Vision 4O1K, Life insurance, Voluntary Long Term Disability, PTO, Holiday Pay and Continuing Education allowance.

Salud is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Salud is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact the Salud Human Resources Department, 831-728-8250, and HRDept@splg.org.