Staff Attorney - Bakersfield, California

About UFW Foundation: For 17 years, the UFW Foundation has mobilized farm workers and their organizations across the country to advocate for more equitable policies, such as immigration reform, pesticide protections, heat standards, hazard pay and other worker protections. We engage constituents in systemic change to break the cycle of poverty while also providing critical services. In fact, the UFW Foundation is the largest federally accredited immigration legal service provider in the state of California. The organization has staff in California, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, and Michigan.

The UFW Foundation’s Immigration Legal Services Program provides high quality comprehensive affirmative and removal defense services and representation before U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS), Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), and California State Courts. We represent low-income clients in an array of affirmative and defensive applications, including but not limited to family petitions, U-visa/VAWA, Waivers, Naturalization and DACA, as well as Asylum/Withholding/CAT, Cancellation of Removal and Special Immigrants Juvenile Status (SIJS). We also represent unaccompanied minors as a VERA/Office of Refugee and Resettlement sub-grantee before EOIR and CA Family and Probate courts across 7 counties.

SUMMARY: The Staff Attorney position will (1) provide affirmative immigration relief services; (2) provide representation of clients in deportation proceedings; (3) outreach at assigned community college campuses; and (4) work closely with other UFW Foundation programs to drive an organizing culture which influences systemic change. The Staff Attorney will report to a Managing or Directing Attorney.

The UFW Foundation seeks an individual with law practice experience or experience working with immigrant communities that can help the organization, in collaboration with the UFW Foundation’s various programs and departments, as well as its partners, to develop a service delivery model that will maximize the limited resources in rural communities and leverage relationships from urban centers.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (This is not an exhaustive list)

• Assess immigration relief needs of clients (community members, children, as well as community college students, staff, and faculty) and determine eligibility for available immigration benefits, including but not limited to: Naturalization, DACA renewal, Employment Authorization, Family-Based Petitions, Adjustment of Status, renewal of permanent resident card, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, VAWA, U and T visas, Temporary Protected Status, Asylum, and Removal Defense.
• Assist at UFW Foundation led naturalization and DACA renewal group processing events.
• Assist with community legal education presentations and outreach activities, such as Know Your Rights presentations and other affirmative immigration relief information sessions.
• Attend all “triage” meetings as scheduled to screen for potential clients.
• Conduct intake interviews of individuals in immigration detention or non-detained individuals, families and children before the immigration court.
• Provide direct representation and assistance of detained and non-detained individuals in removal proceedings, including but not limited to bond hearings, and full removal defense representation.
• Provide direct representation to unaccompanied minors before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Executive Office of Immigration Review, and in California state court child welfare proceedings (primarily guardianship and custody proceedings).
• Review criminal dispositions and analyze immigration consequences.
• Provide zealous representation, conduct legal research, formulate legal strategy, conduct client interviews, appear before state and/or immigration courts or agencies, draft and file court pleadings and applications for relief.
• Identify trends in Department of Homeland Services practices and community needs that will help inform advocacy efforts.
• Prepare and submit applications, legal briefs, and supporting documentation for immigration relief, including but not limited to: naturalization, DACA renewal, employment authorization, family-based petitions, adjustment of status, and renewal of permanent resident card, asylum, withholding, relief under the Convention Against Torture, U visa, VAWA, adjustment of status with applicable waivers, Special Immigrant Juvenile Visas and other applications for relief from removal.
• Provide trainings and technical assistance to UFW Foundation staff, interns, fellows, volunteers and partner organizations.
• Regular travel to necessary court hearings, community colleges (as assigned), UFW Foundation service centers and trainings.
• Support UFW Foundation’s fundraising goals.
• Work closely with Directing Attorneys to maximize case output.
• Work diligently to file cases and maintain accurate, timely, and detailed case data in our case management system.
• Other tasks as needed.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• May involve the coordination and supervision of volunteers, interns, and/or fellows.
• Training and supervising of service providers, legal assistants, and others as they prepare for DOJ accreditation or renewal.