Supervising Attorney- Immigrant Rights

The Opportunity 

Asian Law Caucus (ALC) seeks an experienced attorney and advocate to join its Immigrant Rights (IR) Program. The Supervising Attorney will supervise a team that includes attorneys to bring about systems change through an integrated approach combining direct services, coalition building, impact litigation, and strategic advocacy. The Supervising Attorney must be able to utilize, integrate, and implement legal, policy, and advocacy strategies on issues and campaigns to protect immigrant and refugee communities from detention and deportation and build toward a humane immigration system that keeps families and communities together. They will supervise attorneys on a wide range of legal matters before the immigration court system and federal courts.

The IR Supervising Attorney will also work with staff across the organization and collaborate with our Criminal Justice Reform program on cross-issue initiatives and campaigns. The ideal candidate is attuned to and has deep expertise in criminal legal issues and is committed to building leadership and power with and for impacted communities. Experience working with people who are formerly incarcerated and/or directly impacted by the criminal legal system is highly desired. The IR Supervising Attorney should bring a leadership style that is grounded in principles of equity and inclusion and can partner with ALC’s leadership and staff to build connectivity and cohesion across the organization. This position is temporarily supervised by the Director of Programs.

The Organization

Asian Law Caucus (ALC) is the nation’s first legal and civil rights organization serving low-income, immigrant, and marginalized Asian, Arab, Middle Eastern, and Pacific Islander communities. Since 1972, ALC has fought to protect access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services to low-income immigrants and communities of color. Today, with a staff of 60 we bring together legal services, community empowerment, and policy advocacy to fight for immigrant justice, economic security, and a stronger, multiracial democracy. Our work is rooted in the San Francisco Bay Area and California and expands to states across the country, including places where immigrant, Asian, Arab, Middle Eastern, and Pacific Islander communities are rapidly growing. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Supervise the Immigrant Rights’ legal team to provide direct legal services to low-income API immigrants and oversee legal casework and client management, including contesting aggravated felony and other criminal-immigration charges, habeas actions seeking release from ICE detention, and constitutional challenges to ICE enforcement practices
• Provide high-quality direct legal services on the issues above 
• Work with attorneys and Litigation Director to staff ongoing litigation and identify new opportunities, legal theories, and claims to challenge civil rights abuses in the immigration system 
• Help to develop and implement the short and long-term goals of the IR Program
• In collaboration with other staff, develop advocacy strategies to address the impacts of the existing immigration systems on API immigrant communities and other immigrant communities of color
• Work with Community Advocacy staff on community engagement strategies 
• Collaborate with Communications staff to develop stories with ALC clients and their communities and execute narrative-shifting strategies
• Collaborate and coordinate with relevant programs on work that intersects with the immigration system
• Establish and deepen relationships with grassroots partners, advocacy organizations, and other stakeholders
• Participate in regular one-on-one supervision check-in meetings, staff meetings, program team meetings, and other organization meetings, as requested
• Perform administrative duties, such as performance reviews, fund reporting, and grant management
• Perform other duties as needed

All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor/supervisees, staff meetings, team meetings, and other organization meetings, as required. This includes two (2) annual retreats, an anniversary celebration dinner, and meetings as needed in the San Francisco Bay area. 

The above statements are not intended to encompass all functions of the position; rather, they are intended to provide a general framework of the requirements of the position. Job incumbents may be required to perform other functions not specifically addressed in this posting.

Qualifications

• JD and Bar Membership is required, preferably with the California State Bar
• Minimum one year of experience supervising staff 
• Substantive experience with immigration issues and a minimum of five (5) years' related legal services or state/federal court litigation experience, ideally with familiarity in practicing in a nonprofit organization
• Significant removal defense for people with criminal convictions and federal court experience is highly desired
• Familiarity with the intersection of immigration status and other issues, such as national security, employment and housing, is a plus
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to work independently and in collaboration with other attorneys, community advocates, and community-based organizations
• Demonstrated commitment to building power for and with grassroots communities
• Experience working with API and AMEMSA (Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian) community members impacted by the immigration legal system is highly desired
• A trusted colleague who works effectively within a nonprofit management team toward organizational goals and objectives
• Excellent research, analytical, written, and oral communication skills
• Non-English language skills (i.e. Asian languages or Spanish) desirable but not required