Senior Immigration; Staff Attorney, Legal Clinic; Justice Neighbors-Hawaiʻi

Senior Immigration (Staff) Attorney, The Legal Clinic (Justice for Our Neighbors-Hawaiʻi)

The Legal Clinic (TLC), a Honolulu, Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit organization, is seeking candidates for a senior staff immigration attorney position to begin as early as mid-July 2022 (or as soon as possible thereafter). TLC’s mission is to restore hope, dignity, and justice to Hawaii’s low-income foreign‑born residents through high‑quality immigration legal services, education, and advocacy. TLC was incorporated as an independent, secular 501(c)3 nonprofit in 2019, and is the Hawaiʻi affiliate of the national Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) network.

TLC serves clients throughout the state of Hawaiʻi, and currently has 6 staff members including one other immigration attorney and a legal assistant. Please visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

The senior staff attorney leads TLC’s small but growing legal team which provides immigration legal services to vulnerable foreign‑born Hawaiʻi residents who seek assistance with a variety of humanitarian immigration legal matters. The senior staff attorney is responsible for providing direct legal services to clients, and training and supervising other staff members and volunteers in this work. The senior attorney is also a spokesperson for TLC and expected to share information about immigration legal issues with diverse audiences.

The senior staff attorney reports to TLC’s executive director (ED, not an attorney) and works closely with the ED and board‑run committees on organizational capacity and planning efforts, and on advocacy issues that impact our immigrant and migrant communities. Salary range is $75,000–$82,000 (full‑time, annual), depending on experience and qualifications.

• Provide legal advice and direct representation to clients on a wide range of matters including naturalization, adjustment of status, asylum, U visa, T visa, TPS, DACA, removal defense, bond hearings and habeas petitions, and more.
• Represent clients before agencies and courts, such as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Train, supervise, and mentor legal team staff (currently one other immigration attorney and 1-2 legal assistants), pro bono attorneys, interns, and other volunteers.
• Work with TLC’s volunteer committee, community partners, media, and legislators to advocate for fair immigration policies. This may include some writing of articles and/or testimonials.
• Put on know‑your‑rights and naturalization workshops.
• Conduct public educational presentations, know‑your‑rights workshops, naturalization clinics, and other events related to immigration law and the work of TLC.
• Advise the board and other colleagues on legal trends pertinent to the organization and its mission.
• Engage with our national affiliate network through monthly meetings (virtual), an email list‑serv, and annual conferences with other network attorneys and directors around the country.
• Manage client documentation assist with data reporting and other administrative responsibilities as needed.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of immigration law and procedure.
• General knowledge and familiarity with other areas of the law such as contracts, employment, and administrative.
• Law Degree with current authorization to practice immigration law.
• Desired but not required:
  Membership in the Hawaii State Bar Association and license to practice law in Hawaii.

Skills

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Prior supervisory and/or teaching/training/mentorship experience.
• Ability to make mature, experienced business and legal judgments.
• Ability to communicate clearly, persuasively, logically and succinctly (both verbally and in writing).
• In depth analytical, organizational, and conceptual skills to handle various projects and programs.
• Ability to identify, analyze and research legal issues affecting the organization, and make recommendations to address the problem.
• Demonstrated ability to remain flexible in a demanding work environment and…