Staff Attorney, Immigration Clinic

ATTENTION: This is a 1-year fixed-term position with the possibility of renewal contingent on funding. All candidates must submit a cover letter and resume in order to be considered for this position.

USC Gould School of Law is seeking applications for a full-time position with benefits for a Staff Attorney. This position will work for the USC Gould Immigration Clinic.  The staff attorney will handle Immigration Clinic removal defense and USCIS cases and will provide support for the La Linterna pediatric medical-legal clinic jointly sponsored by the Immigration Clinic, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), and AltaMed.  This is a 1-year fixed-term position with the possibility of renewal contingent on funding. 

The Immigration Clinic represents clients before USCIS, the immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, U.S. District Courts, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Some of the Immigration Clinic’s clients are seen at the La Linterna clinic which provides trauma‐informed services consisting of medical care, psychological care, case management, and legal services to vulnerable children impacted by the stresses of immigration. The legal services component provided at the La Linterna clinic consists of consultations, brief service, referrals, and direct representation before USCIS and immigration court.

The staff attorney will work under the supervision of the co-directors of the Immigration Clinic and will work in the Immigration Clinic’s office on USC’s University Park Campus and on La Linterna clinic days at an AltaMed clinic or CHLA.  Common legal matters that will be handled include removal defense, asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applications (including the state court and USCIS components), and U crime victim visa applications.  

The staff attorney will maintain his/her own docket of cases and will work with other staff attorneys, the co-directors, and law students enrolled in the Immigration Clinic.

We are seeking candidates that have the following:

• J.D. degree

• admission to and active California Bar license

• 1 year of experience practicing immigration law

• experience with representation of clients before USCIS and or the immigration courts

• strong case management skills

• strong interviewing and evaluation skills

• strong writing skills

• strong organizational skills

• ability to work independently

• fluency in Spanish

• experience with SIJS applications

• experience with representing clients before the Superior Court (Family Law and / Probate divisions)

ATTENTION: This is a 1-year fixed-term position with the possibility of renewal contingent on funding. All candidates must submit a cover letter and resume in order to be considered for this position.

The annual base salary range for this position is $73,000.00 - $75,960.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Learn more about our benefits and perks here: https://employees.usc.edu/benefits-perks/

The Gould School of Law (Gould) considers candidates that demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values (link). Gould holds a unique position in society, and within the university, as every aspect of these principles are influenced by and can be protected through legal rules and institutions.  At Gould, we are proudly committed to maintaining a community in which each person respects the rights of others to live, work, and learn in peace and dignity, to be proud of who and what they are, and to have equal opportunity to realize their full potential as individuals and members of society.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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