CAIR-SFBA is seeking a seasoned and mission-driven Immigrants' Rights Managing Attorney to lead our immigration legal services across the Bay Area. This senior-level position is ideal for someone with deep expertise in immigration law and a strong commitment to community-centered advocacy. The role offers the opportunity to supervise a growing legal team, support high-impact cases, and shape the strategic direction of our immigrants' rights work.
Title: Immigrants' Rights Managing Attorney
Schedule Type: Full-time (Exempt). Occasional evenings and weekends required.
Location: Based in CAIR's Santa Clara office. CAIR staff are currently working a hybrid schedule, with three days in-person and two days remote.
Requirements: Ability to travel throughout the Bay Area (vehicle and driver's license required); authorization to work in the United States.
Reporting Relationships: Reports to Executive Director.
About the Role: As the Immigrants' Rights Managing Attorney, you will oversee day-to-day operations of the immigration legal team, including attorneys, paralegals, clerks, and volunteers, ensuring high-quality service delivery and efficient case management. You'll maintain your own caseload of short- and long-term matters while also serving as a legal and strategic advisor on organizational priorities, including rapid response efforts, litigation, and coalition work.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership and Supervision
- Provide leadership and supervision to the Immigrants' Rights legal team
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Immigrants' Rights team including management of intakes, civil rights staff, clerks, and monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting
- Supervise casework of attorneys, coordinators, caseworkers, paralegals, and volunteers
- Oversee retained case load to ensure all intakes and retained cases are properly documented and advanced
- Participate in CAIR-SFBA's Management Team, including regular meetings, advice to executives, and facilitation of organizational goals
Legal Representation
- Conduct client intake, prepare applications, and petitions for submission to the appropriate agencies
- Represent clients before various government agencies and in litigation
- Communicate with outside parties such as attorneys, employers, law enforcement agencies, administrative agencies, elected officials, and media contacts
- Manage a sizeable, high-impact caseload, balancing short-term direct services and longer-term full scope retainers
Community Engagement
- Respond to intake requests from organizational leaders for key community stakeholders and members to ensure they are properly addressed
- Participate in community outreach and educational activities, including planning and conducting Know Your Rights events and Immigration Legal clinics
- Work in, lead, or form coalitions with other organizations and collaborate with civil rights partners
- Co-lead CAIR-SFBA's efforts on rapid response issues, alongside CAIR-SFBA's Management Team
Legal Research and Documentation
- Research and analyze law sources such as statutes, legal articles, and legal codes
- Prepare legal writing including, but not limited to, drafting complaints, discovery, briefs, letters, and memos; and non-legal writing including drafting community advisories, issue briefings, and reports
- Identify, develop, lead, and oversee litigation efforts including legal writing and review of complaints, demand letters, motions, discovery, and other litigation-related documents; conducting and defending depositions; attending legal hearings
Grant Management
- Manage grant requirements and reporting for current and future grants as received
Client Assessment and Referrals
- Assess clients for other legal services and immigrants' rights-related needs, as appropriate
- Grow referral database and utilize it strategically and thoughtfully to provide referrals to potential clients who CAIR is unable to assist
Marketing and Reporting
- Partner with the Executive Director, Communications Manager, and colleagues to strategize and implement marketing for CAIR-SFBA's immigrants' rights services and impact
- Assist other staff in the production of internal and external reports, including serving as the final reviewer if needed
All CAIR staff are required to assist in general duties such as answering phones, weekly outreach, and other office tasks.
Required Qualifications:
- A strong commitment to civil rights and CAIR's mission
- Law degree from an American Bar Association accredited school
- Member in good standing of the California state bar
- At least five years of immigration law, or other relevant, experience, including at least one year of training and mentoring other legal workers
- Strong time management skills with a demonstrated ability to meet deadlines
- Demonstrated problem-solving skills with outstanding attention to detail
- Comfort working productively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
- Excellent oral and written communication skills including public speaking experience
- Experience working with people from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds
- High degree of self-motivation and creativity
- Basic computer proficiency including knowledge of MS Office, MS Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, and LexisNexis
- Knowledge of cloud applications such as SharePoint and Office365
- Access to a working vehicle and the ability to drive throughout the greater Bay Area
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with the American Muslim community and/or in a community, faith-based, and/or non-profit organization
- Knowledge of cloud applications such as SharePoint, Office365, and social media applications
- Conversational proficiency in Arabic, Farsi or Urdu
Compensation
- Compensation in the range of $98,648 - $113,310/annually, commensurate with experience
- Fully paid Kaiser Health Insurance and Blue Cross PPO Dental Plan for employee and dependents
- 3% retirement matching contribution
- 12 paid holidays, 10 sick days, and 12 vacation days
Application Deadline: Priority deadline is June 21, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
To Apply: Please submit (1) a cover letter discussing your interest in the position, (2) your resume, (3) a brief example of your writing, and (4) the names and contact information of three references.
CAIR-CA is an equal-opportunity employer and adheres to all federal, state, and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination.
