Immigration Counselor en CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF OAKLAND

Description

Area/Program Focus:  City of Richmond Immigration Legal Services  

Project position ending June 30, 2027. 

Position Summary:  Catholic Charities of the East Bay (CCEB) is strongly committed to the well-being and self-sufficiency of immigrant families. The Immigration Legal Services Department provides low-income families with free and low-cost quality immigration legal and citizenship services. Residents of Richmond preferred. 

The Immigration Counselor is responsible for providing direct legal representation to clients in all family-based immigration, U-Visa and VAWA applications and naturalization cases. The Immigration Counselor also provides community presentations on immigration law and immigrant rights. It is a requirement of this position that the Immigration Counselor earns DOJ accredited status. The Immigration Counselor supervises the work of support staff and volunteers in representing clients.  

Reports to:  Managing Attorney 

Supervisory Responsibility: May supervise paralegals, legal assistants, other support staff and volunteers, and participation in biweekly case rounds. 

Responsibilities:  

• Provide direct legal services by meeting with clients, preparing applications for relief, drafting client declarations, and submitting cases to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). 

• Representing clients in immigration administrative interviews before USCIS. 

• Attend trainings and courses to remain updated on immigration law and policy. 

• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date client information in database.  

• Assist with recruiting, training, and supervision of legal department volunteers. 

• Participate in workshops for the public and collaborative partners on basic pathways to citizenship, benefits eligibility, understanding individual rights, and other topics.  

• Collaborate with partner organizations to refer clients to legal and mental health services as appropriate. 

• Conduct or participate in outreach events and presentations, including know-your-rights workshops and legal screening events to increase awareness of pathways to relief, legal rights and responsibilities, and enable access to legal resources. 

• Other duties, as assigned. 

Commitment to Mission and Organizational Sustainability: Model commitment to CCEB mission and planning for sustainable organizational future of service, including via work with the executive team as needed and/or as a representation of the agency. 

Deliverables: 

• Provide direct legal services to a minimum of eighty (80) City of Richmond residents through open affirmative cases 

• Within 90 days, the Immigration Counselor will, if needed, enroll in a Comprehensive Overview of Immigration Law course (COIL), maintain complete, accurate, and timely records in department database, and will be able to prepare applications for clients, under the supervision of attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives. 

• Provide weekly consultations at the Richmond office and mobile outreach clinics. 

• Support clients with application, preparation, securing lawful status, and related benefits, including work authorization. 

• Within six months, the Immigration Counselor will complete any required training on available immigration remedies, and conduct client screenings and intakes, under supervision. 

• Within one year, the Immigration Counselor will apply for Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation, conduct two community education presentations, including DACA and naturalization workshops and Know Your Rights trainings. Within one year, the Immigration Counselor will also be able to prepare complex client applications. 

• Assist Program Manager and Managing Attorney in working towards overall sustainability of CCEB 

• Immigration Legal Services will have processes for indicator measurement, quality and review 

• Immigration Legal Services will have accurate data collection for grant reporting and proposals 

Core Competencies: 

• Demonstrates a fundamental respect for the dignity of others. Works collegially and is a proven team builder. Inclined to coach and teach in order to improve knowledge and ability of others, but holds people accountable for results 

• Understands and values quality improvement. Able to effectively address overlapping projects and deadlines. Adaptable and reliable in face of conflict, crisis, or changing priorities 

• A demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion; valuing a diversity of perspectives and encouraging contributions by all team members 

• Ability to be a team leader and a team member 

• Ability to thrive in a flexible, fast-paced, accredited, and growth-oriented environment while maintaining a positive solution oriented approach 

• High analytical abilities to process large amounts of data from multiple sources. Ability to prioritize across multiple types of work and coordinate the work of others  

• Ability to network and interact internally and externally  

• High level of oral, and written communication, ability to speak to explain complex legal procedures to a many audiences 

Qualifications

• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree or University level education equivalent from other countries 

• Minimum of one year of direct immigration legal service experience including representing clients in the above subject areas before USCIS 

• Advanced understanding of immigration and citizenship law and procedure, including family-based immigration, consular processing, waivers of grounds of inadmissibility, U visa and VAWA, T visa, adjustment of status, asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and naturalization 

• Experience supervising and managing paralegals, legal assistants, support staff and/or law student interns, including training and working towards office goals 

• Competency to serve clients from a variety of cultures 

• Spanish and English language proficiency 

• High level of independent judgment 

• High analytical abilities to spot issues and plan legal services for clients 

• Professional level skills using Word, Excel, and Acrobat.  Proven ability to master legal database systems