Staff Attorney, Immigration Clinic

ATTENTION: All candidates must submit a cover letter and resume in order to be considered for this position. Applications must be received by Thursday, June 15, 2023. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and the position may be filled before the deadline.

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 to 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 2-year fixed-term position with the possibility of renewal contingent on funding.

A $5,000 sign-on bonus will be awarded to the successful candidate. The bonus will be awarded in two parts: $2,500 upon hire and $2,500 after 6 months on the job.

The La Linterna clinic 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 by the Immigration Clinic consists of consultations, brief service, referrals, and direct representation before USCIS and the 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 clinic days at an AltaMed clinic or CHLA. Common legal matters that will be handled include Special Immigrant Juvenile Status applications (including the state court and USCIS components), T trafficking survivor and U crime victim visa applications, asylum applications (affirmative and defensive), family-based immigrant visa applications, adjustment of status applications, and humanitarian parole applications.

The staff attorney will maintain his/her own docket of cases and will work with a current staff attorney and the co-directors.

Preferred skills and experiences:

• Fluency in Spanish;
• Experience with representation of clients before the immigration court;
• Admission to and active California Bar license;
• Strong interviewing and evaluation skills;
• J.D. degree;
• Minimum of 1 year of experience practicing immigration law;
• Strong writing skills;
• Ability to work independently.
• Experience with representation of clients before USCIS;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Strong case management skills;
• Experience with SIJS applications.

ATTENTION: All candidates must submit a cover letter and resume in order to be considered for this position. Applications must be received by Thursday, June 15, 2023. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and the position may be filled before the deadline.

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

Equity, diversity, inclusion, opportunity and access are of central importance to the Gould School of Law (Gould). 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.

The annual base salary range for this position is $67,904.42 - $73,000. 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.

Minimum Education: J.D. Minimum Experience: 3 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Demonstrated experience providing legal guidance. Proven leadership ability. Practiced use of discretion and decision-making ability. Excellent written and oral communication skills and a proven ability to build and maintain deep and meaningful relationships with community members and outside agencies.