Border Butterflies Project Supervising Attorney

Job Description – Transgender Law Center's Border Butterflies Project

Job Title: Supervising Attorney

Status: Full-time, exempt

Location: This position can be remote or work out of TLC's offices in San Diego, Oakland or Brooklyn, frequent travel to San Diego and Tijuana is required. 

Reports to: Border Butterflies Legal Director

Salary: $85,000-$92,500 depending on experience and location

About the Border Butterflies Project

Border Butterflies is a project anchored by the Black LGBTQIA Migrant Project, Transgender Law Center, Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement, and other Tijuana based organizations. The project aims to support LGBTQ asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border with legal, humanitarian, post-detention, and organizing support. The staff attorney position, based in the Tijuana/San Diego region, will be hosted by Transgender Law Center. The staff attorney will provide direct legal support to LGBTQ asylum seekers in living Tijuana and United States.

About Transgender Law Center

Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating self-determination for all people. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs various community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender-nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation. (www.transgenderlawcenter.org)

POSITION SUMMARY

This position is within TLC’s litigation team with a focus on the Border Butterflies Project. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide direct immigration services to LGBTQ asylum seekers in Mexico and United States including conflict-of-interest checks, over-the-phone intakes and consultations, preparing immigration applications, reviewing evidence and records, drafting declarations, obtaining supporting documents, filing FOIA requests, conducting research, and drafting parole and bond applications.
• Review and assist attorneys who provide direct immigration services to LGBTQ asylum seekers in Mexico and United States including conflict-of-interest checks, over-the-phone intakes and consultations, preparing immigration applications, reviewing evidence and records, drafting declarations, obtaining supporting documents, filing FOIA requests, conducting research, and drafting parole and bond applications.
• Review affirmative applications before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), advise and assist attorneys in providing the best possible support from intake of these matters to resolution.
• Supervise and coach Border Butterfly attorneys to help them grow their knowledge, skills, and further their professional development; assist in the development of team-wide trainings.
• Assist attorneys in communicating with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), USCIS or clients when problematic situations arise, including directly intervening when necessary.
• Ensure supervisees maintain up to date case notes and records, and provide quality assurance for entries in the case management systems.
• Daily attention to administrative and operational responsibilities to ensure reporting compliance, including detailed and comprehensive data collection;
• Participate in internal and external reoccurring Border Butterfly meetings
• Support the work of the legal team and the organization generally;
• Other duties as assigned.

While TLC prides itself of prioritizing life-work balance for its staff, this position may require occasional long hours/weekends when on deadline.

QUALIFICATIONS and REQUIREMENTS

• A Juris Doctor from an accredited law school
• Two years of supervising experience of staff.
• Admission to the bar of at least one state
• Experience practicing immigration law including but not limited to in law school clinics, internships and volunteer work.
• Fluency in Spanish and English.
• Experience with legal or policy advocacy relating to immigration.
• Familiarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender nonconforming communities.
• Experience working with communities of color and transgender communities.
• Deep understanding of intersecting oppressions including anti-Blackness, white supremacy, transphobia, ableism, misogyny, colonialism, and capitalism.
• Demonstrated capacity to provide a welcoming presence to clients experiencing trauma, and a demonstrated client-centered, trauma-informed perspective and cultural responsivity to the diverse populations we serve.
• Experience working with people from a variety of different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, educational, religious, sexual, gender, and generational backgrounds
• Strong writing, editing, and legal research skills and experience with public speaking.
• Strong ability to work collaboratively both within the organization and with other groups.
• Strong personal organization and time management skills.
• Creativity and good judgment.
• Enthusiasm for the work of the organization and its potential.
• Demonstrated ability to triage and manage multiple tasks under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated capacity to provide a welcoming presence to clients experiencing trauma, and a demonstrated client-centered, trauma-informed perspective and cultural responsivity to the diverse populations we serve.
• Willingness to travel and to work outside of regular office hours when necessary.
  

Administration & TLC’s internal ecosystem:
• Daily attention to administrative and operational responsibilities to ensure reporting compliance, including detailed and comprehensive data collection
• Assist with the smooth transfer of cases to pro bono attorneys and other legal representatives;
• Attend relevant meetings, including;
    o Border Butterfly meetings;
    o All-staff meetings (1-2 hours per month)
• Other duties as assigned in support of the BBP legal team and the organization at large

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working with pro-bono attorneys.
• Experience working with immigrants at the Southern Border or in immigration detention.

BENEFITS

• Medical/dental/vision (TLC covers100% of premiums for employees, 75% for dependents)
• Employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (currently $2,000 per year)
• Optional employee-funded Flexible Spending Account
• Employee Assistance Fund that can grant financial assistance for certain qualifying disasters and personal hardships
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance
• 3 weeks of sick leave
• 19 days vacation (24 after 3 years’ employment) and 12 holidays
• Flexible Friday schedule with organization-wide ‘no internal meetings’ practice
• Organizational ‘slowdown’ in winter and summer
• Two-weeks paid time off in the summer and 2 weeks paid time off at the end of the year (separate from employee vacation time)
• 2-month paid sabbatical program available after 5 years’ employment
• Retirement plan with partial organizational matching
• Indemnity insurance for critical illness, hospital confinement, and accidents
• Professional development & coaching
• Office setup, phone and internet reimbursement (if working from home)
• Additional mental health, budgeting, travel, and pet benefits

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Transgender Law Center is proud to be an affirmative action employer. All interested individuals, including Black, indigenous, and other people of color; women and femmes; people with disabilities; and people who are transgender, intersex, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer are particularly urged to apply. For more information about Transgender Law Center please visit our website: www.transgenderlawcenter.org.

Salary : $85,000 - $92,500