Immigrant Defenders Law Center (“ImmDef”) is a next-generation, social justice law firm that provides high-quality representation and legal services to immigrants in Southern California and beyond. ImmDef was founded with the belief that no immigrant should be forced to face an unjust immigration system alone and our cutting-edge universal representation programs are a first step towards that goal. Learn more about us at www.immdef.org.

ImmDef seeks to sponsor a candidate for various public interest fellowships, including the Skadden, Equal Justice Works, Justice Catalyst, and Soros Justice Fellowships. ImmDef will also consider sponsoring candidates for law school- or institution-based fellowships. Our fellowship candidate will be engaged in cutting edge immigration litigation for individual clients, while supporting the larger organizational goal of fighting for a more just and humane immigration system.

ImmDef’s Fellow will join a team of fearless advocates who are providing creative and zealous representation to thousands of adults, children, and families with multi-faceted, complex, and urgent legal needs as they face our unjust immigration system. The Fellow will be joining the largest non-profit, universal representation-model deportation defense team in the state of California. The Fellow will be placed in one of our four Southern California offices: Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana, or San Diego.

ImmDef is open to placing fellows within any of the following programs:

• Litigation and Advocacy (Los Angeles)
• Deported Veterans/Post Conviction Relief (Los Angeles)
• Border Rights (San Diego)
• Community Defense Projects/Removal Defense (All Offices)
• Children’s Rights Project/Removal Defense (Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana)

Fellow duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Fellows may be assigned cases focusing on serving migrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, those detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prisons, or non-detained adults and children facing deportation.
• Provide high-quality, client-centered representation for clients in deportation proceedings.
• Determine eligibility for legal relief and develop legal strategy case plans.
• Travel to shelters for unaccompanied children, ICE detention centers, and other custodial settings to interview and prepare clients, take declarations, complete immigration benefit applications, and provide legal advice.
• Represent individuals in court at initial or prolonged custody redetermination hearings, master calendar hearings, individual merits hearings, and in ancillary state court proceedings.
• Represent clients before USCIS at asylum interviews, credible fear interviews, ICE check-ins and other immigration related appointments.
• Prepare and submit country conditions, declarations, and other supporting evidence for applications to defend clients against removal.
• Work with country conditions experts, expert witnesses, psychologists, and medical professionals to develop supporting evidence for immigration relief applications.
• Draft appellate briefs for submission to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) or the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and participate in weekly group case review, on-site trainings, and professional development opportunities.
• Depending on project assignment, engage in policy advocacy and strategic appellate and impact litigation under the supervision of ImmDef’s experienced team.

Qualifications (including bar requirements):

• Open to JD graduates of the class of 2023 or 2024, those ending a clerkship, or otherwise meeting the specific post-graduate fellowship criteria.
• Intention to sit for the bar exam of any state (preferably CA) prior to start of fellowship, or currently licensed in any U.S. jurisdiction
• Experience (including internships) in the practice of law, preferably in immigration and/or social justice law
• Experience and/or interest in the intersection of criminal and immigration law is a plus
• Experience and/or interest in working with clients suffering from mental illness or disabilities is a plus
• Strong case management, legal research, and legal writing skills required
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to zealously pursue new and untested legal theories
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure
• Spanish language proficiency preferred but not required; fluency in additional languages, especially Haitian Kreyol or French, is a plus
• Commitment to working in a diverse professional environment.
• Passion for social justice for immigrants required

How to Apply

Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter (noting which fellowships the candidate is interesting in applying for and which ImmDef program(s) the candidate would like to be placed in), writing sample (limited to 10 pages), and 3 references. Applicants should apply with ample time to collaborate on and submit a proposal to the desired fellowship organization or educational institution by the application deadline.

Those seeking a fellowship that begins in Fall 2024 (e.g., Skadden or EJW) are encouraged to submit their application materials no later than July 15th.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for a position fighting for our immigrant communities!

Immigrant Defenders Law Center is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. We value diversity in the workplace and strongly encourage applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, ethnic group identification, citizenship, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, arrest or conviction record, or any other protected characteristic.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation and Benefits will be set by the terms of the fellowship program. The salary range for first year staff attorneys at ImmDef starts at $68,000. Fellowships are considered temporary positions, but are eligible for medical, vision, and dental benefits at ImmDef.