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Los Angeles Staff Attorney
Los Angeles, CA
Job Description
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights invites applications for the position of Staff Attorney in the Young Center’s Los Angeles regional office. The Young Center’s mission is to promote the best interests—safety and well-being—of unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States. The Young Center is a children’s rights organization dedicated to bringing a holistic child welfare lens to children in the immigration system. The immediate focus of the Young Center’s work is to serve as federally-appointed Child Advocate (best interests guardian ad litem) for unaccompanied immigrant children.
The children served by the Young Center have all been apprehended by immigration authorities and placed in federal detention for children. Some of the children are still in detention, while others may be released to sponsors in the community. In addition, most of the children are in removal (deportation) proceedings and must, therefore, appear in immigration court. Young Center Child Advocates do not act in the capacity of immigration attorney; when a child has an immigration attorney, that attorney represents the child’s legal (stated) interests while the Child Advocate submits recommendations as to the child’s best interests.
The Staff Attorney position is a unique opportunity to engage in written and oral advocacy on behalf of unaccompanied immigrant children, applying federal law, domestic child welfare law, and international human rights law. The Staff Attorney will be appointed as Child Advocate, and will also supervise volunteers— social workers, teachers, law students, community members—appointed as Child Advocate. In this role, the Staff Attorney will gather information from the child and stakeholders and will then draft and submit best interests recommendations to the federal agencies with authority over children’s care, custody and immigration status, as well as to state court judges, as applicable.
The Young Center’s best interests recommendations focus on the child’s safety, permanency and well-being. By way of example, a Child Advocate may recommend that a child: be released from detention and reunified with a parent, be stepped down to a less restrictive setting, or not be repatriated to his/her home country because that child will not be safe. The Staff Attorney will develop expertise in relevant statutes and conventions, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and UNHCR Guidelines for Determining the Best Interests of the Child.
The Young Center team is a passionate and interdisciplinary group of professionals—attorneys, social workers, and administrative staff—committed to ensuring that immigrant children are recognized as children, first and foremost, and receive the full protection they deserve under the law, even though they’re caught in an immigration system that often views them as adults-in-miniature.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Staff Attorney’s primary responsibilities will be to:
Job offer is conditioned on clearance of fingerprint criminal background check, child abuse and neglect check (CANTS) and tuberculosis test.
The Young Center is an "at-will" and equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in and affirmatively factors diversity into its hiring practices. Young Center encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, ancestry, marital or parental status, pregnancy, citizenship, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, genetic information, or veterans’ status. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process; no application will be penalized for requesting an accommodation. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.
The children served by the Young Center have all been apprehended by immigration authorities and placed in federal detention for children. Some of the children are still in detention, while others may be released to sponsors in the community. In addition, most of the children are in removal (deportation) proceedings and must, therefore, appear in immigration court. Young Center Child Advocates do not act in the capacity of immigration attorney; when a child has an immigration attorney, that attorney represents the child’s legal (stated) interests while the Child Advocate submits recommendations as to the child’s best interests.
The Staff Attorney position is a unique opportunity to engage in written and oral advocacy on behalf of unaccompanied immigrant children, applying federal law, domestic child welfare law, and international human rights law. The Staff Attorney will be appointed as Child Advocate, and will also supervise volunteers— social workers, teachers, law students, community members—appointed as Child Advocate. In this role, the Staff Attorney will gather information from the child and stakeholders and will then draft and submit best interests recommendations to the federal agencies with authority over children’s care, custody and immigration status, as well as to state court judges, as applicable.
The Young Center’s best interests recommendations focus on the child’s safety, permanency and well-being. By way of example, a Child Advocate may recommend that a child: be released from detention and reunified with a parent, be stepped down to a less restrictive setting, or not be repatriated to his/her home country because that child will not be safe. The Staff Attorney will develop expertise in relevant statutes and conventions, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and UNHCR Guidelines for Determining the Best Interests of the Child.
The Young Center team is a passionate and interdisciplinary group of professionals—attorneys, social workers, and administrative staff—committed to ensuring that immigrant children are recognized as children, first and foremost, and receive the full protection they deserve under the law, even though they’re caught in an immigration system that often views them as adults-in-miniature.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Staff Attorney’s primary responsibilities will be to:
- Oversee a docket of cases in which the Staff Attorney, or volunteers supervised by the Staff Attorney, are appointed as Child Advocate to unaccompanied children held in federal custody across the Los Angeles area.
- Advance cases by gathering information about each child’s life from the child, family members, and agencies with relevant information.
- Apply a child-rights paradigm to identify and advocate for the best interests of these unaccompanied children with each federal agency with authority over the child, including shelter officials, the custodial agency (within the federal Department of Health and Human Services), immigration judges, asylum officers, immigration attorneys, and state court judges when applicable.
- Draft and submit written best interests recommendations applying federal, state and international law.
- Develop relationships and coordinate with stakeholders serving unaccompanied children in the Los Angeles area.
- Train and supervise volunteer Child Advocates in the Los Angeles area.
- Assist with monthly reporting and other program and administrative responsibilities as necessary.
- Other duties as assigned.
- J.D. and authorization to practice law.
- Proficiency in Spanish, including the ability to speak with children in Spanish and to communicate over the telephone in Spanish with children, family members, and others.
- A car, valid driver’s license, and insurance are required for travel to Los Angeles area facilities.
- Excellent written and oral advocacy skills.
- Ability to take initiative, to work collaboratively, and an enthusiasm for working with volunteers.
- Excellent time management and organization skills.
- An ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary environment.
- Passion, tenacity and optimism for the issues affecting immigrant children and their families.
- At least two years of experience practicing law, ideally in the fields of child welfare, juvenile justice, or immigration.
Job offer is conditioned on clearance of fingerprint criminal background check, child abuse and neglect check (CANTS) and tuberculosis test.
The Young Center is an "at-will" and equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in and affirmatively factors diversity into its hiring practices. Young Center encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, ancestry, marital or parental status, pregnancy, citizenship, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, genetic information, or veterans’ status. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process; no application will be penalized for requesting an accommodation. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.
Special Notes/Instructions
Review of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applications must include a resume, cover letter, and writing sample; incomplete applications will not be reviewed. To learn more about the Young Center’s work, please visit www.TheYoungCenter.org.
Contact Information
If you have trouble uploading application materials, please contact us at jobs@theyoungcenter.org.
Job Summary
Employment Term and Type
Regular, Full Time
Salary and Benefits
Salary is commensurate with experience. The Young Center provides excellent benefits including health/dental/vision insurance (employee & dependents) at no cost to the employee, paid vacation and sick time, and a 401(k) plan.
Required Education
Doctorate
Required Experience
2+ years
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