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Date Posted: 10/07/02

Immigration Staff Attorney

Salary: $32,000- $35,000 depending on experience and qualifications, plus benefits.

Essential Responsibilities: Complete intakes and assessments, and provide services and advocacy to immigrants and refugees; conduct community outreach and education activities; recruit, train, and mentor pro bono attorneys to assist trafficking victims.

Requirements: Fluency in English and Vietnamese; admitted to practice law in California or ability to practice immigration law in California; experience in immigration law; at least one year of experience in working with victims of trauma (domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking).

Location: Orange County or Sacramento, California. Immigration Staff Attorney Boat People SOS, Inc. (BPSOS) is seeking a full-time staff attorney to support its Victims of Exploitation and Trafficking Assistance (VETA) program and its network of service centers. BPSOS has been providing services to the Vietnamese community for over 22 years. Its network of service centers provides immigration and naturalization services to Vietnamese at a basic fee. In 2001, VETA was created to respond to the needs of close to 200 victims of human trafficking being resettled in the United States after being freed from a sweatshop in American Samoa.

Salary: $32,000- $35,000 depending on experience and qualifications, plus benefits.

Essential Responsibilities:
1. Complete intakes and assessments for immigrants and refugees, including victims of human trafficking;
2. Provide support, information, services, and advocacy to victims of human trafficking;
3. Assist trafficking clients in applications for Continued Presence, Employment Authorization, T Visas, Asylum and other applications as appropriate;
4. Recruit, train, and mentor pro bono attorneys to assist trafficking victims with T Visa and related applications;
5. Assist immigrants and refugees in filing immigration applications, including Family Petitions, Adjustment of Status Applications, and Naturalizations;
6. Train and supervise staff in California who work on immigration cases;
7. Maintain updated files on clients and other required documentation;
8. Assist Local Coordinator in conducting community outreach and education on services available to victims of human trafficking;
9. Assist Program staff in creating and improving education and assessment tools;
10. File monthly activities reports to the Program Manager.

Goals: 1. Clients will receive effective assistance and quality service in a timely and professional manner;
2. All activities will be documented and reported to headquarters on time;
3. BPSOS will be well-represented among public and private agencies;
4. All immigration cases will be appropriately reviewed and filed;
5. All BPSOS staff handling immigration cases will receive proper training;
6. Collaborative networks will be strengthened and improved to form a seamless network of services for victims of trafficking in Orange County.

Requirements:
1. Fluency in English and Vietnamese;
2. Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school;
3. Admitted to practice law in California, or ability to practice immigration law in California;
4. Experience in immigration law;
5. At least one year of experience in working with victims of trauma (domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking) required;
6. Demonstrated commitment to working with victims of human trafficking;
7. Ability to work independently and in a team; 8. Bicultural background preferred. Location: Orange County or Sacramento, California