The Afghan Legal Services Staff Attorney will work in direct legal services with California-based Afghan parolees. 80,000 Afghans have been relocated to the U.S. under temporary parole status since August 2021, with the majority facing a looming deadline to pursue asylum and access permanent legal status here. The Bay Area is one of the primary resettlement locations for Afghans in the U.S.
The Attorney will engage in all aspects of ANAR's direct legal services work, primarily asylum work. Attorneys are responsible for assessing immigration relief options for prospective clients, identifying potential issues and barriers to accessing asylum, conducting screenings and intakes, or reviewing legal assistant and volunteer intakes and screenings. Attorneys offer both direct full scope representation and pro se assistance with primarily affirmative asylum applications, but also Temporary Protected Status Applications, Adjustment of Status applications, defensive asylum/removal proceedings cases, family reunification cases, including humanitarian parole and refugee follow-to-join petitions. Attorneys may also assist with other projects as needed, including some advocacy projects and community outreach and education efforts. The attorney will have an opportunity to engage in coalition work with other organizations, and contribute to the development of Project ANAR resources and trainings. The attorney will conduct legal orientations and know your rights presentations and coordinate with partner organizations and community organizations to adapt to community needs.
Responsibilities: Organizing workshops and presentations, both virtually and in personCompleting client intakesDrafting and filing asylum applications (I-589s)Interviewing clients and drafting declarations for their asylum casesReviewing volunteer and legal assistant created drafts of asylum applications and client declarationsConducting country conditions and immigration case law researchAsylum interview preparationAdvocating with the Asylum Office on behalf of clients and following up with clients to collect data and assess case outcomesThe possibility of immigration court representationConducting Know Your Rights legal presentationsMonitoring trends and changes related to US immigration policy towards AfghansAssessing for immigration benefits eligibility and completing other types of immigration applications as needed, including parole, Temporary Protected Status, defensive Asylum or Notices of Intent to Deny, Special Immigrant Visa, and family based petitionsDeveloping legal resources and materialsAssisting in advocacy and litigation projects as neededWorking with team of attorneys, legal assistants, volunteers, and other internsAttending weekly team check ins and individual check insAssisting in supervision of interns and volunteersWorking with interpreters and translatorsContributing to the growth and development of the organization, within a collective leadership structure.Qualifications: Prior law school coursework and practical experience in immigration law1-2 years of immigration law experience required for the fellow3-5+ years preferred for the attorneyAdmission and good standing to the Bar in any state, California preferredAbility to work remotely and to join regular internal and external meetings multiple times a weekFamiliarity with Google SuiteCommitment to trauma-informed client interactionsAbility to track news and trends related to Afghan immigration and to adapt to changing policiesCommitment to teamwork and collaborationDari, Farsi, and/or Pashto fluency (oral and written, but particularly oral) strongly preferred, English requiredMust be based in Northern California or willing to relocate and/or travel to the Bay Area at least twice a monthUnderstanding and knowledge of asylum law and immigration law, particularly as it relates to Afghan clientsAbility to assess for multiple forms of immigration relief
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