Job Description – Transgender Law Center's Border Butterflies Project

Job Title: Staff 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 Tijuana is required. 

Reports to: Supervising Attorney

Salary: $75,000-$85,000 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 the 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 the United States including;
• conflict-of-interest checks
• over-the-phone and in-person intakes and consultations- including at community centers and shelters
• preparing applications including but not limited to, asylum, change of venue, parole, bond, u visas, t visas, and vawa
• conducting research
• Represent clients at master calendar hearings and ICE check-ins
• Provide limited direct representation in immigration court for asylum merits hearings

Improve the quality of care that LGBTQ asylum seekers receive:
• Working with mental health providers, healthcare providers, and shelter services providers to improve the quality of care that asylum seekers receive
• Supporting the services being provided to be more holistic, coordinated, client-centered, strength-based, and trauma-informed.

Coalition Presence: Develop, sustain, and strengthen new and existing coalitions and collaborations, working with all the following;
o immigrant legal service and advocacy organizations
o social service and victim support agencies
o government agencies

Community Education:• Conduct immigration clinics, community meetings and Know-your-“rights” information sessions
• Develop written resources including know-your-rights material and sample legal documents;
• Develop, sustain, and strengthen educational outreach to immigrant communities
• Engage in education efforts for community members and attorneys, including speaking at conferences, trainings, and webinars;

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

While TLC prides itself on 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
• 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.
• Skill at working 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.
• Willingness to travel and to work outside of regular office hours when

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

• Admission to the bar of at least one state
• 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.