Senior Staff Attorney – Rapid Response

Organization Overview

UnLocal, Inc. is a community-centered nonprofit organization that seeks to address the fundamental injustices and structural inequities that disproportionately impact immigrant communities. We provide direct immigration legal representation, community education, outreach, and advocacy for New York’s immigrants. UnLocal is dedicated to building sustainable structures that strengthen collective power and support immigrant communities to flourish.

Position Summary

UnLocal, Inc. is seeking a Senior Staff Attorney to join our Rapid Response team, which is part of the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative (RRLC). The RRLC is a partnership between UnLocal Inc., Make the Road New York, and New York Legal Assistance Group that provides rapid-response legal support to immigrant New Yorkers in urgent enforcement postures, with historical emphasis on people with final orders of removal.

The Senior Staff Attorney will lead complex removal defense and post-order litigation, including appeals and federal litigation, and support coordinated response strategies across RRLC partners. The position requires an attorney who is comfortable working in fast-moving enforcement contexts, coordinating with multiple organizations, and developing legal strategies to address urgent deportation risks. This is a full-time exempt position that reports directly to the Supervising Litigation Attorney.

Primary Responsibilities

Legal Representation

Lead complex litigation, including motions to reopen, stays of removal, appeals, federal court work, and emergency filings
Develop creative legal strategies to challenge removal orders and prevent deportations in high-risk cases
Represent clients before the Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and federal courts
Conduct legal screenings and consultations for individuals referred through rapid response networks

Rapid Response Legal Collaborative Participation

Participate in cross-organizational case strategy meetings and collaborative planning with RRLC partners
Support coordinated data tracking, reporting, and evaluation for RRLC initiatives

Team Leadership

Assist in shaping UnLocal’s Rapid Response team
Provide mentorship, case review, and legal guidance on complex removal defense matters
Support professional development and training for legal staff
Share expertise within the field, including through external trainings

Community Engagement & Education

Collaborate with UnLocal’s outreach and education teams to develop and present Know Your Rights and emergency preparedness workshops
Support community-based rapid response networks connected to enforcement activity.
Work with community organizations to identify urgent cases and support coordinated response efforts

Professional Qualifications

Juris Doctor (JD) and admission to the bar in New York, Southern District of New York, and Second Circuit Court of Appeals (or eligibility for admission)
Minimum 5–7 years of immigration legal experience, including removal defense
Demonstrated experience with motions to reopen, stays of removal, appeals, and federal immigration litigation
Ability to manage complex and time-sensitive cases in high-pressure situations
Strong written and oral advocacy skills
Experience working with immigrant communities of color, including LGBTQ+ individuals, youth, working-class communities, and survivors of violence
Strong organizational and case management skills
Commitment to racial justice, immigrant rights, and community-centered legal advocacy

Preferred, but not required, Qualifications:

Spanish, French, or other language proficiency spoken by UnLocal’s client population strongly preferred.
Familiarity with pro se legal representation and resources enhancing support for community members navigating their own legal processes.
Experience in community education and outreach, particularly in immigrant communities, to promote understanding of legal rights and resources.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $84,000
Health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employer-covered)
PTO: 40 days + winter break closure
401(k), commuter and wellness benefits, professional development stipend
Sabbatical eligibility after 3 years
Hybrid Work Policy - 1 Day in the office required
Flexible Fridays to promote work-life balance

To Apply:

If you are passionate about making a difference and possess the required skills, please submit your resume and cover letter to Human Resources at HR@unlocal.org. We look forward to welcoming a dedicated Senior Staff Attorney to add to our team.

This position primarily involves sedentary work, including extended periods of sitting, use of a computer, and communication via phone and video conferencing. Travel will be required for funder outreach or partner meetings. Position frequently moves items of up to 10 pounds across the office or into off-site locations. Occasional weekend availability is required. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, UnLocal, Inc. prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

UnLocal, Inc. is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

UnLocal, Inc.

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Senior Staff Attorney - Rapid Response