Organization Overview:
UnLocal is a community-centered non-profit organization that provides direct immigration legal representation and community education to New York City’s immigrant communities. As a proud member of the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative (RRLC), UnLocal works in coalition with partner organizations to provide coordinated legal support and advocacy for people detained or at imminent risk of detention in urgent postures, including those with final orders of removal..
Position Summary:
UnLocal, Inc. is hiring a Staff Attorney for a full-time, exempt position within the Legal Department to support its work in the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative (RRLC). The Staff Attorney will manage a smaller, but quicker-moving docket focused on emergency and post-order defense work, supporting immigrants at risk of imminent deportation, handling motions and stays of removal, and advocating for release from ICE detention.
The attorney will work closely with RRLC partner organizations, providing coordinated representation, sharing resources, and responding quickly to emerging legal and community needs. This role requires flexibility, strong collaboration skills, and a commitment to trauma-informed, client-centered lawyering.
This is a full-time exempt position and reports to a Supervising Attorney.
Key Responsibilities:
Rapid Response & Legal Defense
- Respond to urgent referrals of individuals at risk of imminent removal, including intakes, consultations, and preparing and filing emergency motions, stays of removal, and appeals.
- Provide representation before Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and, where necessary, in federal court, particularly in time-sensitive contexts.
- Advocate for clients in ICE detention, including bond hearings, parole requests, and release advocacy.
Collaborative Advocacy
- Participate in RRLC coordination calls and strategy sessions to ensure consistent, high-quality responses across member organizations.
- Collaborate with partner attorneys and advocates to track enforcement trends, share litigation strategies, and support impacted communities.
- Engage in coalition-based advocacy with RRLC member organizations to challenge harmful immigration enforcement practices and promote systemic change.
Community Education
- Support RRLC’s outreach efforts by participating in rapid-response legal clinics, community briefings, and emergency KYR (Know Your Rights) sessions.
- Develop materials to inform immigrant communities of their rights in the context of ICE enforcement and deportation defense.
Professional Qualifications:
- J.D. degree and admission, or eligibility for admission, to the bar of New York State.
- At least 2 years of relevant immigration law experience, with significant removal defense practice.
- Strong legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage time-sensitive matters.
- Commitment to working collaboratively in coalition and across organizations.
Preferred Skills:
- Proficiency in a second language, particularly Spanish and/or French.
- Experience with emergency immigration litigation (stays of removal, habeas petitions, etc.).
- Familiarity with pro se support for detained individuals and community defense strategies.
- Experience working with LGBTQ+ immigrants, people of color, and youth.
- Background in coalition work, community education, or movement lawyering.
Salary & Benefits:
- Full-time position.
- Salary: $75,000-$80,000 annually
- Full premium coverage for health, dental, and vision insurance.
- Contributions to commuter benefits and access to 401(k).
- Professional development stipend.
- Yearly wellness stipend.
- 40 days of paid time off (PTO) available for any reason the staff member sees fit.
- Office closure between Christmas and New Year’s (not counted towards PTO).
- After three years of employment, staff are eligible for a 4-week sabbatical.
- Promoting work-life balance through flexible Fridays
To Apply:
If you are passionate about making a difference and possess the required skills, please submit your resume and cover letter to Adrian Espana at Adrian@unlocal.org. We look forward to welcoming a dedicated Staff Attorney (RRLC) 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.
