Senior Supervising Attorney and Director of Immigration Clinic

About the Legal Aid Justice Center: The Legal Aid Justice Center is a nationally recognized, non-profit organization that partners with low-income clients and communities of color in Virginia to fight for racial, social, and economic justice. We understand that the harms our clients endure are inextricably linked to overarching systems of injustice. Together we are dismantling those systems through a combination of community organizing, litigation, policy advocacy, public relations, and individual legal services. Founded in 1967, LAJC has offices in Charlottesville, Richmond, Petersburg, and Falls Church and provides services under six key program areas: Civil Rights & Racial Justice (focuses on the criminal legal system), Housing & Consumer Justice, Youth Justice, Health Justice & Public Benefits, Immigrant Justice, and Worker Justice. As examples of LAJC’s recent work, our lawsuit and organizing against the state forced reform of Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including advocacy that resulted in the distribution of over $1 billion in illegally withheld payments to over 160,000 Virginians. During the pandemic, we demanded and secured a statewide eviction moratorium and emergency pandemic protections that helped hundreds of families avoid eviction. We reduced incarceration across the state, including reducing the population of a local immigration detention center down to historically low levels through a coordinated effort of organizing paired with impact and individual litigation. Our staff are on the front lines of some of the most important anti-poverty fights happening today. With a staff of over 90, the past few years have been a time of exciting growth and opportunity for the organization. In addition to the growth of programmatic efforts including increased organizing capacity, LAJC has expanded its operations and administrative capacity, created new opportunities for professional growth and leadership among staff, engaged in ongoing race equity work, and explored changes to organizational structure to deepen its efforts to create long-term, sustainable, community-driven change. LAJC’s latest strategic plan is available at https://www.justice4all.org/lajc-strategic-plan-2022-2026/#area%20d. For more information about LAJC’s work and programs, visit www.justice4all.org.

About the Position: The Legal Aid Justice Center seeks to hire a senior supervising immigration attorney for our Falls Church office. The attorney will be responsible for helping develop and implement strategies to end mass detention and deportation of immigrants in Virginia, break the ties between immigration enforcement and local and state government and law enforcement, ensure that immigrant communities remain intact and protected in Virginia, fight the separation of immigrant families and the exclusion of immigrant youth from state benefits like in-state tuition, and protect young immigrants across the Commonwealth whether they are in federal custody or in their communities. Working on an interdisciplinary team, the attorney will work closely with organizers, families, community members, local, state and national-level partners, and other LAJC advocates to advance systemic change in immigrants’ rights in Virginia through a combination of individual representation, impact litigation, community outreach, and policy advocacy. This position will maintain or supervise a practice that primarily involves immigration issues, but could incorporate cross-program work as needed. The attorney will also direct the Immigration Litigation Clinic at the George Mason University School of Law, ensuring that clinic cases are professionally and successfully litigated by the law students and also advance strategic goals.

Job Duties: Supervise at first one to two attorneys. Direct the Immigration Litigation Clinic at the George Mason University School of Law, with six students and a docket consisting primarily of removal defense cases. Through supervision and coordination with the director, help monitor and advance the Falls Church docket of individual cases to ensure community needs are met. This may include handling a small number of direct representation cases and community immigration consultations. Take a leadership role in various impact campaigns (including federal litigation, state and local advocacy, and grassroots community lawyering) affecting immigrant communities in and around Northern Virginia and statewide.

Location: This role will be based in our Falls Church, VA office. Although a regular presence in the office and in-person clinical teaching is required, LAJC offers a remote work policy to support employees in co-creating schedules and arrangements that allow us all to do our best work. Occasional same-day travel within Virginia is required.

Application Deadline: We accept applications on a rolling basis and encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. We will start reviewing applications by May 1, 2023.


Salary: The salary scale for this position is $84,000 - $106,400 based on the LAJC salary scale, which includes a 12% cost-of-living adjustment for positions based in Falls Church. Placement on the range will be based on factors such as years of relevant experience, budget, and internal equity. To allow for salary growth within the position over time, the anticipated hiring range for this position is between $84,000 - $95,200.

Benefits: Our mission is compelling, and our team members are passionate about their work, and so we recognize the need to provide generous benefits and encourage rest and a healthy work environment. For example, we provide: Generous paid time off every year, including 3 to 6 weeks of vacation, 12 days of health leave, 6 weeks parental leave, and 14 holidays (not including bonus holidays/rest days allocated as needed) 100% employer paid health, dental, and vision insurance, plus excellent family insurance with annual max of $2,400 premium contribution to LAJC-sponsored health plan 403(b) retirement plan with 4% employer contribution (no required match) Strong commitment to professional development Relocation package Application Instructions: Complete the online application which may require a cover letter, resume, relevant writing sample, and contact information for three references. You can direct the cover letter to the hiring manager, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg. Please note, we will not contact references without advance consent from candidates.

Vaccination Requirement: The Legal Aid Justice Center requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious exemption as a qualification of employment. Proof of vaccination or accommodation request must be provided within one day of employment.

The Legal Aid Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, and communities to apply. The Legal Aid Justice Center is committed to strengthening the voices of our low-income clients, working in collaboration with community partners, and rooting out the inequities that keep people in poverty. We strive to take on the issues that have broad impact on our client communities and to be responsive to client input. Recognizing the particular impact of racism on our clients and staff, we devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe. In reviewing applications, we look for evidence that applicants have experience and/or thoughtfulness in working with traditionally marginalized populations.