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Los Angeles/ Orange County, CA, USA

Full time

Hybrid

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Senior Litigator

 

Who We Are

The Center has a legacy of impact litigation that has protected hundreds of thousands of immigrants, children, and detained people. Among our landmark cases are Munoz v. Bell, Plyler v. Doe, Orantes-Hernandez v. Smith,  Flores v. Reno, League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, et al., v. Anti-Defamation League of the B'Nai B'rith, et al., Reno v. Catholic Social Services, LULAC v. Arizona, Flores v. Sessions,  Lucas R. v. Azar, Flores v. Garland, and a recent MTE in Flores protecting children at the border. The Center remains counsel on Flores and is responsible for monitoring conditions in all facilities and locations where DHS or ORR detain youth.

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Under the leadership of President Peter Schey, the Center accomplished incredible work for decades. The Center experienced a profound loss when Peter passed away on April 2, 2024.

 

The Center carries on Peter’s legacy while looking forward to deepening relationships with the community and developing our legal advocacy in the community lawyering model. Carlos Holguin, co-founder of the Center and lead counsel on several of the cases named above, continues to lead our organization’s litigation.

 

With Peter’s passing, the Center has limited its litigation caseload, which currently comprises two major class action cases and a number of less-complex cases. The Center has a small staff of dedicated attorneys and legal and administrative assistants.

 

We are seeking an innovative attorney with a clear theory of change and history of leading successful impact litigation. The senior litigator will work closely with Carlos and the CHRCL team to develop legal advocacy strategies and lead new impact and class action litigation.

 

Responsibilities

  • Managing day-to-day litigation of complex civil cases, including by developing litigation strategy, drafting briefs, conducting discovery, communicating with clients and opposing counsel, presenting oral argument, and taking and defending depositions;

  • Working closely with qualified legal service providers to identify patterns of injustice, particularly in the area of immigration, and representing QLSPs in litigation addressing these patterns;

  • Working closely with General Counsel/ Legal Director to develop and lead holistic legal advocacy, including campaigns and efforts in conjunction with litigation such as media engagement, community organizing, and other advocacy;

  • Supervising and providing feedback on the work of legal staff;

  • Meeting with and providing support to coalition partners and community groups;

  • Supervising attorneys in drafting practice advisories, providing technical support, and leading webinars and in-person trainings for direct legal service providers.

 

Qualifications

Education and requirements:

  • J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school

  • Licensed to practice law in California

Experience:

  • A minimum of 10 to 15 years litigation experience, practice before federal courts preferred;

  • Significant experience as lead counsel in class action and impact litigation;

  • Experience supervising legal staff, fellows, or interns and providing mentorship and feedback to staff.

Other Desired Qualities:

  • Demonstrated commitment to social justice and defending the constitutional, human and civil rights of immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, women, LGBTQ persons, children, and indigenous populations;

  • Personal or lived experienced with immigration or close family members or loved ones with direct experience preferred;

  • Commitment to building a healthy and collaborative work environment;

  • Ability and desire to build and invest in relationships with partner organizations and community members.

  • Bilingual in English and Spanish or other language spoken by a substantial number of non-citizens in the United States.

 

What We Offer

The salary for this position is $150,000–$200,000 based on experience. We offer medical, dental, 401(k) plans, and flexible PTO. Employees are eligible for benefits after 30 days of employment for all employees working an average of 30 hours per week or more.

 

We are a small team, dedicated to the mission of the organization, with a collaborative and flexible work environment. We value quality and consistency of work over formalities. Our legal director has Supreme Court experience and can provide excellent mentorship while also working with the senior litigator to direct and develop strategy and goals for the organization. The senior litigator will participate in deciding what litigation to pursue and will take a leadership role in drafting, arguing, and directing the litigation in cooperation with the legal director. The senior litigator will also assist the legal director in prosecuting the Center’s existing cases, particularly Flores and Lucas R.

 

 

How to Apply

To apply, please email sarah@centerforhumanrights.org a copy of your resume. Please also share a selected list of cases with citations on which you’ve been counsel, including any class action cases, if any. You may also choose to submit a cover letter, including a statement about your interest in CHRCL and what you are looking for or hope to accomplish in this role.

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