Attorney — Immigration, Family and Probate, and Public Benefits

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: Hybrid or in person — Miami or Hollywood

Locations: 1469 NW 13th Terrace, Miami, FL 33125; 6565 Taft Street, Suite 401, Hollywood, FL 33024

Salary: Starting at $78,000 per year, with increases based on relevant experience. CCLS attorneys may also receive up to $10,000 annually in loan repayment assistance and qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Attorneys wanted. Clients waiting. Justice pending.

Catholic Charities Legal Services, Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. (“CCLS”) has openings on several legal teams:

• Immigration: asylum, removal defense, detained representation, humanitarian relief, family unity, and citizenship

• Family and probate: adult guardianship, advance planning, custody and other matters affecting children, including predicate orders for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, along with immigration assistance for SIJ cases

• Public benefits: SSI, SSDI, SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance

CCLS has served South Florida for more than thirty years. Our attorneys represent people facing persecution, unaccompanied children, and long-term residents facing deportation. Our clients also include older adults facing incapacity, people with disabilities or medical vulnerabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and survivors of crime and domestic violence.

Attorneys defend clients in removal proceedings, represent people held in immigration detention, and seek employment authorization, lawful status, and citizenship before USCIS. They pursue public benefits through administrative proceedings and appeals, protect clients who can no longer make decisions for themselves in state court, and bring cases to federal court when necessary.

CCLS serves clients regardless of race, religion, gender, or ethnicity.

Depending on the assigned practice area, duties may include:

• Managing a caseload of direct-representation clients with complex legal issues

• Preparing and filing applications, petitions, pleadings, and motions, and representing clients before USCIS, EOIR, and the BIA

• Representing clients in custody, guardianship, and other proceedings affecting children, elders, and vulnerable adults in Florida state courts, including preparing petitions, pleadings, and predicate orders

• Advising and representing clients seeking to obtain or maintain public benefits, including through administrative hearings and appeals

• Traveling to offsite locations, including shelters, detention facilities, and community sites, to conduct intakes and prepare legal filings

• Identifying related legal needs and coordinating with attorneys on other CCLS teams when a client’s circumstances involve multiple areas of law

• Ensuring contract and grant compliance through accurate eligibility screening and timely data entry

• Participating in trainings, meetings, and calls with funders and technical-assistance providers to remain current on legal and programmatic developments

• Conducting community outreach and education concerning legal rights and available resources

• Performing other duties appropriate to the assigned team and practice area

CCLS provides opportunities to develop expertise and advance within the organization. Attorneys may take on cases across teams, as schedules and practice needs permit, and may rotate between teams to build experience in different areas of law. CCLS promotes from within and provides opportunities for attorneys who develop specialized expertise to advance into senior roles.

CCLS provides in-house training, supports CLE participation, and offers extensive experiential learning through direct representation.

• Admission to the bar of any state

• Florida bar admission required for the family and probate practice

• New attorneys are encouraged to apply

• Spanish or Haitian Creole

• Experience working with immigrant, refugee, or migrant communities

• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and serving people with limited access to legal services

CCLS has offices in Miami and Hollywood. Both provide the same range of practices, and openings are available at both locations and present a community-facing, client-oriented work, team-building environment. However, most positions offer flexible schedules and hybrid work, including one remote day per week, with the possibility of a second remote day depending on caseload, court and agency calendars, and management approval.

• Starting salary of $78,000, with increases commensurate with relevant experience

• Four weeks of paid time off, increasing each year of employment to a maximum of six weeks

• 15 paid holidays, including all 11 federal holidays, Good Friday, Christmas Eve, the day after Thanksgiving, and your birthday

• Paid office closure between Christmas and New Year’s, in addition to PTO

• Four weeks of paid parental leave

• Loan repayment assistance through FFLA, formerly the Florida Bar Foundation, of up to $10,000 per year for qualifying attorneys, with annual forgiveness

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: CCLS is a qualifying employer, and CCLS attorneys participate

• Health and life insurance

• 403(b) retirement plan: CCLS matches 50% of employee contributions, up to 6%

• Bar dues paid

• CLE courses covered with approval

Please submit a cover letter, copy of your bar license, and resume to malfred@cclsmiami.org for consideration. A writing sample and professional references may be requested.

CCLS is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and encourages women and minorities to apply. Our office hires regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.