Community Activism Law Alliance (“CALA”) serves the most disadvantaged communities in Chicago by uniting lawyers and community activists together in a collaborative pursuit for social change. We have brought legal services back into the communities that most need them through a new model of lawyering and activism—“community activism lawyering.” The legal clinics we have created return legal services to the communities with the highest rates of poverty and crime, in contrast to legal assistance organizations have centralized in downtown Chicago due to funding decreases. The legal services we provide achieve great results for the individual clients we serve. More importantly, however, through our legal clinics and our other work, we seek to increase the capacity of and use the law to help activists and community members achieve broader social change.   

CALA is looking for an experienced immigration attorney with genuine interest in community lawyering, connecting the law with grassroots activism, and being part of a new legal services model to support our new programs and expansion efforts. Depending on the attorney’s skills and preferences, the attorney will support: 1) one or two of our “community activism-law clinics” located directly in communities on the south and west sides of Chicago, 2) the Director of Community Partnerships with our partner relationships, and/or 3) our developing Self-Help Community Workshops Program.

CALA’s clinics provide legal services in several areas of law, including immigration, housing, family, and labor/employment, but this position requires experience in immigration law. Candidates must be prepared to work non-traditional hours—some evenings and weekends—and in non-traditional, multiple locations; in exchange, they are afforded great flexibility in work schedule. Preference may be given to applicants who are fluent in Spanish.

The position may be full-time or part-time. The starting salary will be based upon experience and qualifications, with a range of $25,000 to $30,000 for a part-time attorney and $47,500-$52,500 for a full-time position. Benefits include medical insurance, travel reimbursement, generous paid time off, and coverage of professional fees.

CALA is an equal opportunity workplace and is committed to working closely and effectively with the communities that we serve. Individuals self-identifying as people of color, LGBTQI, working-class or poor, persons with a disability, or as otherwise having backgrounds and experiences underrepresented in the legal profession are highly encouraged to apply. 

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and salary history. Please also indicate if you are interested in part-time, full-time or both. (If you are not able to submit documents online, please e-mail them to hiring @ calachicago.org). Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.