WHAT DOES AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY DO?

Published: Aug 12, 2025 - The Immigration Attorney conducts litigation in federal and state courts and administrative forums, including preparing pleadings, motions, briefs, and handling appeals. This role performs pre-litigation analysis, factual investigations, legal research, and utilizes the Freedom of Information Law to support advocacy efforts. The attorney also participates in public education on civil liberties and civil rights, engages in class-action cases, and develops litigation strategies to challenge immigration detention practices.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Immigration Attorney

1. Immigration Attorney Duties

  • Immigration Law: Provide direct representation to individuals and/or families in immigration matters, including removal defense, defensive and affirmative asylum claims, special immigrant juvenile status petitions, and VAWA, U and T visa applications
  • Immigration Screening: Conduct thorough immigration screenings for consultees to assess for immigration relief, including e
  • Rights Education: Explain their rights and available options, benefits and risks of applying, processes, and costs
  • Case Management: Ensure entry of timely, accurate, and detailed case data according to grantor provisions and as required by the Immigration Legal Assistance Program
  • Team Supervision: Provide support and oversight to paralegal(s), student interns, and volunteers
  • Grant Reporting: Contribute to grant reporting and assist with general administrative tasks
  • Community Outreach: Represent the Immigration Legal Assistance Program in occasional community presentations, outreach, workshops, and stakeholder meetings
  • Legal Knowledge: Maintain up-to-date knowledge and skills in immigration law
  • Legal Writing: Draft and write solid legal memos in response to requests for evidence from the VAWA Unit
  • Affidavit Drafting: Creatively draft affidavits from clients and witnesses in response to requests for evidence
  • Client Communication: Communicate with the manager and clients via e-mail
  • Immigration Support: Work on additional immigration matters as directed by the firm

2. Immigration Attorney Details

  • Racial Justice: Apply the principles of Legal Aid’s Racial Justice Values Statement in all interactions
  • Immigration Representation: Provide full representation to individuals in immigration court in both detained and non-detained cases
  • Legal Filings: Prepare and submit written pleadings, motions, and appropriate applications for relief from removal
  • Hearing Preparation: Prepare clients, witnesses, and experts for individual hearings
  • Appeals Filing: Submit appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals
  • Affirmative Cases: Provide full representation to people in affirmative immigration cases
  • USCIS Filings: Prepare and submit applications to USCIS
  • Client Relations: Maintain contact with clients throughout representation
  • Legal Advice: Provide legal advice to clients regarding options to apply for an immigration benefit
  • Criminal Assessment: Assess criminal records and advise clients on immigration consequences
  • Community Outreach: Conduct community outreach for local organizations within the service area on immigration-related topics
  • Grant Support: Assist ILP in grant proposals, reports, and data maintenance
  • Case Management: Maintain a case load of both court and benefits cases, analyzing each case and resolving legal issues promptly
  • Compliance Monitoring: Maintain compliance with Legal Aid’s legal work protocols, grant requirements, and ethical obligations

3. Immigration Attorney Responsibilities

  • Staff Development: Develop and supervise all staff in the immigration practice group
  • Caseload Monitoring: Monitor caseload and productivity of all staff in the immigration practice group to ensure that staff are operating efficiently and producing quality legal work
  • Decision Making: Participate in management and administrative decision-making processes at ICLS
  • Client Representation: Represent clients before USCIS and Immigration Court
  • Community Engagement: Responsible for outreach and community engagement
  • Organizational Representation: Represent ICLS and its Immigration Practice Group while at outreach events, meetings with government organizations, other legal services, and community-based organizations
  • Letter Review: Review closing letters of non-attorney intake staff to ensure accuracy of legal advice
  • Emergency Handling: Ensure that emergency matters are identified, and timely and accurately referred to the appropriate ICLS staff
  • Intake Support: Provide real-time daily backup and legal support to intake staff in all 5 ICLS offices
  • Legal Guidance: Provide accurate and helpful legal information, technical assistance, and referrals, and ensure that the intake staff does the same
  • Priority Identification: Identify matters that fall within the priorities of ICLS’s programs, and ensure that such matters are promptly, efficiently, and accurately transmitted to the appropriate ICLS programs for timely assistance
  • Task Performance: Perform related tasks consistent with skills, abilities, and general responsibilities to support ICLS
  • Collaboration: Work closely with other PGDs
  • Request Response: Ensure timely and appropriate responses to incoming requests for legal assistance
  • Service Innovation: Explore new models for service delivery utilizing technology
  • Service Quality: Ensure that legal services provided are consistent with ICLS’s priorities, policies, and procedures, and that they maximize office resources to provide the highest quality client

4. Immigration Attorney Job Summary

  • Litigation Management: Conduct litigation in federal and state courts and administrative forums
  • Case Preparation: Responsible for NYCLU litigation and advocacy, preparing pleadings, motions, and briefs
  • Court Representation: Conduct discovery, present oral arguments, and handle appeals
  • Pre-Litigation Analysis: Engage in pre-litigation analysis and advocacy, including evaluating and following up on intakes
  • Legal Investigation: Conduct factual investigations and legal analyses
  • Information Requests: Utilize the Freedom of Information Law and draft demand letters
  • Public Education: Participate in public education on civil liberties and civil rights issues in the form of speaking engagements and published writings
  • Class Action Participation: Join several existing class-action cases challenging various aspects of immigration detention
  • Litigation Development: Develop litigation and identify amicus opportunities to challenge detention practices

5. Senior Immigration Attorney Accountabilities

  • Client Screening: Interview and screen clients for legal services and provide brief advice and legal counsel
  • Immigration Representation: Provide immigration legal services by serving as the attorney of record for immigration cases
  • Program Development: Assist in the development of a variety of grant-funded programs and fee-based legal initiatives
  • Community Collaboration: Work collaboratively with community agencies and attorneys in serving the needs of immigrants
  • Staff Guidance: Provide guidance and advice to staff attorneys and paralegals, including litigation support and legal case analysis
  • Attorney Coverage: Cover job duties of the Managing Attorney if the Managing Attorney is absent
  • Visa Eligibility: Assess eligibility of corporate foreign national employees for non-immigrant (L, H-1B, TN, E-3) and immigrant (PERM, I-140, Adjustment of Status) visa status
  • Business Immigration: Represent clients in all aspects of business immigration law and guide clients/employees through the intake process
  • Case Documentation: Create, compile, and prepare all documentation for case filings
  • Case Management: Manage a high volume of cases, including initial review, evaluation, and assigning casework/projects