Attorney -VI- Public Defender’s Office, Immigration Practice

The Travis County Public Defender’s Office (PDO) is a client‑centered public defender office that provides high‑quality holistic defense representation to people, including youth and those living with serious mental illness or developmental disability, accused of criminal offenses through its three divisions:
General, Juvenile, and Mental Health.

The PDO is seeking an Attorney specifically trained in immigration law to join our team. The immigration attorney is a key member of the PDO team with responsibility for zealous representation and advocacy for indigent, noncitizen clients facing charges in Criminal Court and Juvenile Court. For many noncitizens, an arrest can result in serious immigration consequences such as detention and/or deportation.

The PDO immigration attorneys understand the complex intersection between criminal and immigration law and work as a team with clients, their families, the defense attorney and other holistic practice advocates to advise clients of and mitigate potential adverse immigration consequences.

• Advise non‑citizen adults and youth on the full range of immigration consequences associated with criminal and/or juvenile delinquency cases.
• Work collaboratively with defense attorneys to mitigate associated immigration consequences.
• Represent indigent clients in an attorney‑centered, client‑focused manner.
• Participate in a multidisciplinary team to provide holistic representation.
• Conduct legal research, write persuasive memoranda, and prepare legal documents.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

• J.D./LL.B. from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas.
• Strong knowledge of immigration law and the intersection with criminal law for adults and youth.
• Proficiency in Spanish fluency, written and oral, is required.
• Experience in working with marginalized communities and a mission‑aligned focus on advocating for people impacted by the criminal, immigration, and indigent civil legal systems.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present facts and precedents verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team, manage time well, and perform multiple tasks.
• Preferred:
  Recent legal writing sample; hearing and/or trial experience; experience in advocating on behalf of youths.

$69,493.17 – $ annually, depending on qualifications.

• Cover letter detailing interest in the position and why you want to work for the PDO.
• Recent legal writing sample.
• Hearing and/or trial experience consistent with years of practice.
• Mission‑aligned experience working or living advocating on behalf of people and communities directly impacted by the criminal/immigration/indigent civil legal systems, including work with youths.

The PDO is committed to inclusive hiring and is dedicated to diversity. The PDO strongly encourages candidates of all identities, experiences, abilities, and communities to apply. All applicants must be dedicated to working in an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe.

This term‑limited position is currently funded through September 30, 2027, with the goal to extend beyond that term. Applications will be reviewed and selected candidates will be contacted on a rolling basis.

Lifting/carrying up to 25 pounds occasionally; visual acuity, speech and hearing; hand and eye coordination; manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions.

1010 Lavaca Street, Austin, TX 78701