Application Guide
How to Apply for Supervising Attorney, Immigration
at UFW Foundation
🏢 About UFW Foundation
UFW Foundation is one of the largest federally accredited immigration legal services programs in California, with nearly 20 years of fighting for farm workers and immigrants. They combine direct legal representation with a growing Workers' Rights program to combat wage theft, unsafe heat conditions, and retaliation—issues that disproportionately affect farm workers. Working here means joining a mission-driven team that stands between families and a system that separates them faster than courts can hear their cases.
About This Role
As Supervising Attorney, you'll carry your own caseload of affirmative relief and removal defense cases while also building and training a team of attorneys to sustain the work beyond your tenure. You'll be a player-coach, winning cases today and developing the attorneys who will win hundreds more. This role is fully remote, offering flexibility while directly impacting immigrant families and farm worker communities.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve representing clients in immigration court hearings, preparing affirmative asylum applications, and meeting with your team to review cases and provide guidance. You'll balance direct client work with mentoring attorneys, developing training materials, and strategizing on complex cases. You might also collaborate with the Workers' Rights program to address issues like wage theft or retaliation affecting farm workers.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who UFW Foundation Is Looking For
- Experienced immigration attorney with a strong background in both affirmative relief (e.g., asylum, U visas, T visas, VAWA) and removal defense, including representation in immigration court.
- Proven leadership skills, with experience supervising, mentoring, or training junior attorneys or legal staff—ideally in a legal services or nonprofit setting.
- Deep commitment to social justice and immigrant rights, with a demonstrated ability to work with low-income, farm worker, or immigrant communities.
- Excellent case management and organizational skills, able to handle a personal caseload while overseeing the work of others in a remote environment.
📝 Tips for Applying to UFW Foundation
Highlight your experience in both affirmative and removal defense cases, specifically mentioning the types of relief you've handled (e.g., asylum, U visas, cancellation of removal).
Emphasize any supervisory or mentorship roles you've held, including training attorneys, managing teams, or leading projects—even if not formal supervision.
Demonstrate your commitment to farm worker or immigrant communities by referencing specific work, volunteerism, or lived experience that aligns with UFW Foundation's mission.
Since the role is remote, showcase your ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and collaborate across distances using technology.
Mention any experience with federally accredited immigration legal services programs or nonprofit legal settings, as UFW Foundation is one of the largest such programs in California.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
In your cover letter, focus on: (1) your dual expertise in affirmative relief and removal defense, with concrete examples of cases you've won; (2) your approach to supervising and developing attorneys, including how you build team capacity; (3) your connection to UFW Foundation's mission, particularly farm worker justice and immigrant rights; and (4) your ability to thrive in a remote, mission-driven environment while managing a caseload and leading a team.
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Learn about UFW Foundation's history, particularly its founding by the United Farm Workers and its evolution into a major provider of immigration legal services.
- → Research the current state of farm worker rights and immigration enforcement, including recent policy changes and challenges facing immigrant communities.
- → Understand the structure and scope of UFW Foundation's legal services program, including its federal accreditation and the types of cases it handles.
- → Explore UFW Foundation's Workers' Rights program and how it intersects with immigration legal services, as this is a growing area of focus.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Avoid focusing only on your legal skills without addressing your ability to supervise and develop others—this role requires both.
- Avoid generic statements about helping immigrants; instead, provide specific examples of your commitment and impact in immigrant communities.
- Avoid neglecting to mention your experience with removal defense, as this is a core part of the caseload and the foundation's work.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to UFW Foundation!