Legal Coordinator

About SCC RRN

The Santa Clara County Rapid Response Network (SCC RRN) is a coalition of 10 nonprofit organizations and one impacted community member group united by a shared mission since 2017: to protect our community from the threat of deportation and family separation. We believe every person deserves dignity, due process, and the right to thrive with their family.

When enforcement strikes, we move. Our network mobilizes a base of over 3,000 trained rapid responders, a 24/7 hotline, and emergency legal support to meet immigrants in Santa Clara County at their moment of greatest need. Our services include free emergency legal representation, accompaniment to check-ins and court dates, family stabilization support, and ongoing outreach and know-your-rights education across the county.

Position Summary

We are seeking a Legal Coordinator with deep expertise in immigration law — particularly detained deportation defense. The ideal candidate brings strong experience in legal training, coalition coordination, and cross-functional communication, and is prepared to act as the primary liaison between dispatch, communications, legal, and steering committees.

This is both an operational and strategic role. Day-to-day, the Legal Coordinator manages legal coordination, tracks emerging trends, and supports the RRN Manager with data collection and reporting for internal and external review. At the strategic level, the Legal Coordinator actively contributes to the long-term growth and vision of the SCC RRN — expanding the network's capacity, deepening partnerships with legal service providers, and strengthening the region's detained removal defense infrastructure.

Above all, this role requires a genuine commitment to serving Santa Clara County's immigrant community and a strong drive to advance the mission, values, and direction of the SCC RRN. This is a full-time position.

Key Responsibilities

Network Coordination & Liaison

• Organize the rotation schedule for RRN legal coverage
• Coordinate and convene monthly SCC RRN legal committee meetings
• Participate in and represent the legal committee at bi-weekly Steering Committee meetings (every other Thursday, 10am–noon), providing legal updates and taking on delegations from the committee
• Serve as the primary liaison between dispatch, communications, legal, and the Steering Committee
• Attend coalition meetings as the SCC RRN legal representative, including Bay Area Regional Meetings and County and City meetings
• Coordinate with the legal arms of other regional rapid response networks and bring updates back to SCC RRN

Training & Technical Assistance

• Train dispatch to identify key legal red flags that warrant escalation or emergency activation
• Provide technical assistance to SCC RRN legal partners through regular trainings, office hours, and monthly meetings
• Lead trainings on subject matter areas arising during rapid response and communicate legal trends to the legal committee
• Track CLE and other training opportunities and share them with the legal committee

Partner & Resource Management

• Onboard new legal service organizations and new personnel, ensuring access to all Google Drive materials
• Keep Google Drive materials updated, including intake forms and templates for pro se motions for EOIR (Voluntary Departure, Continuance, Admin Closure, etc.)
• Maintain an updated list of legal contacts, including civil rights and criminal defense attorneys, to help protect responders
• Create and manage referral lists — habeas, bond, asylum, et al.
• Build connections with local law school clinics, programs, and resources available to take on cases
• Coordinate volunteer opportunities to bring additional resourcing to the legal committee (e.g., UC Berkeley graduate student volunteers)
• Coordinate with partner organizations on legal issues that arise during rapid response, such as protecting responders' First Amendment rights to observe and record ICE activity (e.g., partnership with Just Futures Law)

Data, Policy & Strategic Growth

• Monitor the ICE arrests tracker and screen for trends where additional training or discussion may be needed
• Support the RRN Manager with data collection and internal and external audits
• Create, maintain, and communicate all legal policies and procedures
• Actively support the strategic direction and long-term vision of the SCC RRN as set by the Steering Committee
• Identify gaps in legal coverage and bring strategic recommendations to the Steering Committee
• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand detained removal defense capacity across the region

Skills & Qualifications

• J.D. required; member in good standing of any state bar (California strongly preferred)
• At least 1 year of immigration legal experience required; detained and removal defense experience strongly preferred
• One year of rapid response network experience
• Bilingual proficiency required; Spanish preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including the ability to provide clear legal updates and translate complex legal information across legal and non-legal audiences
• Proficiency with MS Office and Google Workspace
• Ability to work well under pressure and take initiative on complex legal issues
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with a diverse group of individuals and independently

Long-term goals for this role

• Expand the number of legal services providers in SCC able to perform detained removal defense work, including growing the region's capacity for federal litigation
• Deepen SCC RRN's coordination with other regional rapid response networks
• Facilitate representation for bonds, habeas petitions, and relief applications

Work Schedule

• 1-year contract position, with possibility of renewal
• Full-time, 40 hours per week, with occasional evenings and weekends
• Flexible hybrid schedule; some in-person presence required for trainings, coalition meetings, and committee meetings
• The nature of rapid response work may occasionally require availability outside regular hours for emergency situations
• Local travel within Santa Clara County required; valid driver's license preferred

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual salary of $100,000–$120,000, commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Paid holidays and sick time
• Retirement plan