Pangea Legal Services

Mission Statement

The mission of Pangea Legal Services is to stand with immigrant communities and to provide services through direct legal representation, especially in the area of deportation defense. In addition to direct legal services, we are committed to advocating on behalf of our community through policy advocacy, education, and legal empowerment efforts.

Values:

The Pangea team is majority immigrants and children of immigrants. We envision a world in which all people have the freedom to move and be with their loved ones and communities safely in their home of choice.

Pangea is a democratically managed organization governed by its staff collective. Everyone at Pangea makes the same salary. The staff share leadership and responsibility in directing the organization and establishing systems for operations, programs, and collective care. We do not have an executive director or a traditional hierarchy. Instead, every member of the staff has the opportunity to become a co-director after a candidacy period. The staff collective is organized into hubs, committees responsible for directing and managing the growth and administration of the organization.

DEI Statement:

Our approach to immigrant liberation work is rooted in each of our personal experiences as immigrants, children of immigrants, people of color, survivors, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ community members. Given our identities, we are familiar with the experience of being oppressed and excluded. Every day at Pangea, we dedicate significant staff capacity to creating a professional space that is more inclusive than any we have been part of, in order to empower us each to reach our full potential.

Programs/Services:

Direct Legal Representation

Pangea provides full-scope legal representation to immigrants in both detained and non-detained immigration court proceedings. Our services are low fee and free, and our clients are newcomers and long-term residents in the United States. We focus on providing representation in the area of deportation defense; approximately 80% of our clients are in deportation proceedings.

Community Empowerment

Pangea marries high-quality legal representation with community organizing in an effort to transform the immigration system. We create space for our clients to become agents of change in their communities by connecting them with local grassroots groups and opportunities to share their stories with the public, media, and elected officials. Our goal is to educate, organize, and mobilize the approximately 500,000 undocumented immigrants living in Northern California to lead policy changes in support of a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants, and the closure of all immigration detention centers.

Policy Advocacy

We recognize that laws have a direct impact on our lives. We create space for our clients and community to advocate for pro-immigrant legislation and policies at the local, state and international levels. Our advocacy is informed by and centered on the community we serve.

Ideal Candidate:

Pangea Legal Services (“Pangea”) is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to standing with immigrant families to support the fundamental human right to move. We promote social justice by serving the immigrant community in the areas of direct legal representation, policy advocacy, and education and legal empowerment.

In order to achieve our goals, we rely on the leadership, insight, and support of our Board of Directors.

The following are the general duties of a member of the working Board of Directors:

Duty of Care – Operate with the standard care and skill that can be expected of a reasonable person of your knowledge and experience. Exhibit honesty and good faith. Act in the best interest of the organization.
Duty of Loyalty – Avoid and disclose conflicts of interest. Maintain allegiance to the organization’s mission. Honesty. Confidentiality. Behavior consistent with the organization’s general interest.
Duty of Obedience – Act in accordance with the organization’s bylaws, articles of incorporation, policies, other governing documents, and any relevant laws and regulations.
Duty of Attention – Regular participation, including active communication with the Board and the organization. Know what the organization is doing and what it should/should not be doing.

Main Responsibilities

Attend all four quarterly board meetings per year.
Attend all scheduled Board retreats, planning sessions, and trainings.
Be familiar with Pangea’s budget and take an active part in the budget planning process.
Offer staff guidance in areas of expertise.

Open Board Roles

Board Chair
Finance Committee
Fundraising
Immigration Attorney
Directly Impacted Community Member

Why you should consider joining this board:

In order to achieve our goals, we rely on the leadership, insight, and support of our Board of Directors. We will be embarking on a five-year planning retreat in 2025, so this is an exciting time to join and to contribute.

Fundraising/Financial Commitment:

No minimum fundraising commitment, thought the board has occasionally does a once-a-year ask of friends and family.

Additional Information:

None Provided

To Apply:

Year Founded:

2013

Service Region(s):

Sacramento and Northern California, San Francisco Area, Statewide

Service Area(s):

Immigration

Annual Revenue:

$1 million – $5 million

Employees:

11-25

Board Members:

6-10

Length of Board Term:

Terms are 2 years, able to be renewed.

Board Meeting Type:

Virtual only

Service Per Month Expected:

Less than 5 hours