Staff Attorney (Rapid Response)

Job Description

Job Description

About NYLAG

Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. NYLAG’s staff of 410 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.

Job description:

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) seeks a highly motivated Spanish-speaking Staff Attorney for a full-time position representing detained immigrant New Yorkers and those at imminent risk of detention and deportation as part of NYLAG’s partnership with the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative (RRLC). The job requires a proactive ability to solve problems under time pressure, the strongest commitment to clients, and a desire to work at the forefront of the effort to protect due process and immigrants’ rights during an extremely challenging time.

This attorney in this position will provide legal representation before the federal district courts, immigration courts, Board of Immigration Appeals, and circuit courts for detained and non-detained immigrants, including immigrants with final orders of removal. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Represent immigrants who are detained or at imminent risk of detention with petitions for habeas corpus, accompaniment to check-ins, final orders of removal in appeals, motions to reopen and other proceedings before the immigration courts, Board of Immigration Appeals, and Circuit Courts of Appeal.
• Appear in both the detained and non-detained Immigration Courts on a regular basis to represent immigrants in removal proceedings.
• Prepare and file appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals and Second Circuit Court of Appeals as needed.
• Draft and file habeas corpus petitions and other federal litigation as needed.
• Prepare and file motions, briefs, forms, affidavits, other supporting documents, motions, and legal memoranda for submission to USCIS, EOIR, the Board of Immigration Appeals, federal district courts and circuit courts.
• Provide pro se assistance with motions to reopen, applications for asylum, petitions for habeas corpus and other related matters.
• Screen clients for eligibility for immigration relief, petitions for habeas corpus, motions to reopen, and grounds for appeal.
• Provide legal advice and counsel to detained individuals, individuals at risk of detention, their family members and community members.
• Interview clients in and out of detention, as well as their witnesses.
• Conduct client consultations of detained and non-detained clients and track client cases, progress of applications, and follow up for funding purposes.
• Represent NYLAG to our funders and collaborative partners including sharing materials, and attending meetings, conferences, and trainings.
• Supervise interns, volunteers, and pro bono attorneys as needed; and
• Any other job duties as required.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited school
• Admission to the New York State bar
• Fluency in Spanish required
• Minimum 1 years experience working in removal defense required, 2 years preferred
• Experience working with detained and/or post-order clients preferred
• Excellent writing, speaking and organizational skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, community organizations, attorneys, the judiciary, and the public
• Ability to work in a collaborative setting with other professionals 
• Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights, criminal justice, and/or social justice issues
• Experience working with survivors of trauma and at the intersection of criminal law and immigration law
• Ability to work independently and under pressure

NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

Employment type:
☒ Full-time

Professional Level:
☒ Entry Level

Salary Range:
NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $97,132 and $104,615.

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.

Application Instructions: Please save resume and cover letter on one pdf.

Covid Vaccination Policy: Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.

NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.

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