Staff Attorney (Temporary), Immigrant Opportunity Initiatives (IOI) - Immigration Law Unit

Staff Attorney (Temporary), Immigrant Opportunity Initiatives (IOI) - Immigration Law Unit
Jun 7, 2024

The Legal Aid Society's Civil Practice is seeking a Temporary Staff Attorney to join the citywide Immigration Law Unit's Immigrant Opportunities Initiative (IOI) team. This is a temporary position for 1 year.

The IOI team provides low-income New Yorkers with free comprehensive immigration services ranging from removal defense to both affirmative and defensive asylum to other matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

The IOI Staff Attorney will provide a full range of legal services primarily to New York City immigrants including, but not limited to, individuals with criminal convictions, recent arrivals to the U.S. seeking asylum, including Adults with Children (AWC). Services include representation before EOIR in defensive matters, USCIS in various affirmative matters, and before Family Courts to seek special findings orders for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). The attorney will also work collaboratively with existing experienced staff in the Unit's various other projects. Specific duties will include some combination of the foregoing, depending on need and attorney experience.

The Immigration Law Unit (ILU) in The Legal Aid Society's Civil Practice is a recognized leader in providing high-quality representation to non-citizens in all five boroughs of New York City and surrounding counties. Our staff of almost 100 attorneys, social workers, and paralegals across six different projects and initiatives works collaboratively to provide client-centered, interdisciplinary, and comprehensive legal services.

Following the conclusion of this one-year assignment, the Temporary Staff Attorney will be reassigned to an available staff attorney position in any Civil Practice office or unit, unless there are other staff attorney openings in the Civil Practice for which the staff attorney applies and is selected.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Screen and provide legal representation to immigrants on the non-detained docket in Immigration Court at 26 Federal Plaza, 290 Broadway, and 201 Varick Street (non-detained)
• Screen and provide direct representation to immigrants seeking affirmative relief with USCIS and other immigration authorities
• Appear in Family Court in all five boroughs of the City of New York and surrounding counties, to seek SIJS special findings orders
• Provide client services during evening/weekend hours as needed
• Train and mentor law students, pro bono attorneys, and volunteers to work on removal defense and other cases
• Conduct forums and workshops in immigrant communities on immigration issues
• Maintain, organize, and update case files and case management database (LawManager)
• Other duties as assigned

Manhattan - Legal Aid Society Headquarters

• Admission to the New York State Bar
• Demonstrated commitment to representing low-income, disadvantaged clients
• At least two years of Immigration law and trial experience required
• Excellent writing, analytical, oral advocacy, and organizational skills
• Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team and manage a high volume of cases
• Ability to work with pro bono attorneys

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $80,619 - $142,218

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if an offer is made.

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice.To learn more, click the links below.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

You must apply online at the LAS Recruitment Portal. The Legal Aid Society is reducing its carbon footprint and therefore paper applications are not accepted. Only PDF documents will be accepted. If your document is not a PDF, your application will not be processed. Applications submitted without all the required materials will not be processed. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis so applicants are encouraged to apply early.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Writing Sample