Assistant Counsel

The Assistant Counsel will assist in the efforts undertaken by the Office of Indigent Legal Services (“ILS”) to improve the quality of representation in family court proceedings under County Law Article 18-B (“Family Court representation”). The incumbent of this position will work in concert with other members of the Family Court Representation Team at ILS and serve as one of the attorneys, reporting to the Director, Family Court Representation Team, who works under the guidance of the Director of ILS (“Director”) and agency Counsel (“Counsel”). All case-related information and knowledge obtained in the performance of these duties is highly confidential and may be subject to attorney-client privilege.

Specific responsibilities would include:

• Working closely with ILS staff, including members of the Family Court Representation Team, county officials, legal representation providers and other affiliated organizations and individuals to address the obstacles to high quality legal representation provided for parents and other legally responsible adults in Family Court matters, pursuant to Family Court Act 262;
• Serving as a point person for a region of the state, assisting in the development and implementation of programs, initiatives, and grant proposals to fulfill ILS's responsibility to make efforts to improve the quality of Family Court representation;
• Assisting in the development of curricula and training materials for the representation of parents in Family Court matters;
• Utilizing technology such as podcasts, webinars, and other electronic delivery methods to deliver educational content for the legal representation of parents in Family Court matters;
• Assisting with the planning, conducting, and evaluation of a biennial state-wide conference;
• Monitoring and developing content for the ILSFAM listserv, such as, periodic case digests and legislative updates, training opportunities, and current events;
• When necessary, assisting in the drafting and updating of Standards of Practice of legally mandated Family Court representation;
• Collaborating with others at ILS, including the Research Team, to collect and analyze Family Court representation data;
• Assisting in the preparation of reports as needed in support of ILS's responsibility to examine, evaluate, and monitor provision of legally mandated representation in family court proceedings; and
• Undertaking such other activities as may be requested by the Director of the Family Court Representation Team, the Director, and Counsel in furtherance of the Office's overall responsibility to improve the quality of public defense representation under County Law Article 18-B.

Minimum Qualifications

Admission to the New York State Bar and two years of experience in the practice of law subsequent to Bar admission.

The ideal candidate will have 5 or more years' experience in representing low-income parents in Family Court matters; a demonstrated commitment to improving the quality of constitutional and statutorily mandated representation; and a collegial and collaborative approach to completing projects.

Note: In Order to Award the Proper Credit for Work Experience, Resumes Must Include Month and Year for Start and End Dates. if Any of This Experience Is Less than Full Time You Must Indicate the Average Number of Hours Worked per Week.