Description:
Position Overview:A New York City-Based Non-Profit Organization seeks an experienced family law attorney to focus on legal consultations and pro se services for clients who come to the Manhattan Family Justice Center seeking assistance with family offense, custody/visitation, and child/spousal support proceedings, as well as matrimonial matters. The Consultation Attorney will provide civil legal screenings and legal consultations, assist pro se clients by drafting family law petitions and other filings, represent a small caseload of clients, and coordinate and conduct A New York City-Based Non-Profit Organization pro se clinics. The Consultation Attorney will provide technical assistance to FJC partner agencies, conduct community outreach, training and education in Manhattan, actively engage in advocacy committees and task forces, and collaborate with other agencies to advocate for systemic change. They will coordinate and supervise staff attorneys, project assistants, pro bono attorneys, interns, and volunteers. The Consultation Attorney will work out of our Manhattan Family Justice Center office and will report to the Senior Program Director and Associate Program Director of the Family Law Project at the Manhattan Family Justice Center.
Responsibilities:
- Provides initial civil legal screenings and any necessary follow-up legal consultations to clients seeking family law assistance, including drafting of pro se petitions and other filings
- In collaboration with Senior Program Director and Associate Program Director, creates, implements, coordinates and conducts ongoing family law legal clinics to assist clients in drafting pro se petitions for Family and Supreme Courts.
- Collaborates with FJC family law projects across the five FJC's to create, implement and coordinate pro se services and clinics and collaborates with other SFF legal projects.
- Coordinates, supervises and/or mentors staff attorneys, project assistants, pro bono attorneys, interns, and volunteers on all aspects of client contact, litigation support, litigation strategy and execution, case management, and/or project development.
- Recruits, selects, hires, and onboards project assistants, collaborating with Senior Program Director and Associate Program Director.
- Assists Senior Program Director and Associate Program Director with performance evaluation of staff, responsible for performance evaluation for project assistants.
- Together with the Senior Program Director and Associate Program Director, participates in internal management audits and reviews, and designs and implements program improvements using outcome-based evaluations, among other tools
- Provides direct representation to a small caseload of clients in family law matters, including matrimonial, family offense, custody and visitation, and child and spousal support cases.
- Provides other advocacy as needed, including the criminal legal and child protective systems.
- Facilitates clients' access to intra-agency and outside resources, and administers provision of direct financial assistance and donations to clients.
- Provides technical assistance to FJC partner agencies.
- Conducts community outreach, training and education.
- Actively engages in advocacy committees and task forces, and collaborates with other agencies to advocate for systemic change.
- Participates in interagency conferences and legal/ bar association committee meetings to keep abreast of developments in the areas of pro bono, domestic violence, and legal remedies for victims of domestic violence.
- Performs any other department or agency-related duties or special projects as directed by supervisor.
Requirements:
- J.D. degree
- Admission to the NY Bar
- 3 or more years of relevant family law experience required
- Fluency in a community language a plus
- Strong lawyering, advocacy, and leadership skills
- Enjoy working collaboratively and be comfortable speaking in public
- Highly motivated to provide zealous, knowledgeable, culturally competent, and empathic legal advocacy to domestic violence survivors
- Ability to work well with people from diverse communities and backgrounds
