Description:
The Staff Attorney (Legal Immigration) serves in a leadership role at the forefront of direct legal representation for low-income clients living with or affected by HIV. This position provides comprehensive immigration legal services, including advocacy, application support, and representation before USCIS, EOIR, and BIA. The Staff Attorney plays a critical role in ensuring access to justice by delivering trauma-informed, culturally competent legal support tailored to the unique needs of GMHC's client population.The Staff Attorney is part of a fully integrated model of care that centers client autonomy, encourages cross-departmental collaboration, and affirms the dignity and rights of individuals living with or affected by HIV.
Essential Job Functions:
The Staff Attorney is responsible for the following:
Client Legal Services
- Conduct comprehensive legal needs assessments at intake and reassess clients regularly to identify evolving legal needs or additional service needs (e.g. related to social determinants of health).
- Provide direct immigration legal services, including:
- Know Your Rights presentations and legal education.
- Pro se assistance on straightforward and complex cases.
- Legal counsel and case strategy development.
- Full regal representation before USCIS, EOIR, and the BIA in matters including, but not limited to: Asylum, Employment Authorizations, Naturalization, Adjustments of Status, VAWA petitions, TPS, Deferred Action, U and T visas, family-based petitions, and inadmissibility waivers.
- Provide client-centered legal referrals and follow-up support to ensure continuity of care and access to appropriate services.
- Deliver legal education and outreach presentations to clients and community members to enhance awareness of available legal services and immigrant rights.
- Collaborate with community-based health and human service providers to offer technical assistance, training, and timely referrals for immigrant clients and those affected by HIV.
- Support walk-in clients and help manage the immigration appointments calendar, ensuring timely follow-up and scheduling coordination.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of client services, legal outcomes, and progress notes using internal databases and dashboards.
- Ensure all client documentation meets funder and audit requirements and support internal data quality and validation efforts.
- Assist with preparing monthly and ad hoc reports to meet program deliverables and track outcomes.
- Monitor contract compliance by ensuring that all client charts are complete and contain required documentation in accordance with audit and funder standards.
- Ensure the Department remains audit-ready through consistent documentation practices and adherence to compliance protocols.
- Participate in funder site visits, audits, and program evaluations.
- Under the guidance of departmental leadership, assist in the supervision and mentoring of paralegal staff, interns, and fellows to support high-quality, holistic legal services.
- Provide consultation to peers and legal team members on case matters and evolving immigration law developments.
- Collaborate with legal and non-legal staff to address systemic issues affecting GMHC's client population and contribute to policy discussions and strategic solutions.
Requirements:
Special Skills and Knowledge
The ideal candidate will demonstrate a combination of the following required and preferred competencies to succeed in this role:
Required Qualifications:
- A minimum of two to three (2-3) years of experience practicing immigration law, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing the rights and protections of vulnerable populations.
- Strong knowledge of immigration law, legal procedures, and case strategy, particularly in humanitarian and family-based petitions.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with clients, colleagues, and external stakeholders.
- Proven ability to manage a dynamic caseload independently, while balancing multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Demonstrated cultural competency in working with diverse populations, including LGBTQ+ individuals, low-income communities, immigrants, racial minorities, and people living with disabilities.
- Fluency in both English and Spanish, sufficient to meet the linguistic needs of GMHC's client population.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience providing legal services to people living with HIV and/or experience in HIV-related legal advocacy or public health law.
- Familiarity with trauma-informed legal practice, including approaches that integrate sensitivity to past trauma into legal service delivery.
- Knowledge of interdisciplinary service models that integrate legal, medical, and social services to support holistic client care.
- Prior experience in HIV-related legal services, public health law, or trauma-informed legal practice.
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
- Admission to practice law in New York State.
- Admitted or eligible for admission to the U.S. District Court for the Southern and/or Eastern District of New York.
- Active registration with the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA).
- Ongoing compliance with New York State Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements and maintenance of good standing with the NYS Bar.
Technical skills:
The ideal candidate should demonstrate the following technical competencies to effectively manage legal documentation, reporting, and service delivery:
Microsoft Office and Excel Proficiency
- Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including:
- Data tracking and analysis for case management and program performance.
- Creating and maintaining spreadsheets to monitor client progress and service deliverables.
- Using formulas, pivot tables, and data validation tools to ensure documentation accuracy,
- Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including:
- Outlook for email communications, calendar coordination, and client scheduling.
- Word for drafting legal documentation, formal correspondence, and grant-related reporting.
- PowerPoint for preparing outreach, training, or public education presentations.
- Experience using electronic case management and data tracking systems such as:
- Clio, TREAT, AWARDS, AIRS, eCOMPAS, or similar platforms used for client documentation and service delivery tracking.
- Accurately entering and managing data to ensure all program activities and contract deliverables are properly recorded and reportable.
- Familiarity with federal immigration databases and case tracking tools, including:
- USCIS Case Status Online.
- EOIR (ECAS/Portal) systems.
- DHS and Department of State portals related to client case status, filings, and communications.
- Ability to retrieve, interpret, and incorporate client status updates and government communications into legal files and case strategy.
- Strong documentation skills to maintain:
- Clear and accurate legal records, service notes, and case plans.
- Timely updates in accordance with HIPAA, organizational, and funder-specific confidentiality requirements.
- Ability to follow established protocols to ensure:
- Program and audit readiness
- Full compliance with internal quality assurance standards and external regulatory frameworks.
This is a hybrid position that includes a mix of on-site and remote responsibilities:
- Schedule and work location will be determined by program needs and supervisor discretion.
- On-site presence for client appointments, team collaboration, case conferencing, and select internal or external meetings.
- Travel as required for court appearances, legal proceedings, outreach, and occasional conferences or trainings.
- Remote work for legal writing, documentation, case preparation, and administrative responsibilities, as appropriate.
- Flexibility to work occasional evenings or modified hours to meet client needs, case deadlines, or agency obligations.
- Participation in the annual AIDS Walk New York event is mandatory for all GMHC staff.
Physical Demands:
While carrying out the responsibilities of this role:
- The position is primarily office-based and sedentary, involving extended periods of computer use, phone communication, and virtual conferencing.
- The staff member must be able to navigate a standard office environment and attend in-person meetings, court da
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