Description:

Position Overview:
The Staff Attorney for the Orthodox Jewish Matrimonial Initiative, represents Orthodox Jewish survivors of domestic within the five boroughs of New York City in matrimonial and family law matters. The OJMI Staff Attorney advocates for such clients in Supreme Court, Family Court, and Jewish arbitration courts (“Beit Din.”) The OJMI Staff Attorney empowers gender violence victims by providing them with comprehensive, compassionate, holistic legal services through direct representation, community education, outreach, and policy and systems-change advocacy.

Responsibilities:

Represents Orthodox Jewish survivors of domestic violence in Family, Supreme, Religious Courts on issues including: orders of protection, custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, matrimonial matters, and enforcement actions
Provides legal consultations, and advice to pro se clients in related matters and provide referrals to other service providers as needed
Handles a caseload of both contested and uncontested matters
Collaborates with volunteers, interns and pro bono attorneys; supports training of junior staff members.
Organizes community-based advocacy efforts to effect policy initiatives and systems changes that benefit domestic violence victims within the community
Attends and participates in internal and external agency conferences/webinars and legal/ bar association committee meetings to keep abreast of developments in the areas of domestic violence and matrimonial/family law
Works collaboratively and maintains relationships and partnerships with law firms, law schools, community based organizations, and other agencies to strengthen our practice and increase the visibility of A New York City-Based Non-Profit Organization/OJMI in the legal and domestic violence communities
Collaborates with other entities or organizations serving the Orthodox Jewish community
Represents A New York City-Based Non-Profit Organization on task forces, other political and advocacy committees, and participates in outreach events outside of the agency
Participates in OJMI Council and collaborates in the organization of its programs
Tracks client cases through Salesforce case management system.
Performs related duties or special projects as directed by supervisors

Requirements:

J.D. and Admission to the New York State Bar
0 - 4 yrs of legal experience
Experience working in the gender violence field
Strong interest in matrimonial/family law
Ability to be self-motivated, work independently, work collaboratively, problem-solve, prioritize and multitask
Ability to effectively collaborate with all staff
Knowledge of gender-based dynamics within the Orthodox Jewish community and a strong motivation for social change against gender-based violence
Ability to build a rapport with Orthodox Jewish clients, legal and social service providers, and Rabbinic leadership
An understanding of the Orthodox Jewish communities within the New York City Metropolitan Area and ability to build networks within those communities to promote the goals of the OJMI and meet the needs of our clients
Excellent oral advocacy, communication, research, and writing skills
Excellent problem solving, facilitation, and conflict resolution skills
Excellent organizational skills, initiative and attention to detail
Proficiency in LexisNexis Legal Research, Salesforce, Microsoft Office suite
Knowledge of Hebrew or Yiddish a plus