Closing Date: 19th April, 2024
Description:
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
Requirements:
- 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
