Staff Attorney

at  NYLAG

ABOUT NYLAG:

Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. During COVID-19, most of our services are virtual to keep our community safe. NYLAG’s staff of 380 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Immigrant Protection Unit (IPU) seeks a highly motivated Staff Attorney for a full-time position. The position will involve some work that will be jointly supervised with the Special Litigation Unit (SLU).
The Immigrant Protection Unit works with immigrants in removal proceedings, with a variety of defenses from removal including, Asylum, Withholding of Removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture, and engages in advocacy for individuals facing imminent deportation, detention by ICE, and other enforcement efforts. Our immigration work encompasses federal litigation, appeals including to the Circuit Courts, and engagement with local and national advocacy campaigns.
The Special Litigation Unit collaborates with NYLAG attorneys across practice areas to develop and litigate complex impact litigations that advance social, racial, and economic justice, addressing the full range of legal areas in which NYLAG serves clients. Alone, or in partnership with other not-for-profit organizations and private firms working pro-bono, SLU initiates class actions and other impact lawsuits to bring about systemic change for thousands of people in need.
In this exciting role, the Staff Attorney would work with IPU to provide appellate and habeas representation to immigrants, in particular, recently arrived migrants who are facing the harshest policies that seek to limit humanitarian relief and curtail due process rights. The staff attorney would also collaborate with SLU on to develop impact litigation and other advocacy to address systemic problems facing immigrants in New York City, and recently-arrived migrants in particular. The Staff Attorney would work with NYLAG’s collaborative partners to identify and develop issues that could be addressed through appellate practice, impact litigation and advocacy. Finally, this Staff Attorney would monitor changes in regulation and policy and track relevant federal litigation to keep our staff abreast of recent developments.

QUALIFICATIONS

NYLAG seeks a highly motivated attorney with up to five years’ legal experience, including immigration experience. Admission to the New York Bar is required. Experience representing asylum seekers and experience with federal litigation is preferred, as is experience working with survivors of trauma. The attorney must have a demonstrated commitment to public interest law, immigrant rights, and racial justice. Applicants must have excellent legal research, writing, and communication skills. Spanish language skills strongly preferred.

The Staff Attorney’s responsibilities will include:

• Representing detained and non-detained unaccompanied minors, adult migrants, and family units in immigration proceedings, primarily appellate proceedings, habeas proceedings, and related matters, across multiple jurisdictions;
• Collaborating with SLU to develop new impact litigation cases, including by conducting legal research, identifying and interviewing clients, liaising with IPU practitioners, and drafting complaints, briefs, letters, and other documents;
• Engaging in civil litigation and settlement negotiations;
• Collaborating with internal and external partners working within similar communities;
• Acting as a liaison to partner organizations and other external stakeholders;
• Performing other duties, including giving general consults, advice, trainings, and mentoring of volunteers and pro bono partners.