Staff Attorney, Non-Detained Removal Defense (IOI)

Job Description
The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is seeking a Staff Attorney to join the citywide Immigration Law Unit’s non-detained removal defense team.

The Immigration Law Unit (ILU) 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 seven different projects and initiatives provides low-income New Yorkers with free comprehensive immigration services, including both affirmative and defensive case matters. The Unit specializes in the intersection between immigration and criminal law and works collaboratively with all practice areas to serve the society’s diverse immigrant clients through a comprehensive service model. Unit staff represent immigrants before USCIS, immigration judges in removal proceedings, and the Board of Immigration Appeals, as well as in federal court on habeas corpus petitions, petitions for review, administrative and judicial appeals, and other matters.

The non-detained removal defense 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 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.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide legal consultation and representation to noncitizens on the non-detained docket in Immigration Court at 26 Federal Plaza, 290 Broadway, and 201 Varick Street (non-detained)
Provide legal consultation and representation to noncitizens 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)
Represent the Civil Practice and Legal Aid in the community
Participate in continuous professional development
Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

Admission to NYS Bar preferred, but will consider those who are admitted to any state bar and qualified to practice federal immigration law
At least 2 years of experience in immigration law and trial experience
Demonstrated commitment to representing or working with individuals from marginalized communities.
Excellent writing, analytical, oral advocacy, and organizational skills
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, law student interns, and volunteers.

Preferred qualifications:

Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required
Experience in a wide variety of immigration legal matters, both affirmative and defensive