Attorney, Women’s Defense Project, CDP

Brooklyn Defender Services•New York, NY

2d•$100,000 - $109,000•Onsite

About The Position

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is seeking an attorney to join the Women’s Defense Project (WDP) in its Criminal Defense Practice. BDS is a public defense office serving low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. Its interdisciplinary teams provide legal defense and advocacy services, including support related to housing, public benefits, education, and employment. WDP is an interdisciplinary team of attorneys and social workers serving cisgender and transgender women whose experiences of violence, exploitation, and abuse have led directly or indirectly to involvement in the criminal legal system. The team represents women arrested in Brooklyn Criminal and Supreme Courts and pursues available avenues of relief, including START motions, DVSJA applications, and relief specific to trafficking victims. This attorney will focus on helping clients obtain relief under New York’s START Act, which allows trafficking survivors to seek vacatur of prior convictions related to their trafficking victimization. Working with WDP and a paralegal, the attorney will identify and contact potentially eligible past and current clients, assess eligibility, prepare and submit motions, and educate BDS staff about the process. This is an exempt, salaried position in the collective bargaining unit. The normal schedule is Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The position is based at BDS offices and courts in Downtown Brooklyn, with occasional travel to the Queens office. The stated salary range is approximately $100,000–$109,000 for attorneys who graduated law school in 2022 or thereafter. BDS offers health insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan, and vacation, sick, holiday, family, and medical leave policies.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
Admission to practice in New York, or ability to become admitted.
At least one year of legal experience as a criminal defense attorney or working with people who have experienced gender-based violence.
Self-starter, with familiarity with or willingness to learn about post-conviction and vacatur relief.
Compassionate and resourceful, with the ability to build trusting relationships with clients while navigating complex, high-pressure systems.
Strong writing and legal research skills.
Ability to think critically, constructively, and creatively in applying the law.
Excellent interviewing skills and an understanding of how trauma manifests within this client population.

Responsibilities

Work with staff across the office to identify past and current clients who may be eligible for START relief.
Work with the WDP paralegal to develop an outreach tool informing past clients about potential relief and how to request an eligibility assessment.
Interview clients and collateral contacts and gather supporting documentation and information for START motions.
Draft and submit START motions to the appropriate prosecutor’s office and court.
Accompany clients to proffer sessions requested by the prosecutor’s office.
Participate in citywide START working groups.
Educate BDS staff about the START motion process.
Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.