Staff Attorney, Civil Defense Practice - Collateral Consequences Team

Neighborhood Defender Service • New York, NY

17d

About The Position

The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (NDS) is a community-based, client-centered, holistic public defense office located in Harlem, providing the highest quality representation in criminal, civil, immigration and family courts to residents of Northern Manhattan who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. N DS seeks to hire an attorney to join the Collateral Consequences Team within the Civil Defense Practice. The Collateral Consequences Team plays an integral role in NDS’s fulfillment of its holistic mission by working to address the array of civil consequences triggered by contact with the criminal legal and child welfare systems. The Staff Attorney will work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide services in eviction prevention, employment matters, asset forfeiture proceedings, public benefits hearings, and civil rights claims in order to prevent and mitigate collateral consequences and provide essentials of life stability for clients, their family members, and the residents of Northern Manhattan.

Requirements

• J.D. Degree and admission to practice law in New York State or eligible for admission, or a law student graduating in time to sit for the July 2026 bar exam
• Experience providing civil legal services to low-income clients, with preference given to applicants who have at least one year of experience in legal services
• A demonstrated commitment to social justice issues and experience working with individuals of diverse backgrounds
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to manage a diverse caseload
• Must be able to travel throughout New York City to the various courts, administrative agencies and to client appointments
• Must be able to work cooperatively with attorneys and other NDS advocates, and problem-solve independently

Nice To Haves

• Fluency in Spanish is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent, client-centered representation in an array of collateral civil consequences proceedings, with an emphasis on arrest-based housing loss and exclusion, criminal records-based employment barriers, property forfeiture, government misconduct and reentry, as well as housing and benefits loss resulting from entanglement in the child welfare system
• Be primarily responsible, with supervisory support, for all aspects of litigation including identifying and preserving claims and defenses, motions practice, discovery, oral argument, settlement negotiations, trials, and appeals
• Work across practices and disciplines to mitigate the collateral consequences of contact with the criminal legal and child welfare systems through fielding internal referrals and providing advice, plea consultations, brief services, and full representation where appropriate
• Collaborate with social workers, advocates, and other attorneys to secure optimal outcomes on behalf of clients
• Make regular appearances in courts and administrative forums across New York City
• Staff institutional intake assignments on a rotating basis and provide legal advice to members of the community
• Demonstrate energy, enthusiasm and ingenuity in working on challenging cases received through referral structures and/or assigned by supervisors
• Represent NDS at coalition meetings and community-based initiated on issues related to collateral consequences on an as-needed basis.

Benefits

• Full medical and dental benefits, as well as other benefits, are provided.
• The salary, benefits, and employment policies relevant to this position are governed by the CBA between NDS and the NDS Union, part of ALAA UAW 2325.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree