Staff Attorney, New York Family Unity Project (NYIFUP)

NYLAG•New York, NY

10d•$91,354 - $100,532•Hybrid

About The Position

The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) seeks a highly motivated Spanish-speaking Staff Attorney for a full-time position representing individuals in removal proceedings. The job requires a proactive ability to solve problems under time pressure, the strongest commitment to clients, and a desire to work at the forefront of the effort to protect due process and immigrants’ rights during an extremely challenging time. This attorney in this position will provide legal representation for detained and non-detained immigrants in removal proceedings referred to NYLAG from our partners in upstate New York, as well as additional detained cases as necessary. The Staff Attorney will represent immigrants through the New York Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) and will receive technical and other support through Brooklyn Defender Services and other city NYIFUP providers.

Requirements

Juris Doctorate from an accredited school.
Admission to the New York State bar
Fluency in Spanish required
Minimum 2 years experience working in removal defense required, 4 years preferred
Minimum 1 year experience working in the detained Immigration Court docket preferred
Excellent writing, speaking and organizational skills
Ability to communicate effectively with clients, community organizations, attorneys, the judiciary and the public
Ability to work in a collaborative setting with other professionals
Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights, criminal justice, and/or social justice issues.
Experience working with survivors of trauma and the intersection of criminal law and immigration law.
Ability to work independently and under pressure.

Responsibilities

Represent immigrants, detained and non-detained, in removal proceedings that began in upstate New York but transferred to the Immigration Courts in New York City.
Represent immigrants detained and in removal proceedings who were residents of New York State, excluding New York City, in detained courts outside of New York City as needed.
Attend court hearings, USCIS interviews, and ICE check-ins with clients as needed.
Screen clients for eligibility for immigration relief, assess criminal convictions and other grounds of inadmissibility and removability, and develop a strategy for representation.
Interview clients in and out of detention, as well as their witnesses. When needed, travel to detention centers in nearby jurisdictions to meet with clients.
Prepare and file forms, affidavits, other supporting documents, motions, and legal memoranda for submission to USCIS, the Immigration Court, the New York Family Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and Federal Courts, as needed.
Appear in both the detained and non-detained Immigration Courts on a regular basis to provide full representation to immigrants facing removal.
Prepare and file appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals and Second Circuit Court of Appeals as needed.
Collaborate with other attorneys in drafting and filing habeas corpus petitions and other federal litigation as needed.
Conduct client consultations of detained and non-detained clients and track client cases, progress of applications, and follow up for funding purposes.
Represent NYLAG to our funder and collaborative partners including attending conferences, trainings, and sharing materials.
Supervise interns, volunteers, and pro bono attorneys as needed.