Supervising Attorney

Catholic Charities Community Services•New York, NY

23h•$95,000 - $105,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This position provides legal representation to hundreds of minors in removal proceedings each year and delivers legal information to thousands of youth in federal immigration custody. Supports young people outside the courtroom by offering educational and integration opportunities and connecting them with community-based social services. The Supervising Attorney represents youth in removal proceedings who are or were in ORR custody. The role involves extensive work with young people who have experienced abuse, abandonment, neglect, or other trauma, significant court appearances in state and immigration courts and local asylum offices in the New York City area, and travel to ORR facilities as needed. This is a grant funded position, and employment will depend on continued availability of funding.

Requirements

A Juris Doctorate or LLM from an accredited law school required. Admission to NY Bar required.
Fluency in English required. Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred. A willingness and ability to swiftly achieve full fluency in Spanish required.
Excellent communication, organizational, analytical, interpersonal, and time management skills. Strong attention to detail and ability to remain poised under pressure.
Ability to work independently and exercise good judgment, and ability to work in a highly collaborative team environment in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment.
Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, particularly to children's issues and/or immigration advocacy. Ability to work with young people and at-risk populations.
Willingness and flexibility to shuffle work assignments to meet program requirements.

Nice To Haves

At least one year of supervisory experience is preferred.
Experience working with youth or with incarcerated/detained people is preferred.
Experience in family/immigration law, including clinical or pro bono experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Supervise staff in the provision of child-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally competent legal services to ORR-involved unaccompanied non-citizen minors.
Train and mentor attorneys, paralegals, and law graduates in immigration and family law, support more experienced attorneys on complex representation, assign new cases in a manner that promotes staff wellbeing and longevity, and identify and implement best practices across the legal practice.
Maintain a sensible caseload, in light of and secondary to supervisory duties, that will include screening, advising, and representing children before EOIR, USCIS, and state and federal courts.
Ensure that staff provide ORR-involved young people with the information and advice they need to make informed decisions regarding their immigration matters, and oversee staff's work product on clients' applications for legal relief.
Use the client management database and SharePoint to timely and accurately maintain and update records. This may include notes from any meetings with youth, information of all correspondence received for or from stakeholders, communications regarding a client's matter, tracking deadlines and event reminders, and uploading other documents or information as needed.
Lead regular team meetings, provide in-house and outreach trainings, presentation and workshops.
Draft protocols and issue guidance to triage issues timely, to honor clients' expressed wishes, and to support advocacy efforts to ensure that ORR-involved children's rights are upheld and safeguarded.
Send referrals to Case Management colleagues to provide timely supportive services to clients.
Maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders.
Maintain client information confidential.
Comply with record-keeping, case file management, and reporting requirements.
Adhere to Agency and Immigration Legal Services Program protocols.
Other duties may be assigned.