Job Description
BDS is a multi-disciplinary defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. Our expertise lies in the intersection of these legal systems that disproportionately target poor, Black, Latinx and immigrant people and communities.
BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse, complex, and multi-faceted legal needs. In addition to a zealous legal defense, our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services, including housing, public benefits, education, and employment issues. BDS is a defense office where staff work collaboratively, across disciplines and practices to deliver high-quality legal services that meet the needs of the people we represent, their families and the communities from which they come, primarily in Brooklyn.
BDS’s Immigration Practice consists of deportation defense under the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), Padilla advisals, and the Immigrant Community Action Project (ICAP). The immigration practice is staffed by attorneys, BIA accredited representatives, social workers, paralegals, and administrative assistants. The Padilla Team advises criminal defense colleagues and clients, helping to devise strategies to minimize the immigration impact of clients’ criminal and family court cases, screens clients for immigration relief and represents some clients in affirmative applications and removal proceedings. The Immigrant Community Action Project team screens clients referred through the community or other BDS practices for relief and represents them in applications for citizenship, permanent residence, visas for domestic violence or trafficking victims, and other immigration benefits, as well as in non-detained removal proceedings, order of supervision appointments, and post-order motions. The NYIFUP team serves as assigned counsel under the first-in-the-nation program providing legal representation for indigent New Yorkers in detained removal proceedings at the Varick Street Immigration Court and in New Jersey.
Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is seeking one or more experienced immigration attorneys for the position of Supervising Attorney for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) team in the Immigration Practice.
The NYIFUP team has several supervisors who each supervise a group of staff attorneys and senior staff attorneys. Supervisors carry a reduced caseload and generally do not represent detained clients.
Under the general supervision of the Attorney-in-Charge of the NYIFUP practice, the Supervising Attorney supervises a group of attorneys and works alongside other supervisors on the team.
Responsibilities
· Work collaboratively with other supervisors to help attorneys reach their potential and ensure the best possible outcomes for clients. This includes utilizing the expertise of team members, other supervisors, and attorneys from other practices at BDS to create a collaborative environment of growth and learning for all attorneys.
· Review cases, advise, and assist attorneys in providing the best possible representation from intake of cases to custody, merits, and other hearings.
· Coach attorneys to help them grow their knowledge, skills, and further their professional development; assist in the development of team-wide trainings
· Assist attorneys in communicating with Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), or clients when problematic situations arise, including directly intervening when necessary.
· Evaluate attorney performance both formally and informally and regularly provide appropriate feedback.
· Assist attorneys in working effectively with BDS social workers, investigators, paralegals, support staff, and other practice areas.
· With Attorney-in-Charge and other supervisors, assist with practice management, media, advocacy, and presence in external coalitions to advance BDS's priorities and grow team resources.
· Maintain expertise in the laws and practices relevant to NYIFUP’s work.
· Know and apply BDS policies and procedures, including personnel and office policies.
· Proactively seek to create an equitable and inclusive work environment.
· Additional responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications
· 4 years of litigation or immigration experience of which more than one year is focused on removal defense. Demonstrated commitment to client-centered representation.
· Ability and desire to train, teach, and help other attorneys reach their full potential as an effective advocate for their clients, and to promote their professional development.
· Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with interdisciplinary staff members both within the NYIFUP practice and throughout BDS as a whole.
· Excellent problem-solving skills.
· Adept at navigating case and document management systems.
Position Information
This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position. The normal schedule is Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, and the position is based at BDS’s offices in Downtown Brooklyn, NY 11201. Although some of the work of supervisors will be done remotely for the foreseeable future, supervisors are required to attend in-person court appearances as needed. Supervisors are also expected to be in the office on a regular basis. As of the posting of this notice, supervisors are in the office once every two weeks. Applicants should be prepared to move flexibly between in-person and remote work as policies and needs shift.
BDS determines salary on a payscale, which is visible to all employees. Salary is commensurate with education and experience, and for this supervisory position would start at $91,000 for an attorney with four years of legal practice experience. BDS also offers comprehensive benefits including health and dental insurance, short-term disability and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution, pre-tax commuter benefit, pre-tax flexible spending accounts, and above-average vacation, sick, holiday, family, and medical leave policies.
Application
Click HERE to apply by submitting a cover letter and resume on our online application portal. The application deadline is September 20, 2021.