Overview
The Bronx Defenders (BxD) – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks a passionate immigration attorney with a commitment to social justice to fill a position as staff attorney with our Community Intake Team.
The Bronx Defenders is a public defender non-profit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the legal system, and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. BxD seeks thoughtful, creative, energetic individuals with a strong commitment to social justice to join our dynamic and diverse staff. Our staff of over 450 includes interdisciplinary teams made up of criminal, civil, immigration, and family defense attorneys, as well as social workers, benefits specialists, legal advocates, parent advocates, investigators, and team administrators, who collaborate to provide holistic advocacy to address the causes and consequences of legal system involvement. Through this integrated team-based structure, we have developed a groundbreaking, nationally-recognized model of representation called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for the people we represent.
Each year, we defend more than 20,000 low-income Bronx residents in criminal, civil, family, and immigration cases, and reach thousands more through our community intake, youth mentoring, and outreach programs. Through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community organizing, we push for systemic change at the local, state, and national levels. We take what we learn from the people we represent and communities we work with and launch innovative initiatives designed to bring about real and lasting change.
Immigration Practice
Twenty years ago, The Bronx Defenders developed the model of integrated criminal defense and immigration representation. Our Immigration attorneys and advocates work closely with people ensnared in the immigration legal system throughout the pendency of their cases in both Criminal and Family Court to avoid and mitigate negative immigration consequences that may arise from those cases. Our Immigration staff represent people in deportation proceedings in both detained and non-detained settings, provide affirmative immigration services, and pursue community-based litigation and advocacy aimed at transforming unforgiving anti-immigrant federal laws and policy. The Immigration Practice consists of approximately 60 staff members including attorneys, social workers, legal advocates, and administrators.
Since 2013, our immigration attorneys have also served as assigned counsel at the Varick Street Immigration Court under the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), the first-ever universal representation project in immigration court.
Community Intake
The Bronx Defenders has a Community Intake Team which allows members of the Bronx community to walk into our office and proactively seek assistance with public benefits, as well as criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal issues. Community Intake Advocates from the Immigration Practice, including two staff attorneys, one supervising attorney, and a legal advocate, provide early intervention, assistance in navigating legal systems, direct representation in affirmative and removal cases, and high-quality referrals for hundreds of community members each year. Intervention at this early stage helps people avoid deportation proceedings.
Responsibilities
- Engage in intensive client interviewing, counseling, research, writing, oral advocacy, and negotiations as part of legal representation
- Staff our community intake case assignment rotation to determine community members’ eligibility for immigration benefits, advise people of their immigration options, and make referrals to other organizations for services we do not provide, such as for post-conviction relief seeking to vacate criminal convictions
- Identify holistic needs, make referrals, and work with other attorney and non-attorney advocates to address and mitigate the enmeshed consequences of legal system involvement
- Respond to requests for emergency services such as advisal during ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, and advocacy against the initiation of removal proceedings against Legal Permanent Residents (LPR) at the port of entry
- Represent undocumented people against various Department of Homeland Security (DHS) departments, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), to advocate against detention and the commencement of removal proceedings, and for early dismissal
- Research and analyze complex areas of law impacting our client population, including but not limited to the impact of criminal convictions from out-of-state jurisdictions on someone’s immigration status and eligibility for relief; the Special Agricultural Workers Program; and Statutes relating to the Mariel Boat Lift
- Represent non-citizens before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Immigration Court on the full scope of matters relating to removal cases, including Motions to Reopen, challenges to removability and applications for relief. Some of the applications for relief that our team handle include requests for Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Deferral of Removal under the Convention Against Torture, Adjustment of Status with Waivers of Inadmissibility, and LPR and Non-LPR Cancellation of Removal, among others
- Appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals and Second Circuit Court of Appeals
- Represent non-citizens on applications for immigration benefits, including but not limited to citizenship, adjustment of status, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and U & T visas
- Staff pro se support clinics
- Effectively litigate, confidently negotiate and skillfully advocate with adversaries
- Co-counsel cases in other venues, such as Family Court, Civil Court and Administrative Hearings, when necessary
- Lead and assist with external and internal trainings and presentations on immigration law and policy
- Collaborate with members of the community intake team to develop and improve the team’s intake protocols
- Maintain client case files and data in BxD’s case management system
Qualifications
We are specifically seeking applications from candidates with Spanish language skills and/or those from racially/ethnically marginalized communities disproportionately impacted by systemic injustice whose lived experiences contribute to more culturally conscious client representation.
To be eligible, applicants must have:
- License to practice law in New York or be eligible to become licensed to practice in New York
- At least two (2) years of immigration law experience, ideally in criminal-immigration, or relevant/equivalent experience
Candidates must demonstrate:
- Commitment to directly defending people with limited financial resources placed in removal proceedings or facing immigration consequences based on contact with the family and/or criminal legal system
- Experience working in and with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities
- Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences
- Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
- Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of clients
- Effective research, writing and courtroom advocacy skills
- Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources in cases
- Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
- Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly
- Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters
- Commitment to raising one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level
- Spanish language fluency and the ability to conduct client interviews in Spanish is highly preferred
This is a hybrid position that will require in-person work.
Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 1-3 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $75,000-$80,000. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy. More specific information about salary and benefits will be provided when and if an offer is extended.
Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders’ staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 – Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is within the bargaining unit.
This position is exempt. By law, non-exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.
To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and a cover letter in one document. If you would prefer to send in a video or audio statement in lieu of a cover letter, you may upload your resume as a document and separately upload a video or audio statement instead of a cover letter. Your cover letter or video/audio statement should share why you want to do this work at our office, some key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this position, and any additional information you would like for us to consider. Your cover letter may be up to one page if written or up to 3 minutes if an audio/video statement. This information allows us to understand your distinct perspective, experience and potential beyond the work history summarized on your resume. If selected for the position, your resume will be used to determine the number of years of professional experience you have doing directly relevant work and determine a salary based on that analysis; we encourage you to include all directly relevant experience on your resume. Please remember that you may submit a written cover letter or an audio/video statement, but not both, and applications without a cover letter-in either written or video form-will not be considered.
Applications will be accepted through October 25th, 2023. Please contact Karla Marie Ostolaza, Managing Director of the Immigration Practice, via email at karlao@bronxdefenders.org with any questions regarding the position.
The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating an anti-oppressive workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds, identities and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, disabled, neurodivergent and those directly impacted by criminal, civil, family and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we work with.