The Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB) of The Legal Aid Society is the largest post-conviction public defender in New York City, annually providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 1,000 people with misdemeanor, felony, and homicide convictions.

CAB has an opening for a dedicated and passionate Staff Attorney to provide immigration assistance for our practice.  We represent low-income people in all five boroughs who are challenging their criminal convictions on appeal or in other post-conviction proceedings.  A significant number of these clients are not U.S. citizens, and full and effective representation of these clients requires a thorough understanding of the immigration consequences of their convictions and their various post-conviction options.

The Criminal Appeals Bureau – Immigration Attorney will be a much-needed resource for other CAB attorneys on immigration-related issues, particularly through trainings and consultation.  The attorney will also play a substantial role in the further development and strategic planning of CAB’s representation of its non-citizen clients in post-conviction litigation.  The Immigration Attorney will also represent the office in immigration-related meetings with other post-conviction defense providers and local District Attorney’s Offices.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct preliminary screenings of CAB cases and assess the immigration consequences of client convictions
• Consult with other staff attorneys on a case-by-case basis to identify litigation or negotiation strategies and facilitate early intervention, where appropriate
• Advise and support CAB attorneys during immigration-related hearings and other proceedings
• Engage in outreach to District Attorney’s Offices on immigration matters and represent CAB in meetings with other post-conviction providers on immigration issues
• Conduct relevant trainings and create practice advisories regarding developments in this dynamic, fast-changing area of law
• Engage in strategic planning around the development of internal protocols and practices for CAB’s representation and support of its non-citizen clients
• Maintain a small caseload of immigration-related post-conviction and/or pardon matters
• Other duties as required

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

• New York State Bar admission (or ability to waive into New York State from another jurisdiction) required
• At least 5 years of demonstrated commitment to public defense, immigration representation social and racial justice, and equity required
• Significant experience in all aspects of criminal defense and immigration representation, with a preference for experience in immigration court as well as post-conviction litigation
• Excellent research, legal writing, and oral advocacy skills
• Comprehensive knowledge of relevant New York State and federal law including evidence laws, criminal and constitutional laws, immigration law, statutory interpretation, and ethical principles contained in the Rules of Professional Conduct
• Excellent interpersonal coaching and development skills
• Excellent organizational, case management, and strategic planning skills

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $81,755 to $142,218

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if an offer is made.

Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society 

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov 

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jo**************@le*******.org.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.