Mitigation Specialist, Exploitation Intervention Project

The Legal Aid Society has an immediate opening for a Mitigation Specialist with the Exploitation Intervention Project (EIP). EIP works to minimize the harms of the criminal legal system through direct legal representation and legislative and policy advocacy on behalf of criminalized trafficking victims, victims of gender-based violence, and sex workers. This role requires regular collaboration with our own interdisciplinary team (which includes criminal defense attorneys, mitigation specialists, an immigration attorney, and a paralegal client advocate) as well as with staff from other LAS projects, subject matter experts, and community-based organizations.

The Mitigation Specialist will provide client services to individuals who have been either sex or labor trafficked, who have experienced significant gender-based violence, or whose criminal charges are related to their engagement in sex work. The Mitigation Specialist will be a central member of the defense teams representing clients currently being prosecuted and will also assist with post-conviction relief. Please note that this position is based out of Legal Aid’s Manhattan office, but covers cases in all five boroughs and requires frequent travel to Legal Aid’s borough offices as well as to Rikers, on occasion.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments with clients and interview collaterals for the purposes of writing persuasive mitigation reports, informing the legal strategy and developing a treatment plan. This may include the use of validated instruments (e.g. PCL-5, ACE questionnaire, etc.) as appropriate
• Review and synthesize records including, but not limited to, medical, educational, psychiatric, and employment
• Attend court appearances, prep clients for and attend proffers, participate in case conferences, etc
• Assess and address client needs such as access to benefits, housing, counseling, and make referrals as appropriate
• Support clients in immigration proceedings in collaboration with EIP’s immigration attorney (assessing clients, writing responses to Requests For Evidence, etc.)
• Participate in post-conviction relief efforts including interviewing clients, writing select elements of motions and providing socioemotional support to clients through the post-conviction process
• Maintain familiarity with relevant state and federal statutes and screen clients to determine if their experience meets the legal criteria for sex or labor trafficking
• Represent EIP in the broader anti-trafficking community, whether by conducting presentations with community-based organizations or engaging in systemic reform through legislative advocacy and coalition building
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Required qualifications: MSW degree and New York State (NYS) license in social work (LMSW or LCSW) preferred OR the ability to obtain LMSW licensure within 6 months of hire
• Experience working with sex workers, labor/sex trafficking survivors, and/or victims of gender-based violence, OR with clients who are justice-involved and/or who have experienced trauma, mental illness and substance use
• Excellent writing skills with a strong emphasis in persuasive writing
• Strong track record of interdisciplinary collaboration
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Proficiency in languages other than English (particularly Spanish or Mandarin) desirable but not required

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $83,631 – $125,627

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

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

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 via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume 
• Writing Sample 

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email TalentAcquisition@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

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 (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.