Staff Attorney 2

NYLAG; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 101,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k)

Life insurance

Long-term disability

Commuter benefits

FSA (Medical/Dependent care)

Job summary

NYLAG seeks a highly motivated bilingual Staff Attorney for the Pro Se Plus Project (PSPP) to assist newly arrived asylum seekers. The role focuses on pro se representation, hearings, and advocacy across removal proceedings and related relief.

The Staff Attorney will work within NYLAG's Immigrant Protection Unit under PSPP, collaborating with a supervising attorney and on-site counsel at NYC immigration courts to support pro se clients and check‑ins with ICE.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited school.
• Admission to the New York State Bar is required.
• Fluency in a second language (Spanish or French) required.
• Minimum 1 year of experience working with asylum seekers.
• Excellent writing, speaking and organizational skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, community organizations, attorneys and the public.
• Experience with trauma survivors and the intersection of international and immigration law.
• Ability to work in a collaborative setting with other professionals.
• Commitment to immigrant rights, criminal justice and social justice issues.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure with multiple deadlines.
• Ability to make creative arguments for complicated cases and relief paths.
• Ability to set expectations for clients not eligible for relief while providing competent representation.

Responsibilities

• Observe in-person court hearings 1–2 days per week and provide intakes, advice, and counsel for pro se noncitizens where allowed.
• Provide resources and post-detention assistance for detained individuals and families.
• Conduct legal screenings for pro se noncitizens at NYLAG sites, court, and PSPP intake lines.
• Prepare and file pro se asylum and employment authorization applications and related motions.
• Assist with planning and executing in-person pro se screening clinics and clinics.
• Collaborate with PSPP partner organizations and external stakeholders.
• Represent a small number of non-detained NYC residents in removal proceedings before EOIR/USCIS.
• Track client cases and follow up for funding purposes.
• Attend Know Your Rights presentations and outreach events.
• Mentor volunteers and pro-bono staff; provide trainings.

Skills

Bilingual (Spanish or French)

Trauma-informed advocacy

Education

Juris Doctorate

Admission to NY Bar

Job description

About NYLAG

Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. NYLAG’s staff of 350 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.

Job description

The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) seeks a highly motivated bilingual Staff Attorney for a full-time position with our Pro Se Plus Project (PSPP) team, a collaborative of legal service providers and community-based organizations that was developed to respond to the needs of newly arrived asylum seekers. PSPP teaches asylum seekers how to represent themselves through community education, "friend of court" appearances, and advocate trainings and helps protect their due process rights through robust pro se assistance in removal defense, asylum, appeals, and other relief.

The job requires substantive knowledge and experience working with asylum-seeking families and children in removal proceedings, with a variety of defenses from removal including Asylum, Withholding of Removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), labor-based deferred action, T Visas, and U Visas. Admission to the New York Bar and experience representing asylum seekers is strongly preferred. Candidates will have a proactive ability to solve problems under time pressure, a strong commitment to clients, and a background in trauma-informed advocacy. The Staff Attorney will work within the Immigrant Protection Unit at NYLAG under the supervision of PSPP’s Supervising Attorney. As part of this position, this Staff Attorney will work in collaboration with PSPP’s coordinating senior attorney on-site at New York City’s immigration courts to support pro se community members appearing for hearings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and check‑ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Staff Attorney will provide advice and counsel, appear as friend of the court where allowed, and provide post‑detention support for pro‑se community members and their families if detained, as part of PSPP’s court advocacy.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Observe immigration in‑person court hearings at NYC’s immigration courts at least 1‑2 days per week and support pro‑se noncitizens appearing for their hearings by providing intakes and advice and counsel, appearing as friend of the court where allowed;
• Providing resources and post‑detention assistance for detained individuals and their families;
• Conduct legal screenings for pro‑se noncitizens that come through NYLAG’s community‑based sites, immigration court, and PSPP intake hotline;
• Prepare and file pro‑se applications for asylum and employment authorization, motions to change venue, opposition response to motions to pretermit, evidence filings, motions to reopen, and other supporting documents and motions for submission to USCIS and the Immigration Court;
• Assist with planning, coordinating, and executing in‑person pro‑se screening and application assistance clinics;
• Participate in meetings and serve as a liaison to PSPP partner organizations and other external stakeholders;
• Collaborate with community‑based organizations who volunteer in NYC’s immigration courts;
• Represent a small number of non‑detained New York City residents mostly in family units, in removal proceedings before EOIR and/or USCIS;
• Track client cases, progress of applications, and follow‑up for funding purposes;
• Attend screening clinics, Know Your Rights presentations, pro‑se application clinics, and other types of outreach events; and
• Perform other various duties, including giving general consults, advice, trainings, and mentoring of volunteers and pro‑bono.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited school.
• Admission to the New York State bar is required.
• Fluency in a second language is required, Spanish or French preferred.
• Minimum 1 year of experience working with asylum seekers required.
• Excellent writing, speaking and organizational skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients, community organizations, law enforcement, attorneys, judiciary and the public.
• Experience working with survivors of trauma and the intersection of international law and immigration law.
• Ability to work in a collaborative setting with other professionals.
• Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights, criminal justice, and/or social justice issues.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure while managing multiple competing deadlines.
• Ability to make creative arguments for complicated cases and cases that do not have a clear path to relief.
• Ability to set expectations for clients who are not eligible for any relief while nonetheless providing competent representation before the Immigration Court.

NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

Employment type

Full‑time

Professional Level

Professional

Salary Range

NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $90,262- $100,532.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.

Covid Vaccination Policy

Please note, to safeguard the health and well‑being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.

Workplace Flexibility and Hybrid Work Policy

NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full‑time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in‑person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.