Civil Action Practice, Employment & Reentry Supervising Attorney

The Bronx Defenders • Full-time • Bronx County, NY, US • $108.72k - $132.08k / year • 22h ago

CIVIL ACTION

A sweeping array of civil punishments are triggered the moment someone faces arrest, deportation, or family separation. The people we represent risk losing their jobs, homes, income, property, and basic civil rights—struggles that can be more devastating and long-lasting than the charges themselves. Last year, we helped over 4,000 people obtain concrete benefits like maintaining their jobs, homes, income, property, and rights.

Reporting to the Director of the Civil Holistic Team of the Civil Action Practice, the Employment & Reentry Supervising Attorney will represent a reduced caseload of clients and directly supervise attorneys, advocates and other staff.

Responsibilities

The CAP Employment & Reentry Supervisor will help protect, preserve and create access to employment for our clients through direct advocacy and supporting, training and supervising attorneys and advocates in the Civil Action Practice.

The CAP Employment & Reentry Supervisor will represent a specialized caseload of clients and provide referral and community

based representation while providing direct guidance, training, and support to advocates in the Civil Action Practice.

Advance Specialization

Stay up to date with changes in the law and trends related to employment & reentry, including the impact of arrests, convictions, removal of children, ACS investigations, and detention on occupational licenses and jobs, Fair Chance Act, Clean Slate & sealing laws and other employment access as it relates to our clients as well as our work with the criminal, family, immigration, social work practices, and community needs
Attend relevant trainings and seminars and report back to practice with updates

Direct Representation

Engage in client intake, counseling, research, writing, oral advocacy and negotiations as a part of legal representation 
Zealously advocate for individuals navigating proceedings related to barriers to obtaining/maintaining employment licenses, correcting criminal record errors, certificates that promote rehabilitation, sealing and fair chance laws
Identify holistic needs and legal goals of the people we represent, make referrals, and work with other attorney and non-attorney advocates to address and mitigate the enmeshed employment consequences of legal system involvement
Effectively litigate, confidently negotiate and skillfully advocate in administrative judicial proceedings and trial with a particular concentration in employment and reentry.
Provide comprehensive, referral-based representation collaborating with an interdisciplinary cross-practice team of attorneys and advocates to assess and address the needs and legal goals of the people we represent
Participate in internal working groups to develop best practices across referral relationships 
Facilitate community trainings and public education on employment & reentry
Participate in trainings within the office as well as external community events, conferences and webinars in which BXD is participating or presenting 
Maintain case files and data in BxD’s case management system

Client and Case Support

Support, train, and guide CAP advocates and attorneys with full representation, brief services, and advice and counsel on employment & reentry matters as needed
Hold meetings with CAP to develop employment best practices, hearing preparation, and systems for co-counseling and collaboration for employment cases

Trainings and Onboarding

Train new staff regarding relevant areas of employment for CAP’s services
Coordinate and lead at least four employment roundtables and trainings per year for CAP regarding best practices for employment related advocacy

Information Management

Maintain, organize, and update CAP’s employment & reentry strategies, models, and other documents and make these resources accessible to staff (e.g., via Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, etc.)
Develop systems to collect data that inform CAP employment & reentry advocacy strategies

External Representation, Policy, Campaigns, and Coalitions

Participate in external trainings, public education, and other panels
Represent CAP and inform CAP’s approach to employment policy and strategic reform, including legislative testimony, campaigns, coalitions like Coalition of Reentry Advocates and the UI Coalition, amicus briefs, and appeals
Other services and support as needed and directed by the Managing or other Directors

 Direct Supervision

Supervise Reentry Advocate and attorneys and/or law graduates in employment/reentry matters
Onboard, support, train, and supervise attorneys and advocates in the civil action practice to ensure we provide high quality, creative, client-centered representation and advocacy in the areas of employment and reentry
Meet with each supervisee on a weekly or bi-weekly or as needed frequency basis to support, address, and manage caseload, referrals, and client issues
Review and evaluate staff data entry and case management to ensure high-quality services, evaluate the impact of our advocacy, and meet funding/reporting requirements for our Employment and Reentry work
Review, monitor, and evaluate advocate/attorney workloads to ensure equitable distribution
Support, evaluate, and provide feedback on client-related advocacy, including written, oral and trial advocacy in administrative fora, courts, and the community
Be available for co-counsel and in-court supervision
Assist with and review all litigation preparation
Manage and support coverage for supervisees
Approve timesheets and time-off requests
Supervise case and calendar management, client interaction and relationships with the judiciary and adversaries
Monitor the ethical responsibilities in litigation and advocacy in conjunction with the Legal Director, Managing & Deputy Director and CAP Management Team
Collaborate with CAP Training Director to onboard, train, and aid in the ongoing professional development of supervisees
Promote and facilitate intra-practice and interdisciplinary collaboration among attorneys, advocates and administrative staff
Provide equitable, culturally conscious supervision, and support marginalized supervisees in navigating experiences of oppression in their work

Management/Leadership

Meet regularly with the CAP’S Director of civil holistic team, Managing and Deputy Directors, CAP Management Team
Inform and help to implement practice priorities and improvements with respect to employment and reentry
Aid in determining the direction and growth of civil legal services and employment/reentry work at BxD
Work to develop and implement CAP employment/reentry related information management, training, and other public education within the office and the community

Qualifications

To be eligible, applicants must have:

Membership in good standing to the New York State Bar or eligibility for admission to the New York State Bar
Minimum of 3 years of civil litigation experience, with a minimum of 2 years in in Civil Action Practice or civil action practice equivalent experience

To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate:

Commitment to social justice, racial justice and housing justice work
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 independently as well as collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of the people we represent
Strong verbal and written advocacy skills
Strong legal analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources and solutions
Strong Supervisory and Mentoring skills as demonstrated by:
Success in developing and mentoring supervisees
Skilled in providing equitable and constructive feedback
Flexibility in balancing needs of supervisees against their own caseload
Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
Meticulous attention to detail
Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly
Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters

Preferred, but not required

Spanish fluency (validated objectively) is strongly preferred
Experience supervising and training interns or staff is a plus

This is a hybrid position that will require 21 hours/week of in-person work.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 3-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $108,717.00 to $132,077.00. 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.

This position is exempt. By law, exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to overtime, whereas exempt employees are not.

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 not within the bargaining unit. 

To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and cover letter in one document. Your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience and should include all relevant professional experience. Applications without a written cover letter will not be considered.

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating a 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 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.

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