Supervising Attorney, Immigration Law Unit – Federal Litigation Team

The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is seeking a Supervising Attorney to join the citywide Immigration Law Unit’s Federal Litigation team.

 

The Immigration Law Unit (ILU) in The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is a recognized leader in providing high-quality representation to non-citizens in all five boroughs of New York City and surrounding counties. Our staff of almost 100 attorneys, social workers, and paralegals across six different projects and initiatives works collaboratively to provide client-centered, interdisciplinary, and comprehensive legal services.

 

The Supervising Attorney will supervise the representation of low-income clients before the U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeals to safeguard immigrants’ constitutional rights and ensure that immigration laws are accurately interpreted and fairly applied. The Supervising Attorney will work closely with colleagues to identify and engage in federal court interventions to address our clients’ needs, as well as manage affirmative and other litigation matters. 

 

The Supervising Attorney will be involved in day-to-day operations and will work closely with the Attorney-in-Charge, the Deputy Attorney-in-Charge, and other Supervising Attorneys to train, supervise, and mentor staff. The Supervising Attorney will participate in Practice-wide management discussions and decision-making.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop, conduct, and supervise ILU staff with litigation before federal district courts and U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits, including habeas petitions, petitions for review, and Administrative Procedure Act actions
• Develop skills and knowledge of ILU staff on federal litigation matters through trainings and supervision
• Identify unsettled legal issues of significance to the Society’s non-citizen clients
• Collaborate with practitioners throughout the country to develop and participate in national litigation and law reform projects related to federal immigration policy
• Track case law developments related to immigration law and policy in the federal courts
• Work with pro bono counsel
• Assist in monitoring and maintaining a high standard of representation and client service
• Maintain a reasonable caseload
• Foster and encourage teamwork and communication
• Assist with the development and implementation of programs
• Assist with the funding for and reporting on programs
• Respond to client, community and staff concerns
• Provide individualized consultation to other Society staff
• Engage in policy advocacy
• Other duties as assigned

 

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Admission to New York State Bar.  Must be eligible to immediately seek admission to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
• Minimum of five years of federal litigation or comparable litigation experience, preferably in immigration law

 

Preferred qualifications:  

• Admission to other federal district courts desirable.
• Knowledge of the intersection of immigration and criminal law preferred
• Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required

 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent research, writing, analytical, organizational and communication skills
• Interest in developing new approaches to federal litigation
• Ability to work with pro bono lawyers
• The candidate must be able to work independently as well as manage staff attorneys
• Experience in a wide variety of immigration legal matters, both affirmative and removal defense-related
• Demonstrated commitment and experience in public interest law and civil legal services
• Excellent oral and written advocacy skills
• Ability to work in a team setting including strong communication and follow-up skills