Staff Attorney

About NYLAG:

Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combating 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 380 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.

Job description

NYLAG seeks a highly motivated staff attorney within our Domestic Violence Law Unit. This attorney will work within a project that focuses on serving survivors within the Orthodox Jewish community.

The attorney will provide safety planning as well as representation, advice, and advocacy services to survivors of intimate partner violence on family and matrimonial litigation cases (including orders of protection, contested and uncontested divorces, custody, visitation, child and spousal support, matters related to special immigrant juvenile status and some abuse/neglect proceedings), and sexual and gender-based violence based immigration matters (including VAWA self-petitions, battered spouse waivers, U-visas, T Visas, SIJS petitions, and applications to adjust status). The attorney will represent clients before multiple venues including Supreme, Family, and Integrated Domestic Violence Courts, as well as USCIS throughout NYC. They will also counsel clients on crime victim rights and the criminal legal system process, assist survivors in submitting compensation claims based on their victimization, and provide representation in appellate family and immigration law cases.

As an Attorney with Project Eden, which focuses on serving survivors within the Orthodox Jewish Community, the attorney will also include advising clients on religious divorce (Gets), advocacy and representation before the Beit Din, where appropriate. The role for which we are hiring will require extensive collaboration internally across projects and externally with community-based partners within the Orthodox Jewish community, and will work to expand access to services for communities who face disparate obstacles in accessing assistance. The role will also involve work done on site and in community, including in-person intake at designated community sites that serve Orthodox Jewish survivors of domestic violence.

This role reports to a Supervising Attorney in the Domestic Violence Law Unit.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive safety planning, as well as representation and consultation to survivors of intimate partner violence in legal matters including order of protection, divorce, custody/visitation, support, and other family law cases in Supreme and Family Court throughout New York City;
• Provide representation and consultation in sexual and gender-based violence immigration matters;
• Conduct legal screenings, clinics, and outreach, including on-site and in community to expand access to services;
• Engage in and conduct outreach with communities who face barriers to accessing services, in particular survivors from the Orthodox Jewish community;
• Collaborate and coordinate with external partners to further the goals of Project Eden, ensure seamless inter-agency referrals, and respond to ongoing and emerging community needs for survivors from the Orthodox Jewish community;
• Attend internal staff meetings and meetings with partner agencies and funders;
• Participate in relevant internal and external coalitions and task forces to advance survivor justice;
• Mentor legal interns, volunteers, and pro bono attorneys;
• Conduct educational seminars, trainings, and outreach to communities, partners, advocates, law students, and others on domestic violence related issues;
• Administrative duties including updating NYLAG case management systems and maintaining and updating files and case notes as well as assisting in grant reporting as needed;
• Other duties as needed.

This job will require regular travel within New York City, including appearing in court and partner agency sites.

Qualifications

• Admission to New York State Bar required;
• 2-7 years of experience working with survivors of intimate partner violence is required;
• 2-7 years of legal experience representing clients in family and/or matrimonial law and/or other similar litigation experience is required;
• Knowledge of, interest in, and experience working with the Orthodox Jewish community is required;
• Experience with immigration law, in particular VAWA self-petitions, battered spouse waivers, and U & T visas, is strongly preferred;
• Fluency in Hebrew, Russian, or Yiddish is strongly preferred;
• Significant experience working with survivors of trauma, people experiencing poverty, and underserved communities strongly preferred;
• Demonstrated commitment to working with survivors of trauma and advancing gender, racial, and social justice;
• Ability to work collaboratively, communicate effectively, manage multiple tasks, and creatively problem solve;
• Excellent litigation skills required;
• Excellent written, oral and analytical skills;
• Excellent organizational skills; and
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently.

To be considered, please include a cover letter and resume. Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.

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 $80,002-$93,824.

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

Application Instructions: Please save resume and cover letter on one pdf.

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.

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.