Unit Director (Immigration Unit)
About the role
MLS seeks a Director for their Immigrants' rights practice. MLS' legal-social work interdisciplinary team uses a holistic, trauma-informed collaborative advocacy model to provide free immigration legal services to low-income New Yorkers. Our immigration practice includes removal defense, affirmative asylum, defensive asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (including Family Court proceedings), family-based petitions, naturalization, VAWA, U-status, T-status, and more. The work may require limited representation of detainees.
The Immigration Director supervises and mentors an interdisciplinary team of four staff attorneys, two paralegals and one social worker, while maintaining a limited caseload. The team looks to the Director for leadership, guidance, and support to fight for our clients. In addition to supervising and carrying a very small caseload of individual clients, the Director also pursues impact litigation or advocacy opportunities.
This position will also oversee the work of staff attorneys, providing legal guidance, mentorship, training, and performance evaluations to ensure compliance with legal standards and best practices in client representation. This position offers a unique opportunity to lead a dedicated team and make a significant impact in the lives of survivors of intimate partner violence in underserved communities.
Responsibilities
- Supervising four staff attorneys and two paralegals and supporting other staff in handling immigration matters as needed.
- Working with social workers to provide interdisciplinary, comprehensive services to clients. The Director will provide task supervision to one social worker.
- Maintaining a limited caseload that includes advising and representing immigrants in cases filed with federal administrative bodies (USCIS, EOIR), family court, federal district, and appellate courts.
- Collaborating with LSNYC’s City-wide Director of Immigrant Justice and immigration advocates throughout LSNYC on litigation matters and strategy.
- Helping to manage the reports for grants and doing some limited writing for grant proposals.
- Representing MLS in community events and stakeholder meetings, and fostering grassroots and community partnerships.
- Collaborating with community-based organizations and working with government agencies as appropriate.
Requirements
- Admitted to New York State Bar
- Five years’ experience practicing immigration law
- 1-3 years of experience supervising others
- Experience representing clients before EOIR, including motions practice and merits hearings, and experience with BIA appeals
- Experience working with clients who have experienced trauma and other vulnerable populations (particularly domestic violence survivors, LGBTQ+ communities, and youth)
- Strong cultural or personal ties to the communities we serve
- A demonstrated passion for social justice and commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance racial equity
- Excellent organizational, analytical, writing, communication, and advocacy skills
- Ability to provide supportive and consistent supervision to attorneys, paralegals, interns, and provide task supervision to social workers
- Strong interpersonal skills, empathic leadership, and team-building skills
- Knowledge of vicarious trauma and experience cultivating a supportive environment to help mitigate the stressors of immigration defense
Preferred Experience and Qualifications
- Experience with federal court litigation, including habeas corpus petitions, strongly preferred
- Admission to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern and/or Eastern District of New York (SDNY/EDNY)
- Experience leading or working as part of an interdisciplinary team, and demonstrated commitment to holistic, trauma-informed advocacy
- Experience working on humanitarian applications with LGBTQ and young clients.
- Expertise on immigration consequences for criminal convictions, public benefits, and other civil matters
- Fluency in a language spoken by communities we serve is strongly preferred
- Ability to connect with teammates while working remotely, both to build connections and to give greater flexibility in a hybrid work environment
How to Apply
Interested individuals should submit a resume, cover letter, and two writing samples via the Greenhouse portal.
Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls please.