Staff Attorney, Civil Defense Practice - Collateral Consequences Team

Overview

The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (NDS) is a community-based, client-centered, holistic public defense office located in Harlem, providing the highest quality representation in criminal, civil, immigration and family courts to residents of Northern Manhattan who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. NDS seeks to hire an attorney to join the Collateral Consequences Team within the Civil Defense Practice. The Collateral Consequences Team plays an integral role in NDS’s fulfillment of its holistic mission by working to address the array of civil consequences triggered by contact with the criminal legal and child welfare systems. The Staff Attorney will work as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide services in eviction prevention, employment matters, asset forfeiture proceedings, public benefits hearings, and civil rights claims in order to prevent and mitigate collateral consequences and provide essentials of life stability for clients, their family members, and the residents of Northern Manhattan.

Responsibilities

• Provide excellent, client-centered representation in an array of collateral civil consequences proceedings, with an emphasis on arrest-based housing loss and exclusion, criminal records-based employment barriers, property forfeiture, government misconduct and reentry, as well as housing and benefits loss resulting from entanglement in the child welfare system;
• Be primarily responsible, with supervisory support, for all aspects of litigation including identifying and preserving claims and defenses, motions practice, discovery, oral argument, settlement negotiations, trials, and appeals;
• Work across practices and disciplines to mitigate the collateral consequences of contact with the criminal legal and child welfare systems through fielding internal referrals and providing advice, plea consultations, brief services, and full representation where appropriate;
• Collaborate with social workers, advocates, and other attorneys to secure optimal outcomes on behalf of clients;
• Make regular appearances in courts and administrative forums across New York City;
• Staff institutional intake assignments on a rotating basis and provide legal advice to members of the community;
• Demonstrate energy, enthusiasm and ingenuity in working on challenging cases received through referral structures and/or assigned by supervisors;
• Represent NDS at coalition meetings and community-based initiated on issues related to collateral consequences on an as-needed basis.

Qualifications

• J.D. Degree and admission to practice law in New York State or eligible for admission, or a law student graduating in time to sit for the July 2026 bar exam;
• Experience providing civil legal services to low-income clients, with preference given to applicants who have at least one year of experience in legal services;
• A demonstrated commitment to social justice issues and experience working with individuals of diverse backgrounds;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to manage a diverse caseload;
• Must be able to travel throughout New York City to the various courts, administrative agencies and to client appointments;
• Must be able to work cooperatively with attorneys and other NDS advocates, and problem-solve independently;
• Fluency in Spanish is preferred.

START DATE

This position is for a start date between May 15, 2026, and September 15, 2026.

COMPENSATION

Compensation is commensurate with experience and is in adherence to the NDS compensation scale. For this position, the salary range for attorneys with 1-5 years of directly relevant experience is $84,347.74-$94,201.77. Full medical and dental benefits, as well as other benefits, are provided. The salary, benefits, and employment policies relevant to this position are governed by the CBA between NDS and the NDS Union, part of ALAA UAW 2325.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume in a single PDF through NDS’s website at neighborhooddefender.org/careers. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Due to the volume of applicants, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. For more information about NDS, please visit our website at neighborhood defender careers

Min - USD $84,347.74/Yr. Max - USD $94,201.77/Yr.

The Neighborhood Defender Service is committed to creating a diverse environment that reflects the community we serve. NDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. NDS encourages people with incarcerated loved ones, formerly incarcerated people, people of color, women, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people to apply. Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At NDS we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Full medical and dental benefits, as well as other benefits, are provided. The salary, benefits, and employment policies relevant to this position are governed by the CBA between NDS and the NDS Union, part of ALAA UAW 2325.

Fluency in Spanish is preferred.