Civil Practice Law Graduate, Immigration Law Unit – Fall 2026

MAJOR PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice has 3 Law Graduate positions available in the detained removal defense practice within the Immigration Law Unit (ILU) for Fall 2026.

As part of an initiative called the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), ILU represents detained clients in removal and bond proceedings before the Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and in federal district and circuit courts, in addition to related proceedings before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) and, when appropriate, in Family Court proceedings. NYIFUP is the nation’s first universal representation program for immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is a collaboration between Legal Aid, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Bronx Defenders. ILU also represents NYIFUP clients who are released from custody and continue to meet income eligibility requirements.

Candidates must have a deep commitment to public interest and immigration law.

The deadline to apply is March 31, 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Offers will also be extended on a rolling basis. Interviews will be scheduled throughout the winter/spring, and if you are selected for an interview, you will receive an email notification during this season.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Represent detained noncitizens in removal proceedings in immigration courts, before the Board of Immigration Appeals, federal district and circuit courts, and in Family Court proceedings and USCIS
• Represent non-detained clients released on bond
• Provide individualized consultations to detained non-citizens at detention centers in New York, New Jersey, and other locations as necessary. Travel may be required in the early morning, evenings, and weekends
• Some weekend and night work may be necessary
• Work with pro bono counsel on assigned pro bono cases
• Work collaboratively with other organizations and partners
• Represent and promote the work of the office, the Civil Practice, and The Legal Aid Society in the community
• Maintain, organize, and update case files and case management database (LawManager)
• Maintain a full caseload of clients
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Current 3L students who will graduate or did graduate in Spring 2026 and will sit for the New York Bar Exam before August 2026
  • While bar membership in any state within the United States is sufficient for federal immigration legal work, New York bar membership is preferred
• Those participating in post-graduate Fellowships or Clerkships who took the first available bar exam are eligible to apply
• Winter 2025 graduates sitting for the first available New York Bar Exam or its equivalent are also eligible
• Demonstrated commitment to serving historically excluded communities and identifying how race, gender, class and intersectionality impact client outcomes
• Relevant clinical program, internship, or work experience preferred
• Excellent written, analytical, organizational, and oral advocacy skills are required
• Applicants must be creative, flexible, and highly motivated
• Applicants must have the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively and manage a high volume of cases

Preferred qualifications:

• Proficiency in language(s) other than English is preferred

You are only eligible for employment if you take the first Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) immediately after graduation and pass either that exam or the one immediately following. You must also take and pass the New York Law Exam (NYLE) and the Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), if you have not already done so. We request and strongly encourage you to sit for the first NYLE immediately after graduation, as this will expedite your admission to practice law in New York State. That said, you are permitted to take the NYLE up to one year before or at any time after sitting for the UBE, subject to the application filing deadline in Section 520.12(d) of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law, which requires an applicant for admission to practice law in New York State to file a complete application within three years from the date when the applicant sits for the second day of the UBE.

EXAM POLICY: The Legal Aid Society is committed to creating a supportive environment. If a Law Graduate does not pass either exam, they will be afforded an opportunity to retake the next available exam.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $84,000 - $152,500

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Writing Sample
• Transcript

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email TalentAcquisition@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.