Immigration Federal Litigation Supervisor

The Bronx Defenders (BxD) – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks a passionate immigration attorney with a commitment to social justice to fill a position as Federal Litigation Supervisor.

Founded in 1997, The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that has developed a nationally recognized model of representation called holistic defense, which provides people with teams of lawyers, social workers, and advocates to defend them zealously in court as well as to address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement.

Since opening our doors, we have grown into an organization of more than 400 staff members defending nearly 20,000 New Yorkers each year in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings who face incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation, among other devastating consequences.

Today we are reimagining the role of public defense even further, using community organizing and engagement, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation to partner with the communities we represent to bring about long-lasting systemic change.

We also share our model and lessons learned with current and future public defenders. We run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders from one end of the country to the next on how to move to a holistic model of representation.

Responsibilities

The Immigration Federal Litigation Supervisor will report to the Immigration Practice Legal Director and support federal litigation across the Immigration Practice. The Federal Litigation Supervisor will supervise the federal habeas practice and other district court litigation, as well as petitions for review before Circuit Courts. The Federal Litigation Supervisor will hold the following responsibilities:

Direct Client Representation

• Represent a reduced number of detained and non-detained clients in federal court (petitions for review, habeas, and other federal litigation) and, when necessary, before the immigration agencies
• Establish a docket of novel and complex immigration litigation
• Develop in-house expertise in emerging federal court strategies

Practice Supervision

• Supervise a team of federal litigators (Legal Counsels) and Staff Attorneys in matters before federal courts, including habeas petitions and petitions for review
• Train and mentor immigration attorneys across the practice to gain experience and competency in federal litigation
• Support our pro bono partnerships by training and mentoring pro bono volunteers engaged in federal litigation
• Working with the Immigration Training Director and Legal Director, develop and deliver trainings for internal and external audiences on all immigration topics, with a focus on federal practice
• Represent BxD in external coalitions and collaborative spaces with other organizations working on related litigation issues
• Other supervisory duties, including back-up supervision coverage, as needed and assigned

Legal Department

• With Immigration Legal Department members, monitor and assess cases in the pipeline for potential habeas petitions or petitions for review at the circuit level
• Working with Immigration Legal Director prepare practice advisories and provide updates regarding federal litigation (e.g., lawsuits, class actions, habeas) and the effects on our practice
• Collaborate with BxD’s Impact Litigation Practice to identify systemic issues appropriate for strategic litigation
• Together with the Immigration Legal Director, coordinate and manage amicus submissions, where appropriate, including drafting and editing briefs, and coordinate strategy for involvement in other amicus efforts

Qualifications

To be eligible, applicants must have:

• Juris Doctorate degree
• A minimum of six years practicing law as an immigration attorney or litigator on immigration-related issues, with at least three years of experience in federal litigation
• Experience writing and arguing federal habeas petitions and petitions for review; experience supervising or mentoring others in filing such petitions is a plus, but is not required

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Experience working in and with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high stakes environment
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings
• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly
• Ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters
• Supervisory and mentoring skills as demonstrated via success developing and mentoring supervisees, providing constructive feedback, and effectively balancing needs of supervisees against your own caseload

This is a hybrid position that will require substantial in-person work and contact with staff and community members.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 6-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $117,838-$132,077.

Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; and a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is not within the bargaining unit.

This position is exempt. By law, non-exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.

Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; and a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy.