Supervising Attorney

Organization Overview

UnLocal is a NYC-based nonprofit providing immigration legal services and community education. UnLocal is part of the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative (RRLC) — a statewide partnership with Make the Road NY and New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) that serves people detained or at imminent risk of detention in urgent postures, including those with final orders of removal.

Position Summary

The Supervising Attorney will lead UnLocal’s contributions to the RRLC. This includes managing UnLocal’s RRLC staff, shaping legal strategies, representing clients, collaborating with our partners, and ensuring RRLC deliverables to city and state funders are met. The ideal candidate brings immigration litigation experience, leadership skills, and a deep commitment to immigrant justice. This is a full-time exempt position that reports directly to the Legal Director.

Core Responsibilities

Legal Strategy & Representation

• Lead UnLocal’s RRLC legal practice.
• Represent clients in complex immigration and federal court matters (e.g., motions to reopen, BIA appeals, habeas petitions, and stays).
• Guide case triage and intake prioritization using RRLC Airtable and intake trends.
• Develop and oversee pro se support strategies, including motion clinics and community legal education.

RRLC Coordination

• Serve as UnLocal’s lead within RRLC — coordinating on case trends, strategic goals, and referral management with RRLC partners.
• Liaise with city, state, and community stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration and advocacy.
• Draft and review advocacy materials in coordination with RRLC partners.

Supervision & Team Leadership

• Supervise a team of up to 4 FTE.
• Provide legal mentorship, conduct case reviews, and host internal legal trainings.
• Provide technical assistance across legal teams on issues of RRLC expertise.

Reporting & Compliance

• Lead program data tracking, oversee preparation of grant reports, and ensure compliance with ethical and funding standards.
• Participate in monthly RRLC leadership meetings.

Qualifications

• JD and NY State Bar admission.
• Admission to Southern District of New York and Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
• 5+ years of experience in immigration law, including removal defense.
• Strong knowledge of ICE enforcement systems.
• Excellent written, oral, and organizational skills.
• Commitment to UnLocal’s values of equity, justice, and community-centered legal practice.

Preferred, but not required, Qualifications:

• Spanish or other language proficiency strongly preferred.
• Supervisory experience with attorneys and legal staff is preferred, but not required. UnLocal is willing to invest in coaching for a new supervisor who shows potential.
• Experience with anti-detention and/or post-order defense work.
• Knowledge of federal litigation processes and experience handling cases in federal courts, particularly in immigration law contexts.
• Familiarity with pro se legal representation and resources, enhancing support for clients navigating their own legal processes.
• Experience in community education and outreach, particularly in immigrant communities, to promote understanding of legal rights and resources.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $95,000–$115,000
• Health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employer-covered)
• PTO: 40 days + winter break closure
• 401(k), commuter and wellness benefits, professional development stipend
• Sabbatical eligibility after 3 years
• Flexible Fridays to promote work-life balance

To Apply:

If you are passionate about making a difference and possess the required skills, please submit your resume and cover letter to Adrian Espana at Adrian@unlocal.org. We look forward to welcoming a dedicated Supervising Attorney to add to our team.

This position primarily involves sedentary work, including extended periods of sitting, use of a computer, and communication via phone and video conferencing. Travel will be required for funder outreach or partner meetings. Position frequently moves items of up to 10 pounds across the office or into off-site locations. Occasional weekend availability is required. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, UnLocal, Inc. 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

UnLocal, Inc. 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.