Supervising Attorney, Family Defense Practice, Requisition: 2024-1203

NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE OF HARLEM

Supervising Attorney, Family Defense Practice

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 and the Bronx who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. NDS clients are represented by multidisciplinary teams including attorneys, advocates, team administrators and social workers. NDS is seeking candidates to staff a total of 5 Supervising Attorneys roles in our Family Defense Practice in Manhattan and the Bronx.

OVERVIEW:

The Family Defense Practice at NDS represents parents in family policing cases (sometimes called “child welfare” cases) filed by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) as well as related family court cases, including custody, visitation and termination of parental rights proceedings. Through our holistic approach to representation, the Family Defense Practice provides parents with the help they need—both inside and outside of court—to keep their families safe and stable. Parents are represented not only by a high-quality attorney, but also social workers, team administrators, and parent advocates. NDS is committed to advancing due process rights for parents by fighting unwarranted state intervention in their lives and advocating for related systemic change. The Supervising Attorney will manage a team which represents parents in family policing and related family court cases.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Embrace NDS’ philosophy of client-centered, community-based, holistic representation and commitment to excellence

• Take primary responsibility for providing supervision, guidance, and support to a team of attorneys representing clients in Article 10 and related cases in Family Court

• Train and supervise staff, including staff attorneys, social workers, investigators and team administrators

• Provide representation to a limited number of clients with energy, enthusiasm and a commitment to trauma-informed, anti-racist, intersectional, non-judgmental, and truly holistic advocacy throughout the case

• Travel regularly to satellite offices and Family Court in the South Bronx or Lower Manhattan, and to the Central Office in Harlem

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must possess at least three years of experience as an attorney, preferably as a family defense attorney

• Demonstrated commitment to parents’ rights, indigent defense, social justice issues and/or the Harlem or Bronx communities

• Must be very flexible and possess a high level of organizational and administrative skills in order to handle a caseload while supervising others

• Must possess excellent and effective written and oral communication skills

• Must be able to work cooperatively with attorneys and other NDS advocates, and problem-solve independently

• Lived experience with the Family Policing System and other systems impacting NDS’s clients strongly preferred

• Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred.

COMPENSATION:

Compensation is commensurate with experience and is in adherence to the NDS compensation scale. For this position, the salary range for attorneys with 3-10 years of directly relevant experience is $99,304.16 - $122,003.42. 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, resume, and writing sample, preferably in one PDF document, through the NDS career portal, www.neighborhooddefender.org/jobs/list.

Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Interviews are held on a rolling basis, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.  For more information about NDS, please visit our website at www.NeighborhoodDefender.org.

“INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE A COVER LETTER WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.”

“INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE A COVER LETTER WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.”

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.

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.

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.