Civil Action Practice Staff Attorney

The Bronx Defenders (BxD) – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks a passionate advocate with a commitment to social justice to fill a staff attorney position in the Civil Action Practice.

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, run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders throughout the country on how to move to a holistic model of representation.

Civil Action Practice

The Civil Action Practice (CAP) provides comprehensive legal services to the people we represent by fully integrating civil representation with our criminal, immigration, and family defense practices. Our goal is to minimize the severe and often unforeseen fallout from legal system involvement and facilitate the seamless reintegration of the people we represent into their communities.

Our Civil Action Practice attorneys and legal advocates represent people in every forum in New York City – administrative, state, and federal – to address these problems, and provide comprehensive representation to assist people in overcoming civil legal barriers to housing, eviction, employment, and public benefits, as well as addressing instances of police misconduct, criminal record errors, and civil forfeiture.

Responsibilities

The Civil Action Practice seeks a staff attorney to provide comprehensive advocacy and representation to help the people we represent resolve a broad range of civil legal problems. Responsibilities are listed below.

• Engage in client intake, counseling, research, writing, oral advocacy and negotiations as a part of legal representation
• Zealously advocate for clients navigating proceedings related to barriers to obtaining housing, eviction from housing, loss of employment licenses, correcting criminal record errors, loss of public and disability benefits, forfeiture of property and government misconduct
• Provide comprehensive, team-based representation collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of attorneys and advocates to assess and address the needs and legal goals of the people we represent
• Effectively litigate, confidently negotiate and skillfully advocate in administrative judicial proceedings and trial with a particular concentration in housing, employment, public benefits and forfeiture proceedings
• Participate in internal working groups to develop best practices across referral relationships
• Facilitate community trainings and public education on civil legal issues
• Participate in trainings within the office as well as, on occasion, external community events, conferences and webinars in which BXD is participating or presenting
• Maintain case files and data in BxD’s case management system

Qualifications

To be eligible, applicants must have:

• Juris Doctor
• License to practice in New York or eligibility for admission to the New York State Bar Pro Hac Vice

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Commitment to social justice, racial justice, and housing justice issues
• Experience working in and with racially and socioeconomically marginalized communities
• Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of the people we represent
• Ability to work well independently and collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people from various backgrounds, identities and experiences
• Strong oral and written advocacy skills
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources in cases
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality around sensitive issues
• Commitment to raising one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level
• Spanish fluency is preferred but not required

This is an in-person position with opportunity for remote work when the staff member does not have to be in the office, courthouse or other venues.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys. This position is within the bargaining unit.

This position is exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to overtime, whereas exempt employees are not.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 0-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $81,072- $111,240. 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. More specific information about salary and benefits will be provided when and if an offer is extended.