Attorney, Integrated Domestic Violence Team- Queens Office

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) seeks anAttorney for the Integrated DomesticViolence Team (IDV) in our Queens office.

BDS is a public defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. For nearly 30 years, BDS has worked, in and out of court, to protect and uphold the rights of individuals and to change laws and systems that perpetuate injustice and inequality. Our legal expertise work with clients is focused on the intersections of these legal systems that disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities living in poverty.

BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse, complex, and multi-faceted legal needs. In addition to a zealous legal defense, our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services, including for housing, public benefits, education, and employment. BDS staff work collaboratively and across disciplines to deliver high-quality legal services that serve the people we represent, their families and communities.

Located within BDS’ Integrated Defense Practice, attorneys on the IDV Team-Queens represent clients in Queen’s IDV Court part, where issues involving both criminal law and family law are heard before a single Supreme Court Justice.In this hybrid legal forum, attorneys must be fully versed in criminal law and criminal defense practice, as well as in those issues of family offenses, custody and visitation that would normally be heard in Family Court.

Under the general supervision of a Supervising Attorney, the attorney will work alongside social workers and paralegals to provide legal advocacy and representation to clients in IDV Court and will also represent clients in visitation and custody proceedings in Family Court that are related to their open criminal matters.

Responsibilities

• Represent clientsin the IDV Part in both criminal and family court matters (mostly custody and visitation or family offense proceedings) including preparing and litigating all hearings and trials
• Represent clientsin custody and visitation or family offenseproceedings in Family Court including preparing and litigating all hearings and trials.
• Write motions, memoranda of law and written closing arguments.
• Review discovery in criminal cases including police reports and bodycam footage, and write challenges to discovery compliance.
• Work closelywith social workersand out-of-court advocatesto provide servicesto the client based on their needs and goals and to help keep the client’s family together or to reunify.
• Provide adviceto clients of the criminaldefense practice who are seekingto file custodyor
• visitation petitions in family court.
• Utilize BDS resources, such as housing,immigration, and education attorneys to assistclients.
• Work in a team of attorneysand social workerswith dual expertisein family and criminal court and participate in workshops with the goal of growing the team’s cross-practice expertise.
• Engage in trainings and seminars on domestic violence,criminal and childwelfare law and their intersections with custody and visitation matters.
• Maintain case files, notes, and court appearance data in our case management and document management systems.
• Other dutiesas assigned.

Qualifications

• Admission to the New York State bar or eligible to become admitted.
• At leastone year of trial courtlitigation experience representing clients in court in either criminal or family matters.
• Creative and innovative strategist with a demonstrated interest in cross-practice issues.
• Motivated to represent clientsfacing a wide range of cases and obstacles.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with an ability to work independently and in a team setting.
• Efficient, organizedwork style and an abilityto prioritize quicklyand confidently and manage multiple deadlines and emergencies.

Position Information 

This is an exempt, salaried position in the collective bargaining unit. The normal schedule is Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. The position is based at BDS’s offices, and the courts located in Kew Gardens.

BDS determines salary on a pay scale based on education and experience. For this position there is a base salary range of approximately $90,000-$126,000 depending on the applicant’s education and experience. BDS offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance and a 403(b) retirement plan. In order to support work/life balance and family-friendly policies, BDS has generous vacation, sick, holiday, family, and medical leave policies.

Application Instructions 

Visit our Career Center to submit a cover letter and resume on our online application portal. Please submit your application by October 1, 2025.

Brooklyn Defender Services is a proud equal opportunity employer

committed to celebrating diversity and maintaining an equitable and inclusive

work environment. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities,

expressions, orientations, disabilities, and experiences to apply. If you

require an accommodation due to a disability or another reason, please contact

the Managing Director, H.R, Christina Wallace, at cwallace @b ds.org.