Description

The position is based at the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County located in Hempstead, New York. The immigration attorney will work primarily in Suffolk County, as part of the Long Island Immigration Regional Center, and will also assist in criminal immigration matters in Nassau County. The goal of the Regional Center is to assist criminal and family law attorneys in providing effective representation of non-citizen clients charged with crimes or Family Court related matters affecting an individual’s immigration status. As part of the Regional Center team, the attorney will: provide expert immigration consults to attorneys assigned to Suffolk County 18-B attorneys and their clients with respect to the immigration consequences of dispositions in criminal and Family Court; train attorneys on a wide range of immigration issues; facilitate referrals to appropriate immigration legal service providers when necessary; and complete annual grant reporting. The position is funded by a New York State three-year grant, with the possibility of renewals.

Responsibilities:
§ Develop and implement immigration intake protocol and best practices for criminal and family law attorneys to integrate into their practices;
§ Provide expert consults to attorneys and clients on the immigration consequences of criminal and family court dispositions;
§ Provide regular continuing legal education trainings on criminal–immigration and family-immigration topics;
§ Monitor immigration legal developments and create advisories, best practices and other legal resources for attorneys;
§ Develop and implement an outreach strategy to engage attorneys in utilizing immigration training, resources, and expertise;
§ Identify possible avenues of immigration relief for clients and collaborate with immigration service providers on referrals;
§ Engage in community education and advocacy around criminal-immigration and family-immigration issues.

Requirements

Qualifications:
§ JD degree and bar admission in good standing in New York
§ Relevant experience in immigration and/or criminal law, preferably including advising criminal defenders about immigration consequences of pleas and removal defense for immigrants with criminal convictions
§ Experience in family law is also preferred
§ Commitment to immigrant rights and social justice issues
§ Exceptional organizational and communication skills
§ Ability to work independently and balance numerous requests for assistance
§ Strong command of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and other standard productivity software
§ Frequent travel between counties will be required so applicant must have access to a car

Fluency in Spanish preferred but not required

To apply: Please submit cover letter, resume, law school transcript, a writing sample and at least three references to SuffolkLIRIAC@nclas.org and to N. Scott Banks, Attorney in Chief, at nsbanks@nclas.org, with “Immigration Regional Center Applicant” in the subject line.

Salary: $91,000 - $110,000 based on experience