Description:
The ILU is seeking a Staff Attorney to work in its Federal Practice. The Staff Attorney will represent low-income clients before the U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeals to safeguard immigrants’ constitutional rights and ensure that immigration laws are accurately interpreted and fairly applied. The Staff Attorney’s essential duties will include, but not be limited to, preparing Petitions for Writs of Habeas Corpus in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and other federal district courts and preparing Petitions for Review of agency decisions before the Second and Third Circuit Courts, as well as participation in other affirmative litigation, depending on the needs of the Unit.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities
- Learning from clients about their needs and challenges within the immigration system and identifying federal court interventions that achieve the clients’ goals, including affirmative litigation approaches
- Prepare and argue Petitions for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and other federal district courts
- Prepare and argue Petitions for Review before the Second and Third Circuit Courts
- Collaborate with practitioners throughout the country to develop and participate in national litigation and law reform projects
- Coordinate Amicus Curiae briefs in support of the Immigration Law Unit’s litigation efforts
- Track case law developments in immigration law and policy in the federal courts and before the Board of Immigration Appeals
- Provide individualized consultation to staff attorneys
- Develop competence and capacity within the ILU to litigate immigration cases in federal courts
- Work with pro bono counsel on assigned pro bono cases and develop pro bono connections
- Develop pro se and pro bono lawyer resource materials and trainings on federal court issues
- Assist in organizing regular Second Circuit working group meetings with other providers and practitioners to discuss current issues pending before the Second Circuit
- Maintain, organize, and update case files and case management database (LawManager)
- Other duties as assigned
- Admission to New York State Bar. Must be eligible to immediately seek admission to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Admission to other federal district courts desirable.
- Minimum of one year of federal litigation or comparable litigation experience, preferably in immigration law
- Strong interest in, and understanding of, the intersection of criminal and immigration law
- Excellent research, writing, analytical, organizational and communication skills
- Interest in developing new approaches to representing clients facing removal and willingness to rapidly respond to client needs through litigation
- Ability to work with pro bono lawyers
- The candidate must be able to work independently as well as collaboratively with staff attorneys and manage a complex caseload
- Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required