SUPERVISING ATTORNEY
THE BRONX DEFENDERS, CIVIL ACTION PRACTICE
The Bronx Defenders – an innovative, progressive, holistic defense office in the South Bronx – seeks an energetic Supervising Attorney with a commitment to social justice to fill an immediate opening in its Civil Action Practice.
The Bronx Defenders is a multi-service holistic defense organization dedicated to addressing the underlying causes and resulting consequences of involvement with the criminal and family justice systems. The Bronx Defenders’ collaborative approach brings together interdisciplinary work groups combining criminal defense and civil lawyers, social workers, investigators, and family court advocates to address not just the immediate criminal or family court case, but also the host of issues that drive individuals into the system and the consequences arising our of entering these systems. The Bronx Defenders has gained a national and international reputation for advancing this Holistic Defense model. To learn more, please visit our website at www.bronxdefenders.org.
Our Civil Action Practice provides comprehensive legal services to our clients and their families by fully integrating civil representation with our criminal and family defense practices. Our goal is to minimize the severe and often unforeseen fallout from criminal and family proceedings and facilitate the reentry of our clients into the community. Our current Civil Action Practice attorneys and legal advocates represent clients in every venue in New York City – administrative, state, and federal – to address these problems. They provide comprehensive advocacy to help our clients resolve civil legal problems such as barriers to housing, eviction, employment, public benefits, police misconduct, criminal record errors, and disability.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Civil Action Practice seeks a supervising attorney to work closely with the Director to supervise, support and mentor the general civil staff attorneys and legal advocates and provide comprehensive civil legal services to clients. The Supervising Attorney will be responsible for implementing Practice priorities, assigning work, and supervising, supporting, and assessing staff to assure quality legal representation. The Supervising Attorney will be expected to carry an individual caseload proportionate with his or her supervisory responsibilities. The supervising Attorney will provide comprehensive advocacy and representation to help our clients resolve a broad range of civil legal problems such as barriers to housing, eviction, employment, public benefits, forfeiture, police misconduct, criminal record errors, and disability. She or He will represent clients in a range of activities, including negotiations, administrative and judicial proceedings, trials and appeals. The Supervising Attorney also will work with the Director to develop and implement trainings and public education.
QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants should be admitted to practice in New York with at least 4 years of litigation experience in housing and public benefits law. Applicants should have demonstrated experience supervising attorneys, advocates or interns, with experience leading and inspiring diverse teams or workgroups as preferred. Applicants must be creative, flexible, independent, and highly motivated leaders. Excellent organizational skills, writing ability, and communication skills are essential. Ability to speak Spanish is highly desirable, but not required. Applicants should have a demonstrated commitment to public interest law and to our client base.
Salary commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits.
To apply, submit a resume and cover letter electronically via email to jobs@bronxdefenders.org by December 16, 2015
The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer: People of color; women; people with disabilities; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people; and people with personal experience with the criminal justice system are welcome and encouraged to apply.