Overview
About NYLAG:
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. During COVID-19, most of our services are virtual to keep our community safe. NYLAG’s staff of 300 impacted the lives of nearly 90,000 people last year.
Mission:
New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) uses the power of the law to help New Yorkers experiencing poverty or in crisis combat economic, racial, and social injustice. We address emerging and urgent needs with comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving clients, whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality.
Values that guide us
- We reduce the effects of poverty by providing high quality, effective civil legal services.
- We strive to serve individuals and communities through a race equity lens to counteract systemic racism.
- We work to create a welcoming and inclusive work environment that reflects the communities we serve.
- We achieve systemic change through class actions, impact litigation and by advocating for just laws and policies.
- We partner with our clients to help them transform their lives and strengthen their communities.
- We address our clients’ multiple legal needs by collaborating across our practice areas.
- We are at the forefront of identifying and understanding New Yorkers’ most pressing legal needs, rapidly adapting to meet these needs with innovative programs and partnerships.
- We assess need broadly, recognizing that need is not a function of income alone.
- We collaborate with community organizations and engage pro bono attorneys and volunteers to serve a greater number of people with unmet civil legal needs.
- We teach and train the next generation of legal service professionals.
Job description
The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) seeks a highly motivated Dari-speaking Staff Attorney for a full or part-time position. The job requires substantive knowledge and experience working with Afghan immigrants for Special Immigrant Visa, Temporary Protected Status, family-based petitions, and asylum. Admission to the New York Bar and experience with refugees and families is preferred. Candidates will have a proactive ability to solve problems under time pressure, a strong commitment to clients, and a background in trauma-informed advocacy.
The Staff Attorney will work within the Immigrant Protection Unit at NYLAG under the supervision of an attorney focused on the representation of recently arrived Afghan individuals and family units seeking protection in the U.S.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Supervisor’s responsibilities will include:
- Represent non-detained Afghan evacuees with affirmative applications for immigration status with USCIS.
- Conduct legal screenings mostly for Afghan individuals and families.
- Represent Afghan individuals and family units with affirmative applications for immigration status, including Special Immigrant Visas, Temporary Protected Status, asylum, withholding of removal, and relief pursuant to the Convention Against Torture.
- Prepare and file forms, affidavits, other supporting documents, motions, and legal memoranda for submission to USCIS and the Immigration Court.
- Act as a liaison to partner organizations and other external stakeholders
- Prepare and file appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals, Administrative Appeals Office, and other appellate bodies as needed.
- Track client cases, progress of applications, and follow up for funding purposes.
- Assist Supervising Attorney in collaborating with community organizations, partners, and funders.
Qualifications
- Juris Doctorate from an accredited school.
- Admission to the New York State bar.
- Fluency in Dari or Farsi is required; fluency in Pashto, Tajek, or other Afghan language is preferred.
- Minimum 1 year of experience working with Afghans is required.
- Substantive experience in working with USCIS and Immigration Court is preferred
- Excellent writing, speaking and organizational skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively with clients, community organizations, attorneys, judiciary and the public.
- Ability to work in a collaborative setting with other professionals.
- Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights, criminal justice, and/or social justice issues.
- Experience working with survivors of trauma and immigration law.
- Ability to work independently and under pressure while managing multiple competing deadlines.
- Ability to make creative arguments for complicated cases and cases that do not have a clear path to relief.
- Ability to set expectations for clients who are not eligible for any relief while nonetheless providing competent representation before the Immigration Court.
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Employment type:
☒ Full-time
☐ Part-time
☐ Temporary
Professional Level:
☐ Entry Level
☒ Professional
☐ Managerial
Salary Range: NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary for this position is $71,576.
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.