Family Defense Practice Early Defense Supervising Attorney

Overview

The Bronx Defenders – an innovative, progressive, holistic defense office in the South Bronx – seeks an experienced Family Defense Attorney with a commitment to social justice to work as a Supervising Attorney in our Family Defense Practice Early Defense Team.

The Bronx Defenders is a public defender non-profit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the legal system, and, in doing so, is transforming the system itself. BxD seeks thoughtful, creative, individuals with a strong commitment to social justice to join our dynamic and diverse staff. Our staff of over 400 includes interdisciplinary teams made up of criminal, civil, immigration, and family defense attorneys, as well as social workers, benefits specialists, legal advocates, parent advocates, investigators, and team administrators, who collaborate to provide holistic advocacy to address the causes and consequences of legal system involvement. Through this integrated team-based structure, we have developed a groundbreaking, nationally-recognized model of representation called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for the people we defend.

Each year, we defend more than 20,000 low-income Bronx residents in criminal, civil, family, and immigration cases, and reach thousands more through our community intake, youth mentoring, and outreach programs. Through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community organizing, we push for systemic change at the local, state, and national level. We take what we learn from the people we represent and communities we work with and launch innovative initiatives designed to bring about real and lasting change.

Family Defense Practice

The Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Practice (FDP) provides legal representation and social work support to parents charged with child abuse and neglect who are at risk of losing custody of their children. Our Family Defense Practice is at the forefront of a movement to provide holistic representation to parents in the Bronx while creating long-term solutions for the reunification and stability of families. Family Defense Practice Attorneys mainly litigate abuse and neglect cases but occasionally appear in concurrent matters including custody, visitation, and termination of parental rights.

Early Defense Team Family Defense

The Bronx Defenders maintains a robust Legal Support Hotline that allows residents of the Bronx who need representation in family matters to receive immediate assistance. In the Early Defense Practice (EDP), our intake team assists community members who are being investigated by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), invited to a child safety conference, directed to take their children to the Child Advocacy Center (CAC), asked to report to Family Court, and who need representation at the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to have their ACS records sealed within the New York State Central Registry (SCR).

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice, the FDP Early Defense Supervising Attorney is responsible for representing community intake clients seeking assistance with family defense matters while also carrying a reduced caseload of regular family defense cases and training and supervising family defense attorneys on the Early Defense Team as they litigate administrative hearings at the State Central Registry (SCR) and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).

Direct Representation

• Zealously represent parents in child protective proceedings in Bronx Family Court and any concurrent matters including custody, visitation, and termination of parental rights cases
• Litigate legal matters in abuse and neglect proceedings in hearings and trials in family court – orally and in writing
• Effectively communicate and negotiate with judges, caseworkers, child attorneys, and representatives of the Administration for Children’s Services on behalf of parents
• Assist parents in accessing appropriate resources and services to restore full parental rights
• Collaborate with social workers and parent advocates in the Family Defense Practice, as well as attorneys and advocates in the criminal defense, civil action and immigration practice on enmeshed issues that arise in other venues
• Collaborate to provide coverage for cases to ensure that all client needs are met
• Maintain client case files and data in BxD’s case management system
• Provide mentorship to junior attorneys
• Supervise and train interns and externs
• Conduct internal trainings in conjunction with the FDP Training Department

Community Representation

• Provide legal expertise for the FDP Early Defense Team as they respond to calls and walk-ins by parents in need of assistance with ACS investigations
• Collaborate with the Early Defense Team to provide client-centered legal advice and representation to parents during family regulation system investigations
• Regularly review and manage all FDP EDP client cases and provide legal counsel where EDP advocacy is the primary support
• Equip Early Defense clients with the information necessary to make informed decisions during an ACS investigation
• Co-counsel cases for Early Defense clients
• Carry a reduced caseload of FDP clients, the majority of which will be from Early Defense
• Provide legal advice and representation to parents seeking assistance with State Central Registry (SCR) hearings to challenge their record with the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS)
• Conduct conflict checks on Early Defense matters
• Coordinate with Early Defense Team members on cross-practice issues such as referral protocols, directing hotline calls, and conflict checks
• Staff the Early Defense Hotline and direct messages and calls to appropriate advocates in anticipation of ACS conferences and court filings

Supervision

• Provide regular supervision for all members of the FDP EDP team, including attorneys and advocates, to conference cases, evaluate caseload and case management, and track client data
• Ensure that FDP EDP clients receive seamless access to representation to meet their legal needs should a family court case be filed
• Review internal referrals from the Criminal Defense Practice and assign them to attorneys on the Early Defense Team
• Coordinate case transfers, emergency coverage, and conflict resolution involving all FDP EDP team members
• Facilitate biweekly FDP EDP team meeting
• Evaluate supervisees’ referrals to ensure holistic, client-centered representation
• Observe supervisees’ SCR hearing advocacy and provide timely and constructive feedback
• Assist with and review litigation preparation
• Co-counsel and supervise litigation
• Staff a reduced number of intake shifts
• Model best practices with the court, people we defend, colleagues, and adversaries
• Monitor caseloads to ensure equitable distribution among supervisees
• Oversee PIKA use and data entry to ensure cases are kept up to date and accurate
• Approve time-off requests and timesheets
• Encourage and support the professional development of supervisees
• Provide equitable, culturally conscious supervision and support marginalized supervisees in navigating experiences of oppression in their work
• Equitably support supervisees in meeting the expectations of their job responsibilities and notify the Deputy Director when additional support is necessary
• Evaluate performance and provide constructive feedback to supervisees, aiding them in their professional development and growth in the role
• Participate in Family Defense Practice supervisor meetings
• Work with other supervising attorneys and the Managing Director to coordinate and assist with adequate supervision coverage of staff attorneys, including in-court supervision
• Staff a reduced number of intake shifts
• Supervise intake shifts
• Assist in the development of best practices, new trainings, projects and initiatives in the Family Defense Practice

Training and Development of FDP EDP Attorneys and Advocates

• Develop ongoing trainings and mentorship for attorneys, interns and advocates, providing ongoing feedback and evaluation, and ensuring effective collaboration between all members of the legal team
• Collaborate with the Training Directors in FDP and Social Work to implement cross-practice training relevant to FDP EDP’s scope of work for new staff attorneys, advocates and interns
• Assist with training new attorneys and advocates in identifying client needs and making appropriate early defense and community referrals
• Coordinate shadowing for new FDP EDP staff during their training period
• Ensure that new FDP EDP staff attend introductory interdisciplinary training
• Collaborate with the FDP Training Director(s) to plan and implement training to address the ongoing professional development needs of FDP EDP advocates
• Encourage FDP EDP staff to contribute to intern supervision and training
• Prepare and present internal and external training related to Early Defense representation, SCR hearings, and family regulation system investigations
• Train supervisees on litigating SCR hearings
• Participate on external and internal committees to advance the FDP EDP mission
• Ensure EDP and FDP practice supervisors meet regularly with early defense team social workers and advocates to review team referrals and assess collaboration
• Provide training and updates in monthly leadership meetings with supervisors, directors, and managers in the early defense, family defense and social work practices
• Participate in hiring as required

Technical Support: Data Tracking, Funding and Reporting

• Maintain accurate and current Early Defense cases in BxD Case Management System
• Track case data using hashtags and other designated systems to share with court and city stakeholders
• Assist the Managing Directors of the Family Defense Practice and Social Work with compiling data and drafting reports for funders regarding the efficacy of early defense and SCR representation
• Collaborate with the Development Team to produce quarterly reports to our City Counsel funders and apply for additional funding sources to further develop the practice

Acting as a Liaison in the Courthouse and Community

• Represent FDP EDP with the judiciary, Administration for Children’s Services, community-based providers, and other stakeholders in family court
• Educate courthouse staff about FDP EDP and its specific role in holistic defense
• Intervene to resolve conflicts when necessary and to advocate on behalf of clients and/or FDP EDP social workers and parent advocates
• Participate in committees and partnerships outside of the office to advance the early defense team’s mission
• Develop and sustain relationships with external partners to support the work of early defense

Qualifications

To be eligible, candidates must have:

• Minimum of 3 years of practice as an attorney representing parents charged of abuse and neglect
• Ability to practice in New York or ability to practice pro hac vice until they are admitted to the New York State Bar Association

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Understanding of how systemic oppression affects marginalized communities and their experience in the family regulation and criminal legal system
• Commitment to directly defending people ensnared in family, criminal, civil and immigration legal systems
• Commitment to holistic, client-centered representation
• Experience working in and with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
• Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of clients
• Effective research, writing and courtroom advocacy skills
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources in cases
• Supervisory and mentoring skills, including
• Interest in and commitment to developing and mentoring supervisees
• Ability to provide intentional and constructive feedback
• Flexibility in balancing needs of supervisees against their own caseload
• Ability to thoughtfully navigate conflict between supervisees and the people we represent, colleagues, adversaries, and court actors
• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles
• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters
• Commitment to raising one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level

The following are preferred but not required:

• Spanish fluency
• Supervisory experience
• Grant writing experience

This is an in-person position subject to BXD hybrid work policies

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 3-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $96,400-121,240 or $10,000 above the attorney scale. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; and a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy. More specific information about salary and benefits will be provided when and if an offer is extended.

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders’ staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 – Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is not within the bargaining unit.

This position is exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.