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 the Policy Director of our Family Defense Practice.
The Bronx Defenders (BxD) 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 levels. 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 primarily litigate abuse and neglect cases, but occasionally appear in concurrent matters including custody, visitation, and termination of parental rights.
Responsibilities
The FDP Policy Director will report to the Chief Policy Counsel and will be part of the Policy Practice’s leadership team. The Policy Director will supervise the policy work of the Policy Counsels and Advocates in FDP and coordinate closely with the FDP Managing Director, FDP leadership, and staff to develop and execute the practice’s policy agenda; amplify our clients’ voices in policy discourse; and provide advice and expertise to coalition partners, stakeholders, and policymakers. The Policy Director will also serve as the principal advisor to the Family Defense Practice on policy questions. As part of the Policy Practice’s leadership team, the Policy Director will help formulate and execute BxD’s holistic policy agenda, foster cross-practice collaboration, and build internal capacity for policy change campaigns. The Policy Director’s regular duties do not formally include representing a caseload of clients, but the Policy Director may, in consultation with the Chief Policy Counsel and the Managing Director of FDP, choose to continue to represent a small number of clients.
Supervision
- Be primarysupervisor of the policy counsels/advocates and other policy staff within the Family Defense Practice
- Meet with the policy counsels and advocates on a regularbasis to identifytheir policy work objectives and provide support and feedback
- Review and provide substantive feedback on written and oral advocacy work
- Complete annual employee evaluations
- Regularly evaluate and adjust workflow of staff members as necessary to ensure equitable and sustainable distribution of work
- Provide equitable, culturally conscious supervision and support of marginalized supervisees in navigating experiences of oppression in their work
- Plan and implement training to address ongoing professional development needs of FDP policy team
- Contribute to CDP policy training
Advising the Family Defense Practice
- Develop and maintain expertise in relevant policy areas for FDP
- Collaborate with the Director of Data Science to analyze and synthesize BxD client and case data to inform our policy agenda
- Advise practice leadership on policy questions that arise within the practice
- Coordinate responses to family defense-related policy inquiries from external partners, system stakeholders, and the press
- Collaborate with the Chief Policy Counsel, other policy counsels/advocates/directors, and other Managing Directors to identify and address policy issues impacting the people we represent and the practice
Legislative and Policy Advocacy
- Advise policymakers on the impact of proposed legislative changes on the people we represent and act as a BxD lobbyist in advancing BxD’s policy agenda
- Manage the execution of legislative and policy strategy in FDP
- Assist in drafting legislation with elected officials and advocacy partners
- Lead preparation and delivery of testimony for various legislative hearings
- Manage and maintain relationships with key policymakers in the field
- Coordinate with Director of Organizing to develop community organizing and public education efforts in support of policy priorities
Collaboration with External Partners
- Represent BxD in city, state, and national reform coalitions
- Develop and evaluate policy positions in consultation with counterparts at other public defender offices, advocacy organizations, grassroots organizations, parent-led community coalitions and other stakeholders
- Amplify the experiences of the people we represent and our representation of them in coalition spaces and other fora
Communications
- Coordinate with Managing Director of Communications to develop communications strategies that advance practice policy goals and maintain relationships with current and former clients who want to lend their experiences to policy change efforts
- Amplify clients’ experiences to local and national media as well as to city, state, and federal policymakers
- Collaborate with the Chief Policy Counsel, policy counsels/advocates and Managing Directors to draft articles, letters, editorials, white papers, and reports for public circulation
Policy Practice Leadership
- Collaborate with the Chief Policy Counsel, Director of Organizing, and other policy directors to formulate and execute BxD’s holistic policy agenda
- Help to ensure BxD policy objectives are informed by grassroots movements led by parents in the family regulation system and aligned with BxD organizational goals and values
- Work with other practice Policy Directors to foster cross-practice collaboration
- Build internal policy capacity through participation in and leadership of BxD policy working groups
- Assist in planning and organization of cross-practice advocacy efforts, such as our Community Policy Summit, BxD Lobby Day, press conferences and rallies
- Assist the Chief Policy Counsel in fundraising and grant writing to help support and grow the work of the Policy Practice
Qualifications
To be eligible, candidates must have:
- Membership in good standing of the New York Bar
- At least 3 years of relevant advocacy experience at BxD or related experience
- Experience with data, policy analysis and reform efforts
Candidates must demonstrate:
- Commitment to holistic public defense, racial justice, and legal system reform with the goal of dismantling punitive carceral systems, including civil systems of injustice
- Passion for family defense and dedication to building a robust holistic legal practice to challenge laws, legal policies and practices that cause harm to parents
- 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 with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
- Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of the people we represent
- Effective research, writing and advocacy skills
- Supervisory and mentoring skills, including
- Interest in and commitment to developing and mentoring attorneys
- Ability to provide intentional and constructive feedback
- Flexibility in balancing needs of supervisees against their own caseload
- 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
- Experience supervising attorneys is desirable but not required
This position is an in-person position subject to BXD’s 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 $106,400- $131,240. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; 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 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, non-exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not.