Senior Staff Attorney (NYC) - Safe Passage Project

About Safe Passage Project 

Safe Passage Project provides free lawyers to young refugees and immigrants who are being deported. The New York Immigration Court has more than 15,000 cases involving unaccompanied minors on its docket, many of whom are fleeing trauma such as gang violence and recruitment, abuse, and sexual assault. 

Immigrant children are not afforded free legal representation by the government, regardless of their age. As a result, more than half of immigrant children must go through immigration proceedings without the aid of a lawyer. Without a lawyer, more than 80% of children are issued deportation orders, returning to the danger from which they fled. This is where Safe Passage Project steps in, providing free legal assistance to these refugees and immigrant children in New York City and Long Island.

About the Role

The Senior Immigration Attorney will be joining a group of exceptional public interest attorneys to directly impact the lives of immigrant children looking for safety and security. The Senior Immigration Attorney will mentor pro bono attorneys in providing legal representation in immigration and other related  proceedings, including cases involving asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and other forms of immigration relief. This position will be primarily based in New York City with less than a quarter of the caseload based on Long Island.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supervise and mentor pro bono attorneys with Safe Passage Project;
• Represent immigrant clients in similar proceedings;
• Collaborate with Senior Staff in the analysis and creation of legal strategies;
• Contribute to the creation of policies and strategies for Safe Passage Project;
• Supervise and provide detailed reporting statistics on each case mentored and
  represented directly; 
• Prepare trainings and materials to present at Safe Passage Project trainings.

Qualifications: The strongest candidates for this position will have most, though likely not all, of the following qualifications and characteristics:

• J.D. degree and admission to New York State Bar (required); 
• Four (4) or more years of  family law or immigration law experience;
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment; 
• Excellent written, analytical, oral, organizational, and time management skills; 
• Spanish language skills (preferred);
• Experience working with diverse communities and/or with young people; and
• A commitment to the work of Safe Passage Project and readiness to grow and learn with the Safe Passage Project team.

Compensation and Benefits

Safe Passage Project offers a competitive salary in the range of $90,512 - $103,759 annually and offers the following benefits:

• A hybrid work environment, staff currently work from our office 1 day a week. 
• Open Paid Time Off
• Medical plans (which includes a 100% premium coverage medical plan), 
• Dental plans, Vision plans, and telehealth services.
• Pet Health Insurance
• Employer-sponsored retirement savings plan, we provide 6% employer matching of your 401(k) contributions
• 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave along with Unpaid Leave of Absence
• Short-term disability (STD) & Long-term disability (LTD) Coverage
• Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and Health savings accounts (HSA)
• Commuter benefits (Transit & Parking)
• Yearly Professional Development Stipend
• Voluntary Life Insurance plans
• Time off from December 24th to January 1st
• Home Office Stipend
• Paid Holidays
• Flexible work schedule
• Access to free CLEs or CEs through PLI

The team works on a beautiful campus at a terrific office location in Tribeca and in our Long Island office in Farmingdale, NY. Safe Passage Project is proud to have a top-down, bottom-up commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

How to Apply 

Please complete the questionnaire and submit a resume outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.

Safe Passage Project is an equal opportunity employer. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information on Safe Passage Project, please visit www.safepassageproject.org.