Associate Attorney - Immigration Practice
JOB HIGHLIGHTS: You will provide life-changing legal advocacy, supporting victims of gender-based violence on their path to survivorship. Through community outreach, you will strengthen the systemic response to domestic violence and human trafficking. You will work as part of a dynamic, diverse team of passionate advocates, committed to transforming the world.
MAIN AREAS OF FOCUS: Legal Services; Immigration Law Practice; Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Advocacy; Outreach and Community Engagement.
LOCATION: This opportunity is based in Westchester County, New York, in our Yonkers, NY office.
JOB SUMMARY: As the Associate Attorney – Immigration Practice, you will provide trauma-informed legal advice and counsel to non-citizen survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, helping them to understand and pursue available legal options. You will represent clients before the Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS), the New York Asylum Office, and the New York Immigration Court on affirmative and defensive applications. As part of MSP’s Center for Legal Services, you will participate in committees and working groups addressing the rights of immigrant survivors.
YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR…
- Providing direct representation to survivors in Immigration Law matters, including Violence Against Women Act Self Petitions, Battered Spouse Waivers, Adjustment of Status Applications, U visas, T visas, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Asylum, and Cancellation of Removal applications
- Engaging clients with safety planning and trauma-informed advocacy, including by connecting clients to MSP’s holistic range of supportive services
- Screening new clients for eligibility and providing immediate advice and counsel upon intake
- Overseeing grants management to ensure that goals, objectives, reporting requirements are met, including by gathering and analyzing service statistics and creating program activity reports
- Maintaining accurate records in client databases
- Attending and participating in department staff meetings, agency-wide committees, and ongoing training
- Performing other duties as assigned by supervisor
YOU MUST HAVE:
- Juris Doctor and admission to a state bar (New York preferred) and a minimum of 2 years of post-graduate experience in immigration law practice
- Commitment to serving the public interest with the highest standards of client-centered legal practice
- Strong public speaking and written communication skills. Bilingual in English and a 2nd language preferred
- Specialization in both substantive and/or regional immigration areas
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Strong project management and organization skills, including the ability to work independently, assess priorities, take initiative, handle multiple assignments, and meet deadlines
- Experience and enthusiasm for working well with diverse clients, communities, and colleagues, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL IF…
You are a passionate advocate. You take a client-centered approach to all aspects of your work, placing the needs of survivors at the forefront of all you do.
You adopt an anti-oppression lens to understand gender-based violence. You recognize that clients come to us while navigating different structural and social injustices that affect their experiences of survivorship. You also understand that this work requires an ongoing commitment to developing the language and tools we need to undo institutional oppression.
You are committed to providing trauma-informed client-centered service. You acknowledge that trauma looks different for every person and view each client as an autonomous individual with varied experiences and a complex spectrum of needs that you approach in multiple ways. You support clients’ decisions about their lives with empathy and without judgement.
You treat “safety-planning” as a verb. You are committed to maximizing our clients’ physical and emotional safety, through shelter, safety planning, and legal resources. You safeguard information entrusted to us by our clients and honor their decisions about what and when to share.
You are responsible and professional. You aspire to the highest standards of service, best professional practices, and ongoing education. You are accountable to doing what you say you are going to do. You act honorably and ethically at all times and put the client first, even when navigating challenging situations. You are not tied to one particular outcome and, recognizing that you might not be right all the time, you listen attentively and inquisitively.
TEAM OVERVIEW: MSP’s Center for Legal Services meets the urgent needs of clients and their families by providing legal advice and representation in the areas of family and immigration law in the context of our holistic range of supportive services.
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW: At MSP, we strongly believe that integrating a world-changing approach into all areas of our work is essential to ending domestic violence and human trafficking. Our dynamic and diverse team of compassionate advocates is working to create a world in which every individual has the basic human right to be free from gender-based violence and to engage in relationships that embrace the principles of respect, equality, and safety.
MSP responds to domestic violence and human trafficking in Westchester County, New York, providing multi-lingual, trauma-informed legal and supportive services. We bolster our work with clients by engaging in extensive outreach and community education, strengthening the systemic response to all forms of gender-based violence.
GREAT BENEFITS AND PTO PACKAGE: MSP employees enjoy a generous health benefits package that includes dental and vision care. Our Financial Savings Plain reflects a commitment to the future well-being of our employees. PTO and self-care are important to us and we offer a PTO plan that includes, vacation, sick time, personal days as well as summer Fridays.
To apply, please send resume and cover letter by e-mail to: slederman@mspny.org.
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