Managing Attorney - New York, NY

The Criminal Defense Practice of the Legal Aid Society's Incarcerated Client Services Unit (ICSU) is seeking a Managing Attorney for the Incarcerated Persons Crisis Hotline ("intake hotline"). The Managing Attorney would implement and oversee an intake hotline to complement and expand the existing Legal Aid resources and advocacy services for incarcerated persons in New York City and New York State.

The Managing Attorney will manage the day-to-day operations of the intake hotline and related advocacy, including supervising and managing a team of paralegals who perform the initial intake.

The Managing Attorney will work closely with the Director of ICSU, the ICSU Onsite Paralegal Director, the ICSU paralegal professionals who work in the city jails, the paralegal case handlers and attorneys from Legal Aid's Prisoner's Rights Project (PRP), and other Legal Aid units to coordinate intake relating to incarcerated clients' needs and manage the delivery of client services outside the normal course of their criminal case. This position will directly supervise paralegals working on the hotline.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervision and Intake Hotline

• Oversee daily operations of the intake hotline and ICSU paralegals working on the hotline
• Schedule and manage the duties of the ICSU paralegal hotline staff
• Oversee the triage and crisis-response functions of the hotline
• Provide oversight and monitor the work of the ICSU staff on the hotline
• Coordinate and facilitate training for staff on hotline
• Assist in implementing program model for intake
• Conduct and supervise off-site intake as needed, including during evening hours
• Work in coordination with ICSU and PRP supervisory staff to ensure quality advice and assistance is provided to clients
• The managing attorney will be the go-to for the paralegals on the jail grievance process and the rights of incarcerated clients under any new consent decrees
• Interview and assess client requests for services
• Advocate with the Department of Correction and oversight bodies on behalf of clients
• Serve as the expert on the jail grievance process and the rights of incarcerated clients to provide guidance to staff and ensure hotline staff are providing accurate and actionable advice to incarcerated clients
• Conduct factual and legal research as needed

Oversee and Maintain Information Systems

• Maintain and manage the information system designed to track intake and advocacy on behalf of incarcerated clients
• Organize and manage Law Manager and other electronic case matter files
• Compile, create, and facilitate the dissemination of know your rights materials, guides, draft letters, and other relevant materials for advocacy

Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned

• Participate in continuous professional development
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned
  

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Admission to the New York State Bar
• Minimum three years' experience representing clients in criminal and/or civil litigation proceedings, including direct experience working on behalf of people who are incarcerated or providing advice to incarcerated people
• Experience working with paralegal staff

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated commitment to mentorship and supporting the professional development of others
• Excellent project management skills
• Excellent legal research and analysis skills
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills
• Excellent collaboration skills, including an ability to foster constructive, respectful working relationships with colleagues, clients, and coalition partners, and an understanding of the importance of attention to principles of diversity and inclusion in collaborative relationships

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society's mission and values

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video
• Hybrid position; requires travel for court appearances and in-person client/family meetings
• Other duties as required

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Cover Letter
• Resume

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $127,000 - 132,000

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if an offer is made.

Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice.To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.