Staff Attorney, Women's Pretrial Initiative - New York, NY

The Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice is seeking an attorney to join the Women's Pretrial Release Initiative ("WPRI"), a specialized team within the Decarceration Project.

WPRI is devoted to securing the release of women who are detained pretrial in New York City and connecting them to gender-specific alternatives to incarceration. They work with community organizations to provide detained women support for individual success from detention, through release and community reentry to case resolution. They help women who struggle with harsh realities that hinder their ability to achieve the stability needed to meaningfully engage in their cases and return to court.

WPRI offers early intervention trial and appellate bail advocacy, structuralized social services, and comprehensive support. Service connections include mental health services, substance abuse services, housing and employment resources, and a host of other community support services. Their work helps keep women out of jail and with their families and communities.

Candidates will have a deep understanding of criminal trial practice in New York City and robust knowledge of New York's bail statute, with extensive on-the-ground experience in New York City criminal courts. They will have a demonstrated commitment to the liberation of incarcerated individuals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with project social worker to complete service plans and bail packages to advocate for the release of women who are being detained pretrial in New York City jails
• Challenge adverse bail decisions using bail review hearings, writs of habeas corpus, appeals, and other strategic litigation
• Engage in post-release advocacy with various alternative to incarceration service providers
• Conduct trainings and outreach focused on women's pretrial detention and care coordination for CDP attorneys
• Inform discussions with system stakeholders regarding issues facing incarcerated women
• Collect data to inform strategic litigation priorities and to fulfill reporting requirements to private funders
• Represent the Legal Aid Society in coalitions and develop and maintain relationships with coalition partners
• Consult with trial attorneys about release options for cis and trans women
• Strengthen existing partnerships and develop new partnerships with service providers for WPRI's client population
• Inform discussions with system stakeholders regarding issues facing incarcerated women
• Timely collect data to inform priorities and to fulfill reporting requirements to funders
• Stay abreast of changes in the law relevant to bail and pre-trial detention
• Work closely with project social workers, complete service plans and bail packages for women who are being detained pretrial in New York City jails
• Challenge adverse pretrial detention decisions using writs of habeas corpus, appeals, and other strategic litigation and advocacy
• Engage in post-release advocacy with various alternative to incarceration service providers
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Admission to the New York State Bar
• Minimum 3 years' experience in criminal defense
• Experience in juvenile or adolescent defense preferred
• State or federal level appellate litigation experience preferred
• Experience in policy development, coalition work, and legislative advocacy preferred
• Litigation experience implicating constitutional or civil rights issues preferred
• A working knowledge of multiple systems of detention preferred
• Comprehensive understanding of New York's bail statutes and the constitutional law pertaining to pre-trial detention
• Unwavering commitment to the Decarceration Project's abolitionist mission to end pretrial detention
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationshipswith attorneys and social workers both internal and external to the unit
• Experience with and passion for working with marginalized women and their families involved in the criminal legal system
• History of trauma-informed practice on behalf of clients with physical disabilities, mental illness, intellectual and developmental delays and/or histories of substance use
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills
• Ability to prioritize tasks and manage one's time effectively to accomplish shared team goals
• Ability to interface professionally and effectively with judges, district attorneys and correctional personnel
• Enthusiasm for innovative approaches to release advocacy and the ongoing growth and development of the project

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: $83,844 to $147,907

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 leadership of 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, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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.

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.