Through our immigration and refugee assistance work, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York assists immigrants and refugees in their new New York home. We help newcomers reunite with their families, make their home a safe place, learn English, prepare for citizenship, and apply their talents and skills to gain employment. Our services are available in New York City, Lower Hudson Valley, Westchester, Rockland, Sullivan, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, and Ulster counties. Though our immigrant and refugee assistance hotlines we serve people from throughout the United States.

The Haitian Representation Project (HRP) Attorney is one of several attorneys in the Division’s pro bono program staff reporting to the Managing Attorney and Attorney-in-Charge. Each Pro Bono Attorney administers and coordinates various pro bono program functions, including: participation at community legal clinics; intake and assessment of cases for placement; engagement in matching process; and substantive mentorship and technical assistance for all cases under their supervision. The HRP Attorney will be available to train, mentor, advise and supervise pro bono volunteer advocates including: firm attorneys, general counsel, solo practitioners, law students, fellows, etc.; and will maintain an internal caseload secondary to and dependent on supervision needs. The HRP Attorney will also keep staff updated about changes in laws, procedures and policies relevant to immigrants, and will assist in developing legal strategies to address emerging issues. Also includes, as appropriate and necessary, supervision of departmental legal staff, directed advocacy, program development, program representation with public and private stakeholders, limited teaching/speaking.
This HRP Attorney position will expand the capacity of the CCCS Pro Bono Project to serve Haitian recent arrivals through dedicated funding from New York City. Catholic Charities seeks a candidate who is linguistically- and culturally responsive to the needs of newly arrived Haitian New Yorkers as well as experience advocating for this under-served community. New York has the second-largest population of foreign-born Haitians in the United States, and newly arrived Haitian immigrants face particular legal challenges in their cases. The ideal candidate has experience navigating the cross-over areas of practice between legal advocacy and case management demands and believes in community empowerment as a vehicle for change. The candidate for this position should also be familiar with the history and cultural context of Haitian migration to the U.S. as well as the particular barriers faced in the current immigration system.

1. In collaboration with the Managing Attorney for Access to Justice Initiatives and the Attorney-in-Charge, incubate, develop, and launch specialized outreach and legal programming for New York Haitian immigrants, working in partnership with identified Haitian community-serving CBOs to ensure access to multi-level services and long term integration for Haitian immigrants.

2. Engage affected communities through the development and execution of know your rights trainings in partnership with coalition organizations and Haitian community serving CBOs; produce materials and talking points for a targeted information campaign through traditional media, social media, and ethnic media channels, on the new available resources for Haitian arrivals.

3. Under the direction of the Managing Attorney and Attorney-in-Charge, serve as Point of Contact for partnership with MOIA to develop and launch multimedia campaign to alert the Haitian community to the availability of and how to access legal and community resources.

4. Provide technical assistance to coalition CBOs through the development and execution of train-the-trainer know your rights events so that community-facing CBOs will feel competent and empowered to provide legal information to communities without engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.

5. Plan regular coalition meetings with CBO partners; coordinate volunteer attorneys recruited by partner CBOs and law firm associations including the Haitian American Lawyer’s Association of New York (HALANY) and others in coordination with the Pro Bono Project manager.

6. Under the direction of the Attorney-in-Charge, commission detailed reports from experts on country conditions in Haiti, both for use in individual proceedings and more broadly, as part of an overall media strategy.

7. Supervise and coordinate pro bono volunteer advocates through Division programming, including: fellowships, internships, clinic programs, and individual placements. Supervision includes: advising/training pro bono volunteer advocates on substantive family and immigration law and procedures; ensuring quality of legal work; ensuring case outcomes are met; and assisting with required reports and requests for information about program and funding proposals.

8. Supervises and conducts client intake; evaluates matters for purposes of issue spotting and placement; supervises placement of matters with pro bono volunteer advocates; provides ongoing supervision to pro bono volunteer advocate depending on the nature of issue and on the client; develops and updates materials for legal trainings, case placements, etc.; and manages all case placements.

9. Maintain a sensible appropriate caseload, in light of and secondary to supervisory duties, that will include screening, advising, and representing individuals: a) facing removal proceedings or other immigration-related federal litigation matters, including, but not limited to: criminal or security grounds of inadmissibility/deportability, cancellation of removal, asylum, Board of Immigration Appeals and federal appeals practice, motion practice, etc., and b) in more specialized and complex immigration applications including, but not limited to: special juvenile immigrant petitions, VAWA petitions, U and T visa applications, deferred action, inadmissibility waivers, etc.

10. Develop responses and strategies in response to emerging issues; meet regularly with pro bono program leadership to provide progress reports.

11. Monitor the work of pro bono volunteers through the pro bono platform, LawLogix case management, site visits, periodic file review, etc.

12. Develop and provide in-house and outreach trainings, presentations and workshops, as directed.

13. Comply with program reporting requirements, such as maintaining monthly statistics and case reports, and reporting to partners and stakeholders.

14. As directed by the Attorney-in-Charge, represent CCCS at local committees, coalitions, and collaboratives; serve as a primary liaison with local elected and law enforcement representatives, with the aim of enhancing CCCS presence and voice.

15. Maintain and update electronic files in LawLogix, as well as physical case files.

16. Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education and/or experience required:
1. Juris Doctor.
2. Three (3)+ years of post-JD experience in immigration law and/or policy.
3. Demonstrated commitment to public interest law, to insular immigrant community engagement and/or community-based legal programming.
4. Must be a self-motivated attorney, able to work independently and collaboratively with others at all levels of leadership.
5. Admission to the New York State bar, or pending application for admission to the NYS Bar.

Skills, Licenses, and/or competencies required:

• Bilingual in English and Haitian Creole.
• Specialization in both substantive and/or regional immigrant areas.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and computer skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated legal research and legal writing skills.
• Commitment to and experience in successfully employing an anti-racist/anti-oppression lens to foster a diverse, equitable working environment and creating diverse teams that reflect communities served.
• Experience working with community-based and NGO partners and sensitivity to client empowerment and to working with clients of all backgrounds, including LGBTI clients, and survivors of trauma.
• Demonstrated community outreach and public speaking skills, including ability to work with media.
• Ability to maintain confidential information.
• Ability and experience working with diverse individuals and communities.

Skills, Licenses, and/or competencies desired:

• Experience managing substantial immigration caseloads and strategic planning.
• Experience supervising and managing legal staff and supervisors.
• Experience in litigation and client advocacy.
• Must be highly organized and motivated, able to multitask, manage a high-volume workload, and have excellent time management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:
The position will require the lawyer to perform case work at Catholic Charities Community Services main immigration office, other sites, and in immigration and family courts. The position requires willingness to travel throughout the Archdiocese. Days and hours of work are generally 9:00 AM to 5 PM Monday - Friday. Additional evening/weekend hours may be required to meet court and/or program deadlines or client needs.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

COVID-19 considerations:
Position will be onboarded virtually. Potential to orient to the physical office space in person depending on CDC and agency requirements at the time of onboarding. Updates to protocol are implemented on a regular basis.

Language:

• Haitian Creole (Required)

License/Certification:

• Admission to NY Bar (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Required)

Work Location: On the road

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