Assoc Counsel, Immigrant Rights & Crim Justic in New York, New York at LatinoJustice PRLDEF

ABOUT LATINOJUSTICE PRLDEF:

Founded as the Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund in 1972, LatinoJustice PRLDEF uses and challenges law to create a more just and equitable society. We transform harmful systems, empower our communities, fight for racial justice, and grow the next generation of líderes. Headquartered in New York City. LatinoJustice focuses on six pillars of work: Economic Justice (i.e., education, employment, and housing), Immigrant Rights, Voting Rights, Puerto Rico, Policing and Prison Reform, and Leadership Development. And our Racial Justice Project engages in advocacy and litigation on behalf of Afro-Latino and Indigenous-Latino members of our communities. LatinoJustice utilizes a variety of strategies—including litigation, advocacy, and community education and empowerment—to achieve strategic priorities on the issues that are most critical to the advancement and wellbeing of the Latino community.

Since its inception, LatinoJustice has brought groundbreaking litigation in key areas including establishing a right to bilingual education in public schools, providing bilingual ballots and language assistance to Spanish-speaking voters, and fighting anti-immigrant ordinances. Our current litigation docket includes demanding greater law enforcement transparency and accountability; advocating for fair pay of home care workers; defending school districts’ efforts to diversify the student body of magnet schools and specialized high schools; challenging local law enforcement agencies that cooperate with federally immigration authorities and illegally detain and hold immigrants for ICE; and challenging redistricting plans that dilutes the votes of Black, Latinx, and Asian voters.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

LatinoJustice PRLDEF (LJP) seeks a dynamic lawyer to advance LJP’s immigrant rights and criminal justice litigation docket at a critical time when immigrant members of our community are under attack.

LJP’s Associate Counsel for Immigrant Rights identifies and develops new immigrant rights litigation, helps lead ongoing cases, and manages their effective execution. In addition, the Associate Counsel maintains their own litigation docket and serves as lead counsel in selected cases. The Associate Counsel will be a spokesperson for LJP’s immigrant rights litigation as needed.

This position reports directly to the Supervising Counsel for Immigrant Rights plus extensive collaboration with the Supervising Counsel for Policing and Prison Reform and collaborates with other members of the legal and advocacy team as needed.

This is a hybrid role that has an in-person requirement of six (6) days per month.

The position requires an individual with a proven track record in immigrants' rights and reform.

The successful candidate is someone who constantly surveys the external environment to identify opportunities for LJP to do cutting edge litigation and then develops and implements litigation; cultivates and maintains productive working relationships with allied immigrants' rights groups; has a strong orientation to community-driven litigation and advocacy with a movement lawyering lens; and has a working understanding of both the immigration system and the police and criminal justice systems with which it intersects.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Litigation:

Develop and lead a wide range of federal, state, and administrative litigation, including affirmative, law reform litigation, in the immigrant rights and criminal justice area.Coordinate and lead immigrant rights and criminal justice cases undertaken with other nonprofit immigrants’ rights and criminal justice organizations and pro bono co-counsel.Researching and drafting complaints, pleadings, briefs, and legal memoranda; engaging in discovery and motion practice; and conducting evidentiary hearings and oral arguments in the trial and appellate courts.Travel as required for litigation, conferences, and client development. Non-Litigation Advocacy, Communications & Development:Play a leading role in the advocacy work of the Litigation Department on immigrant rights and criminal justice, which includes researching and drafting reports and op-eds in collaboration with LJP’s Advocacy and Communications departments.Work internally and with other advocacy organizations and elected officials to promote or oppose legislation, regulations, and public agency guidance under the direction of the Chief of Advocacy, including to present testimony before legislative bodies and administrative agencies.Participate in public education on immigrant rights and criminal justice issues. PREFERED SKILLS:Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal analysis and fact-findingDemonstrated ability to write and speak clearly and persuasivelySelf-motivated, diligent, and able to meet strict deadlines while under pressureCreativity, determination, and deep passion for UJP’s work