The Legal Aid Society's Juvenile Rights Practice (JRP) has openings in several of its trial offices for the Fall 2019 Class of entry-level Staff Attorneys. JRP provides legal representation to children, ages 0 to 21, who are before New York City Family Courts on child welfare, PINS (Persons-in-Need-of-Supervision), juvenile delinquency, and termination of parental rights petitions. JRP attorneys practice in an inter-disciplinary team with social workers, paralegals, and investigators.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

* Participate in fact-finding, dispositional and post-dispositional hearings.
* Handle institutional assignments including intake and case coverage. 
* Conduct out-of-court case preparation including interviewing, investigation, document review, witness preparation. 
* Draft motions, orders, bills/demands, and other documents.
* Counsel and interview clients.
* Consult and advocating with service providers.
* Identify issues and resources.
* Collaborate with other in-house staff.
* Seek compliance with court orders, regulatory requirements, and agency policies.
* Ensure that the child has a voice in all decisions made about their life.
* Other appropriate duties.

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

* Admission to the New York State Bar or Bar Exam Passage.
* Relevant clinical program or work experience preferred. 
* Commitment to children's issues and juvenile justice. 
* Demonstrated commitment to, and interest in, serving racially- and socioeconomically-oppressed communities. 
* Ability to deal effectively with children, adolescents, and their family members.
* Strong written and oral advocacy skills.
* Ability to work collaboratively in a high volume practice.

THE HIRING PROCESS

On Campus Interviews (OCI's) are screening interviews for entry-level Staff Attorney jobs. The 4 phases of the JRP hiring process are:

PHASE I Resumes received by the deadline are screened by the JRP Hiring Committee. Evaluations from OCI interviews are also reviewed by this same Committee. Applicants are then selected for first round interviews.
PHASE II First round interviews are conducted by managers and staff attorneys at one of our offices in the five boroughs of New York City.
PHASE III The JRP Hiring Committee reviews first round evaluations and then determines which applicants will receive final round interviews with the JRP Attorney-in-Charge.
PHASE IV Final round interviews are conducted and job offers are made by The Legal Aid Society. All offers will be made after May 2019 contingent on funding from the City and/or State.

Applicants will be notified via email about whether they have/have not been selected for an interview.

IMPORTANT APPLICATION AND OFFER DATES

The application period for Fall 2019 entry-level Staff Attorneys begins on July 16, 2018 and closes on January 4, 2019.

If additional entry-level openings for JRP arise after the Fall 2019 Class is hired, such openings will be filled from the July 16, 2018-January 4, 2019 applicant pool. Applicants should check The Legal Aid Society's website for any new job positions under the "Careers and Diversity" section.

BAR EXAMINATION AND EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

You must sit for the first New York State bar examination scheduled after your graduation date. Thus, to remain eligible for our Fall 2019 class, you must sit for the February 2019 New York State bar exam if your graduation date is September 2018, December 2018, or January 2019. You must sit for the July 2019 New York State bar exam if your graduation date is May or June 2019. If you have not already taken the MPRE exam before your graduation, you must also sit for the next available MPRE exam after your graduation date. If you do not pass either examination on the first sitting, you must sign up for and take the next available exam. At the time you are hired, you must be eligible to work lawfully in the United States.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY 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.

HOW TO APPLY

You must apply online at the LAS Recruitment Portal. A failure to submit the proper documents or follow instructions will be deemed as an incomplete application. Incomplete applications will not be considered by the Hiring Committee. We strongly encourage all applicants to apply before the deadline.

The Legal Aid Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer -- Women, People of Color, Members of the LGBTQ+ communities, Veterans, and People with Disabilities are encouraged to apply.

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org opens an email client application.