Crime Victims Attorney

Crime Victims Attorney

Empire Justice Center, a highly respected, statewide legal services organization, is seeking TWO attorneys to join our new Crime Victims legal services team.  The Crime Victims Attorneys will become critical members of a newly created Crime Victims Advocacy Practice, the aim of which is to provide civil (non-criminal) legal assistance in a range of substantive law matters to victims of crime.

The Empire Justice Crime Victims team will include staff in Westchester, Rochester and Central Islip. The attorneys in Rochester will serve the general low income community with a focus on victims of consumer fraud, including small claims and debt collection issues and on employment discrimination and civil rights violations.

Each Crime Victim Attorney will be supervised by the Project Manager Attorney and will work as part of the overall statewide team, participating in program development, required data reporting and assessments and will supervise the paralegal assigned to this project, offering mentoring and ensuring professional development opportunities.

Primary responsibilities for the Crime Victim Attorney will include:

• Ensuring that all referrals from the Crime Victim Legal Network (CVLN) are handled and tracked appropriately
• Attending CVLN meetings and trainings in accordance with grant requirements.
• Representing clients holistically to achieve clients' goals through a range of advocacy efforts including administrative hearings and litigation. 
• Providing high quality, comprehensive legal advice, assistance and accompaniment of clients to appropriate courts and administrative tribunals as necessary to support each crime victim
• Actively participating in the community through outreach and engagement with community organizations, local coalitions and government agencies as appropriate to identify and advance the civil legal needs of crime victims. 
• Assisting clients in understanding, applying for and obtaining relief under the Crime Victim Compensation Act
• Provide counseling, advice, and other brief services and referrals
• Work as part of the overall Crime Victims Team and actively participate in team meetings
• Providing direct supervision to the Crime Victim paralegal in the same office
• With the Project Manager and Crime Victims Team, identify, develop, and implement advocacy strategies to address systemic legal problems
• Interacting, communicating, and managing relationships with legal professionals
• Organizing seminars, workshops, and training as needed
• With the Project Manager and Crime Victim team, tracking, managing and reporting on all data and statistical reports as required by the grant
• Participate in on-going professional development and training activities. 
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications 

Required

• Juris Doctor and admitted to practice in New York
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest or pro bono work
• Have 5-10 years relevant legal experience
• A highly motivated individual interested in assisting victims of crime 
• Have strong analytical skills and excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to organize, plan, prioritize, meet deadlines, and work under pressure
• Flexibility and experience working as a team
• Ability to respond to cultural differences among organizations, client population, and staff
• Be willing and able to travel to serve clients in a geographically wide-spread area

Preferred

• Supervisory experience and a demonstrated interest in developing the skills of other team members
• Depending on location and focus (as noted above), working knowledge of immigration, consumer, employment and/or family law
• Be experienced in interviewing and counseling clients, preferably in both English and Spanish
• Experience working with victims of crime.
• Bi-lingual in Spanish strongly desired.*

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with experience and based on the organization's salary scale.

Empire Justice Center offers a generous benefits package, including health insurance, pension and life insurance, vacation, holiday, personal and sick time.  We are an organization that supports and encourages a work/life balance.

Empire Justice Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and desires a diverse work force.  People of color, women, persons with disabilities, persons who are elderly, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender are welcomed and encouraged to apply.

To Apply

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. If interested e-mail a cover letter, resume, writing sample and three professional references to employment@empirejustice.org

Please include, Crime Victims Attorney, First/Last Name to the subject line of the email. No phone calls or hard copies please. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Crime Victims Attorney

employment@empirejustice.org