Title: Legal Services Coordinating Attorney
Team: Policy and Programs
Reports to: Legal Director
Employment Status: Full Time/Exempt
Salary: $106,090.00
Location: This position is based in our headquarters in New York City, with occasional travel to our regional offices across New York State. This position is mostly on-site, with a requirement of being in the office 4 days per week and remote 1 day per week.
Overview of the Organization
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State. We envision a New York state that is stronger because all people are welcome, treated fairly, and given the chance to pursue their dreams. Our mission is to unite immigrants, members, & allies so all New Yorkers can thrive. We represent the collective interests of New York’s diverse immigrant communities and organizations and devise solutions to advance them; advocate for laws, policies, and programs that lead to justice and opportunity for all immigrant groups; and build the power of immigrants and the organizations that serve them to ensure their sustainability, to improve people’s lives, and to strengthen our state.
Our organizational values: Inclusive & Representative; Fair & Just; Accountable & Trusted.
Summary of the Position
This is a contract-funded position for a rapid-response initiative that the NYIC is undertaking to support vulnerable migrants and asylum-seekers throughout New York State. This position is funded through August 2025 and will likely be renewed for one more year, through August 2026. The continuation of this position beyond the time frame stated is contingent upon available funding.
The Coordinating Attorney will serve as an on-the-ground immigration attorney overseeing a network of legal services across several regions of New York State, with a focus on newly arrived immigrant populations currently or formerly in shelter, and on providing limited scope services like asylum applications. The attorney will assist in coordination and management of contract legal staff including supervising attorneys, and will assist in recruitment and supervision of legal volunteers, including law students and non lawyers. Limited scope legal services are delivered in a multi-model format including hybrid and in-person legal clinics and remote 1:1 legal assistance. The Coordinating Attorney will report to the Legal Director, and will work closely with members of the Policy, Programs, and Membership and Capacity Building teams and the Operations teams, as well as external partners including legal service providers and community based organizations, law schools, bar associations, and others. They will ensure that the legal services provided through this program are high quality, and they will be able to step in at any point in the process from drafting procedures and documents to completing screenings, application assistance, and motions as necessary. The Coordinating Attorney will travel regularly to upstate regions in New York for work, including but not limited to the Capital Region and Erie County.
Key Responsibilities:
Coordination & Supervision of Legal Services
- Help to recruit and coordinate supervising attorneys for legal clinics and direct legal services in consultation with the Legal Director and with discretion to innovate in legal services delivery models.
- Provide direct limited scope legal services to individuals when necessary; may include preparing asylum, TPS, and other applications for submission, as well as screenings for eligibility.
- Assist in the design of and attend legal clinics to serve as an on-the-ground supervisor.
- Conduct final reviews of applications, answer questions from volunteers, clients, and other stakeholders.
- Exercise legal judgment and advises program participants in a manner that is ethically sound, trauma-informed, and adheres to best practices.
- Draft and edit training materials for legal volunteers, resources used at legal clinics, resources for legal services providers, and community-facing informational documents.
Data Collection
- Ensure that data is tracked and reported accurately following internal protocols.
- Communicate regularly with data management personnel to ensure efficient and accurate tracking of legal services provided and adherence to protocols.
- Adhere to, and if applicable, suggest policies and procedures to enhance the protection of personal identifying information and data privacy.
Other Responsibilities
- Support training efforts and serve as a trainer on relevant topics in immigration law where appropriate.
- Liaise with legal service providers, nonlegal providers, and other stakeholders.
Qualifications
- At least (4) to five (5) years of relevant experience in immigration law, including removal defense and affirmative immigration benefits, and admission to the bar. New York state bar admission preferred but not required.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated experience working and building relationships with diverse immigrant communities, coordination and management skills, and supervision experience.
- Willingness to travel to regions across New York State to support provision of services under the program is strongly preferred.
- Adaptability to changing work environments, processes, and emerging needs.
- Ability to manage tight deadlines and competing priorities.
- Ability to strategize in a rapidly changing environment.
- Attention to detail, particularly in final reviews of applications and documents filed with various immigration agencies.
- Demonstrated ability or willingness to learn to analyze, interpret, and organize large amounts of data.
- Familiarity with Google Workspace and Asana is a plus.
- Experience liaising with elected officials, funders, or other high level contacts is an advantage.
- Interest in and/or knowledge of the NYIC, its members, or issues affecting immigrants in New York is an advantage.
- Ability to fluently speak additional language(s) spoken in New York State is an advantage.
Important facts to know about this opportunity:
1. This position is mostly on-site, with a requirement of being in the office 4 days per week and remote 1 day per week.
2. The NYIC has a staff-wide vaccine mandate. Staff must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination to HR before being onboarded
Salary: $106,000
In addition to a competitive salary, NYIC offers a full benefit plan, unlimited paid time off, commuter benefits and a comprehensive retirement plan.
**The NYIC has a transparent and equitable salary structure. Starting salaries for each position are set in advance with no room for negotiation.
To Apply: Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to hr@nyic.org. All emails must have “Legal Services Coordinating Attorney” in the subject line.
All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, immigration status or citizenship, sex, age, disability or marital status.
Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we are looking for someone to start as soon as possible. No phone calls or emails will be accepted for this position.