Family Defense Practice Staff Attorney

The Bronx Defenders was founded on a simple premise – that our job is to reimagine what a public defender office can, and should do, for the people we represent.

As public defenders, we know that the systems we fight are deeply rooted in racism, surveillance, and control. That’s why our work extends beyond the courtroom. We engage in community organizing, legislative advocacy, and proactive litigation, working with the people we represent to fight for structural change.

Since opening our doors in 1997, we have grown into an office serving nearly 20,000 Bronx residents each year. Every day, we confront and challenge the oppressive legal systems that criminalize poverty, separate families, and systematically target Black, Latine, immigrant, and low-income New Yorkers.

Overview  

The Bronx Defenders (BxD) is an innovative, progressive public defense office in the South Bronx. We are seeking an experienced attorney dedicated to the representation of parents in family regulation proceedings to fill a position as a Disability Justice Attorney in our Family Defense Practice.  

Founded in 1997, BxD is a public defender nonprofit that has developed a nationally recognized model of representation called holistic defense, which provides people with teams of lawyers, social workers, and advocates to defend them zealously in court and address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement. 

Our office now has more than 400 staff members who defend nearly 20,000 New Yorkers facing incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation (among other devastating consequences) in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings each year. 

We continue reimagining the role of public defense even further, using community organizing and engagement, legislative advocacy, and impact litigation to partner with the communities we represent to bring about long-lasting systemic change. We also share our model and lessons learned on how to move to a holistic model of representation with current and future public defenders throughout the country. 

Family Defense Practice  

As residents of the most heavily disinvested borough in the city, families in the Bronx experience the highest rates of family policing and parent-child separation. We serve as the primary institutional provider defending parents and caretakers against the painful and unnecessary removals of their children in the Bronx. Together, our attorneys, social workers, and parent advocates provide the legal defense and support necessary to keep families together and interrupt generational cycles of family court involvement. 

• Zealously represent parents in child protective proceedings in Bronx Family Court and any concurrent matters, including custody, visitation, and termination of parental rights cases  
• Litigate legal matters in abuse and neglect proceedings in hearings and trials in family court - orally and in writing  
• Effectively communicate and negotiate with judges, caseworkers, child attorneys, and representatives of the Administration for Children’s Services on behalf of parents  
• Assist parents in accessing appropriate resources and services to restore full parental rights  
• Collaborate with social workers and parent advocates in the Family Defense Practice, as well as attorneys and advocates in the criminal defense, civil action, and immigration practice on enmeshed issues that arise in other venues  
• Collaborate to provide coverage for cases to ensure that all client needs are being met 
• Maintain client case files and data in BxD’s case management system   
• Provide mentorship to junior attorneys 
• Supervise and train interns and externs 
• Conduct internal training in conjunction with the FDP Training Department

To be eligible, candidates must have:  

• Two years of family defense or related experience 
• Graduate of an ABA-accredited law school and a barred attorney with the ability to practice in New York  

Applicants must demonstrate:  

• Commitment to directly defending parents charged with abuse and/or neglect in child welfare proceedings   
• Experience working in and with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities  
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences  
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers 
• Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of clients 
• Strong research, writing and courtroom advocacy skills 
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources in cases 
• Ability to multitask, maintain order and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment  
• Meticulous attention to detail 
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fast-paced settings, finding innovative solutions to unique obstacles 
• Ability to receive constructive feedback, demonstrate introspection and shift behavior accordingly 
• Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality with sensitive matters 

Preferred, but not required: 

• Spanish language proficiency validated objectively 
• Experience working in the family regulation system, in the field of Family Law, or a related field  

Applicants not yet admitted in New York, if hired, must:  

•  
• Sit for the New York State Bar Examination (if applicable at the time), OR 
• Submit the materials necessary for NYS bar admission or admission on motion 

This is a hybrid position that will require at least 21 hours/week of in-person work. 

Salary is commensurate with experience.  For candidates with 2-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $89,004 - 114,577. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental and vision coverage; a 403(b) plan with employer contribution; a generous vacation, sick leave, and parental leave policy.  

Approximately 70% of The Bronx Defenders' staff, including attorneys and non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is within the bargaining unit.  

This position is exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to over-time, whereas exempt employees are not