Immigration Practice Staff Attorney Entry Level

The Bronx Defenders (BxD) an innovative progressive holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx seeks a passionate entrylevel attorney with a commitment to public defense to join our Immigration Practice beginning Fall 2025.

The Bronx Defenders is a public defender nonprofit that is radically transforming how lowincome people in the Bronx are represented in the legal system and in doing so is transforming the system itself. BxD seeks thoughtful creative individuals with a strong commitment to social justice to join our dynamic and diverse staff. Our staff of over 400 includes interdisciplinary teams made up of criminal civil immigration and family defense attorneys as well as social workers benefits specialists legal advocates parent advocates investigators and team administrators who collaborate to provide holistic advocacy to address the causes and consequences of legal system involvement. Through this integrated teambased structure we have developed a groundbreaking nationallyrecognized model of representation called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for the people we defend.

Each year we defend more than 20000 lowincome Bronx residents in criminal civil family and immigration cases and reach thousands more through our community intake youth mentoring and outreach programs. Through impact litigation policy advocacy and community organizing we push for systemic change at the local state and national levels. We take what we learn from the clients and communities that we work with and launch innovative initiatives designed to bring about real and lasting change.

Training Team

Entrylevel attorneys will receive several weeks of intensive interdisciplinary training on holistic representation substantive relevant law research and writing litigation skills client and community engagement and the intersection of race class power and privilege in public defense work. Beyond this training period attorneys will be expected to participate in consistent and comprehensive training to sharpen their advocacy skills raise their overall consciousness and enhance their collaboration with clients and colleagues.

Immigration Practice

Twenty years ago The Bronx Defenders developed the model of integrated criminal defense and immigration representation. Our Immigration attorneys and advocates work closely with people at risk of deportation throughout the pendency of their cases in both Criminal and Family Court to avoid and mitigate negative immigration consequences that may arise from those cases. Our Immigration staff represent people in deportation proceedings in both detained and nondetained settings provide affirmative immigration services and pursue communitybased litigation and advocacy aimed at transforming unforgiving antiimmigrant federal laws and policy. The Immigration Practice consists of approximately 60 staff members including attorneys social workers legal advocates and administrators.

Since 2013 our immigration attorneys have also served as assigned counsel at the Varick Street Immigration Court under the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) the firstever universal representation project in immigration court.

• Advise noncitizens with pending criminal or family court cases on the immigration consequences of contemplated dispositions and mitigate the impact of their involvement with the legal system
• Represent noncitizens in applications for immigration benefits including: citizenship adjustment of status Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and remedies for victims of crimes
• Representing both nondetained and detained noncitizens who face deportation in official removal proceedings
• Represent clients before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Immigration Court on the full scope of matters relating to removal cases such as: bond hearings challenges to removability applications for relief (including but not limited to requests for: Asylum Withholding of Removal Deferral of Removal under the Convention Against Torture Protection Adjustment of Status with Waivers of inadmissibility Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) and NonLPR Cancellation of Removal Special Immigration Juvenile Status and U & T visas)
• Appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals
• Collaborate with colleagues and external partners in developing and implementing defense strategies involving federal litigation collateral appeals policy advocacy media engagement and participatory defense
• Train and mentor interns

To be eligible candidates must have:

• A thirdyear 3L) student or recent graduate of an law school

Candidates must demonstrate:

• Commitment to directly defending people with limited financial resources placed in removal proceedings or facing immigration consequences based on contact with the family regulation and/or criminal legal system
• Experience working in and with immigrant and/or lowincome communities targeted by carceral systems
• 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 nonlawyers
• Commitment to fierce advocacy and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of clients
• Effective research writing and courtroom advocacy skills
• Strong legal analytical skills and capacity to employ nonlegal resources in cases
• Ability to multitask maintain order and meet deadlines in a fastpaced highstakes environment
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to think critically and creatively in fastpaced 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
• Commitment to raising ones cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level
• A valid drivers license (or the ability to obtain one) as the role sometimes requires travel to detention facilities outside of NYC where clients are held (vehicles are provided)
• Spanish language fluency and the ability to conduct client interviews in Spanish is highly preferred

Applicants if hired must:

• Sit for the New York State Bar Examination or
• Submit the alternative appropriate materials necessary for admission or waiver

This is a hybrid position that will require substantive inperson work.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with up 03 years of directly relevant experience the salary range for this position would be approximately $81072$86400. Fulltime 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; and a generous vacation sick leave and parental leave policy. More specific information about salary and benefits will be provided when and if an offer is extended.

Approximately 70 of The Bronx Defenders staff including attorneys and nonattorneys are represented by UAW Local 2325 Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFLCIO). 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 overtime whereas exempt employees are not.

To apply please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and a cover letter in one document. If you would prefer to send in a video or audio statement in lieu of a cover letter you may upload your resume and separately upload a video or audio statement. Your cover letter or video/audio statement should share why you want to do this work at our office some key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this position and any additional information you would like us to consider. This information allows us to understand your distinct perspective experience and potential beyond the work history summarized on your resume. Your cover letter may be up to one page if written or up to 3 minutes if an audio/video statement. If selected for the position your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience listed; we therefore encourage you to ensure your resume is up to date. Please note that applications without a written cover letter or audio/video statement will not be considered.

Applications will be accepted through April 15 2025. Please contact Karla Ostolaza Managing Director of the Immigration Practice via email at with any questions regarding the position.

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating an antioppressive workplace that embraces staff with a diversity of backgrounds identities and experiences. We acknowledge the ways in which systemic oppression and injustice can undermine access to professional opportunities and are committed to conducting hiring and promotion processes that are equitable and accessible to those commonly excluded from the workforce. We do not discriminate against and in fact specifically encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply including those who identify as Black Indigenous people of color queer transgender gender nonconforming disabled neurodivergent and those directly impacted by criminal civil family and immigration legal systems. We value lived as well as professional experience and particularly welcome applications from the Bronx community that we work with.