The Bronx Defenders (BxD)— an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx—seeks a zealous advocate committed to public defense to serve as a Civil Legal Advocate Supervisor.

The Bronx Defenders is a public defender non-profit that is radically transforming how low-income 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 team-based structure, we have developed a groundbreaking, nationally-recognized model of representation called holistic defense that achieves better outcomes for the people we defend.

Each year, we defend more than 20,000 low-income 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 people we represent and communities that we serve and launch innovative initiatives designed to bring about real and lasting change.

Civil Action Practice

Our Civil Action Practice (CAP) provides comprehensive legal services to the people we represent and their families by fully integrating civil representation with our criminal, immigration, and family defense practices. Our goal is to minimize the severe and often unforeseen fallout from legal system involvement and facilitate the seamless reintegration of the people we represent into their communities.

We represent people in every forum in New York City – administrative, state, and federal –providing comprehensive representation and helping overcome civil legal barriers to housing, eviction, employment, and public benefits, as well as addressing instances of police misconduct, criminal record errors, and civil forfeiture.  

Reporting to the Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice, the Civil Legal Advocate (CLA) Supervisor will represent a reduced caseload of clients, receive referrals, and provide team-based services while providing direct supervision to civil legal advocates and other non-attorney advocates in the Civil Action Practice. Responsibilities include:

Direct Representation

• Interview, research and conduct fact investigations into the civil legal problems of the people we represent 
• Meet and correspond with the people we represent to engage in client-centered advocacy 
• Respond to referred matters to identify civil legal needs and engage in collaborative advocacy by 
• Collaborate with and support attorneys, social workers and other referring advocates, across practices-criminal, family and immigration, teams and within CAP, in the course of advocacy, litigation and settlement of legal matters, and in a manner that centers the people we represent   
• Provide information, services, advocacy and representation in various administrative and other settings including, but not limited to:  
  • Advocating for the return of property seized by police and prosecutors of the people we defend
  • Helping the people we represent apply for, access and defend against the denial of public and disability benefits 
  • Advocating to prevent eviction and homelessness, and enhance access to the shelter system
  • Preserving the rights of the people we defend as it pertains to police misconduct
  • Correcting criminal records errors and helping the people we represent gain access to tools for reentry and reintegration 
  • Assisting with accessing vital records and documents, such as birth certificates and identification cards  
• Appear in various fora, like court and other administrative settings, to provide civil expertise 
• Enter and update client information and advocacy in case management system 
• Prepare communications and documents for correspondence with the people we represent, adversaries and agencies 
• Assist in developing educational and outreach materials for internal and external audiences 
• Support, help plan and participate in staff training, community education and clinics 
• Support and participate in pipelines, including intern trainings, supervision and mentorship 
• Help identify systemic problems that affect the people we represent while thinking creatively about strategies and solutions to alleviate and eliminate them 
• Support initiatives related to policy, communications, legislation, organizing, and system reform advocacy 

Direct Supervision 

• Meet with each supervisee on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to assess caseload, evaluate case management, conference cases and discuss relevant issues
• Review, observe, evaluate, and provide constructive feedback on CLAs’ client-related advocacy, including written and oral advocacy in administrative fora, the courtroom, and the community
• Provide equitable, culturally conscious supervision, and support marginalized supervisees in navigating experiences of oppression in their work
• Promote and facilitate intra-practice and interdisciplinary collaboration among attorneys and CLAs
• Review, monitor, and evaluate data entry to ensure high-quality services, evaluate the impact of CLA advocacy on holistic defense, and meet funding requirements
• Onboard, train, and facilitate the ongoing professional development of CLAs
• Provide coverage for CLAs
• Organize and lead CLA meetings, community clinics, and other CLA-led efforts 

Leadership 

• Meet regularly with the CAP Managing Director and Deputy Director and Leadership Team to discuss CLA team updates, trends with client works, changes in policies, and more.
• Collaborate with other CAP supervisors to implement practice priorities and improvements
• Develop and implement CAP-related information management, trainings, and public education within the office and the community and external trainings that might require BxD representatives
• Be part of hiring committees for new hires and internal promotions

To be eligible, candidates must have: 

• Minimum of three years of relevant work experience and client advocacy in civil legal services with preferred advocacy experience in eviction prevention, shelter access, public benefits access and reentry, or advocacy experience in other areas of interdisciplinary civil legal services like government property seizure/forfeiture and police misconduct 

Candidates must demonstrate: 

• Commitment to directly defending people ensnared in family, criminal, civil and immigration legal systems
• Experience working in and with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities 
• Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of clients
• Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, collaborate and connect with people with various backgrounds, identities and experiences 
• Strong written and oral advocacy skills
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
• 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
• Supervisory and mentoring skills, including
  • Interest in and commitment to developing and mentoring supervisees
  • Ability to provide intentional and constructive feedback
  • Flexibility in balancing needs of supervisees against their own caseload
• 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 one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level 

This is an in-person position subject to the organization’s hybrid work policy.

Salary is commensurate with experience.  For candidates with 3-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $69,058 to $85,284. 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; 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 non-attorneys, are represented by UAW Local 2325 - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is not 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.  

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 as a document 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 for 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 Friday, November 29^th, 2024. Please contact Dani Avello Kammerer, Civil Action Practice Deputy Director, via email at danisbela@bronxdefenders.org with any questions regarding the position. 

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating an anti-oppressive 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 non-conforming, 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.