The Bronx Defenders (BxD) – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks a passionate immigration attorney to fill a staff attorney position with our Immigration Practice.  

Founded in 1997, The Bronx Defenders 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 as well as to address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement. 

Since opening our doors, we have grown into an organization of more than 400 staff members defending nearly 20,000 New Yorkers each year in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings who face incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation, among other devastating consequences. 

Today we are 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 with current and future public defenders, run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders throughout the country on how to move to a holistic model of representation. 

Immigration Practice 

Twenty-three years ago, BxD embraced the model of holistic representation by embedding immigration legal services within a public defender office. Our robust immigration practice today consists of over fifty attorneys, social workers, advocates, and administrative professionals. We provide deportation defense in both detained and non-detained courts. We also offer integrated, holistic representation to mitigate or avoid negative immigration consequences for our clients targeted by the criminal and family regulation systems.

Our advocates provide these services within three related but distinct programs: (1) representation of currently and formerly detained people through NYIFUP, the first public defender program for detained immigrants; (2) our holistic, team-based program that provides wrap-around immigration advice and services to people with pending criminal and family court proceedings, and (3) our open-door community intake program that serves Bronx residents at risk of detention and deportation. 

• Advise non-citizens 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 non-citizens in applications for immigration benefits, including: citizenship, adjustment of status, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and remedies for “victims of crimes”
• Represent both non-detained and detained non-citizens 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 Non-LPR 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:

• License to practice law in New York or be eligible to become licensed to practice in New Yorkwithin 30 days of employment
• At least two (2) years of immigration law experience

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 low-income 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 non-lawyers
• 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 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
• Commitment to raising one’s cultural consciousness and challenging oppressive practices on an interpersonal and institutional level
• Spanish language fluency and the ability to conduct client interviews in Spanish is highly preferred
• A valid driver’s 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)

This is a hybrid position that will require substantive in-person work.

Salary is commensurate with experience.  For candidates with 2-5 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $84,304-$91,800. 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 within the bargaining unit. 

This position is exempt. By law, non-exempt 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 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 considered on a rolling basis and decisions will be made as soon as an appropriate candidate is identified. Please contact Karla Ostolaza, Managing Director of the Immigration Practice, via email at karlao@bronxdefenders.org with any questions regarding the position. 

The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a 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 serve.