The Bronx Defenders (BxD) – an innovative, progressive, holistic indigent defense office in the South Bronx – seeks an experienced immigration litigator with a commitment to social justice to join the Legal Department as Immigration Legal Counsel. 

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. We run two legal clinics at NYC law schools and train public defenders from one end of the country to the next on how to move to a holistic model of representation. 

Immigration Practice Legal Department  

Nearly a third of the residents of the Bronx were born outside the United States, and many face the unprecedented threat of detention and deportation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Our attorneys help people facing criminal, family, and civil proceedings make informed and strategic decisions to protect their rights. We are also one of the three public defender organizations leading the nation’s first-ever universal representation program for detained immigrants facing deportation.   

The Immigration Practice Counsel will report to the Legal Director and will hold the following responsibilities: 

• Litigate federal habeas cases and petitions for review to the Second Circuit, frequently in conjunction with other attorneys in the practice 

• When working in conjunction with other attorneys in the practice, provide consultation, expertise and support on the federal litigation 

• Represent a reduced number of clients in removal proceedings, and litigate a full docket of cases in federal court (PFR, habeas, other federal litigation), sometimes in conjunction with other attorneys in the Legal Department or in the broader practice 

• Provide input on federal court strategy for petitions for review and habeas litigation 

• Develop advisories and updates as well as templates or model work products for the Immigration Practice related to developments in federal litigation (lawsuits, class actions, habeas) and immigration cases (BIA, circuit, SCOTUS) in conjunction with the Legal Director and Deputy Legal Director 

• Track and anticipate cases moving through the agency and to the circuit, and provide assistance to attorneys in ensuring all legal issues are appropriately and effectively presented 

• Provide guidance on immigration law developments relevant to the team-based practice, including guidance related to state law and practice developments (criminal, family, housing, and other courts) that impact Padilla advisal's 

To be eligible, candidates must have: 

• A minimum of 3 years practicing law as an immigration attorney or litigator on immigration-related issues 

• Experience writing and arguing federal habeas petitions and/or petitions for review, with a preference for experience in both 

• We are specifically seeking applications from candidates with Spanish language skills and/or those from racially/ethnically marginalized communities disproportionately impacted by systemic injustice, whose lived experiences contribute to more culturally conscious client representation 

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 

• Spanish language fluency (validated objectively) and the ability to conduct client interviews in Spanish is highly preferred 

This is a [hybrid/fully in-person] position that will require in-person work and contact with staff and community members. Salary is commensurate with experience.  For candidates with 3-5 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position is approximately $89,000 - $93,000 annually. 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. 

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. Your cover letter should share why you want to do this work at our office as well as some key lived and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this position. 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; you should therefore include all relevant professional experience on your resume. Please note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered. 

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.