Staff Attorney, Prisoners' Rights Project (PRP) - New York, NY

Apply

The Prisoners' Rights Project of The Legal Aid Society seeks an experienced attorney to join its growing team of advocates in the fight to defend and expand the rights of incarcerated New Yorkers.

Since its founding in 1971, the Prisoners' Rights Project (PRP) has been at the forefront of efforts to improve conditions in New York City jails and New York state prisons through systemic litigation and advocacy. Working in collaboration with Legal Aid's other practices, the PRP's team of attorneys and paralegals prioritizes a range of issues impacting incarcerated New Yorkers, including issues related to excessive force, solitary confinement, sexual abuse, inadequate medical and mental health care, education access, and discrimination against people with disabilities and LGBTQI people. Read more about the Project's work here.

The staff attorneys will work on the full range of the Project's priorities in city jails and state prisons. Responsibilities will include identifying systemic legal issues impacting incarcerated New Yorkers; developing litigation, legislation and advocacy in response; conducting ongoing litigation in federal and state courts, including post-judgment enforcement of relief; and advocating for policy solutions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working on all aspects of complex civil litigation concerning prison and jail conditions, from developing new cases to advancing and enforcing existing cases
• Identifying problems and challenges that people experience during incarceration and strategizing solutions
• Conducting policy advocacy on issues affecting incarcerated persons, including commenting on proposed regulations and legislation, and presenting oral and written testimony
• Advocating for incarcerated people directly with prison officials, jail officials, and local, state, and federal agencies, and working with paralegals on advocacy
• Working substantively and collegially with others, including incarcerated people, PRP and Legal Aid Society colleagues, pro bono counsel, grassroots groups, coalitions, and policymakers
• Mentoring and collaborating with paralegals, legal interns, and legal fellows
• Using discretion and sound judgment to help troubleshoot issues and resolve non-routine matters
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Admission to the New York bar, or eligibility to waive in
• Minimum 4 years of relevant litigation experience, as demonstrated by federal civil litigation experience, prisoners' rights litigation, civil rights or other systemic law reform litigation. One year of a judicial clerkship may count towards the litigation requirement. More experienced lawyers are very welcome
• Demonstrated strong commitment to racial equity and civil rights
• Demonstrated ability to engage in and communicate complex legal analysis
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
• Excellent judgment
• Demonstrated ability to engage in complex legal analysis and writing, as reflected in written work product and a writing sample
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including an ability to foster constructive, respectful working relationships with colleagues, clients, and coalition partners, and an understanding of the importance of principles of diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with legislative or regulatory drafting or advocacy
• Work with grassroots or community groups
• Familiarity with the experience of incarceration
• Knowledge of New York carceral systems
• Proficiency in Spanish

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $84,000 - $152,500

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Legal Writing sample

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

Manhattan - Criminal Defense Practice Office