Organization Overview
Safe Passage Project (SPP) is a highly-focused nonprofit immigration legal services organization that provides free lawyers to immigrant children facing deportation. Founded in 2013, SPP has grown to include 50+ employees, two offices, and an annual budget of over $5 million. It manages over 1,300 open cases a year.
To date, SPP has supported more than 3,000 young people in NYC and Long Island. The New York Immigration Courts, some of the busiest immigration courts in the US, have more than 15,000 juveniles on their dockets, many of whom are fleeing trauma in their countries of origin such as gang violence and recruitment, abuse, and sexual assault. Immigrant children are not afforded free legal representation by the government, regardless of their age. As a result, more than half of immigrant children in immigration proceedings must go to court without the aid of a lawyer. Among unaccompanied children with legal representation, immigration court data shows that 73% are allowed to remain in the United States, whereas only 15% of unrepresented children are allowed to stay. This is where Safe Passage Project steps in, both through providing immigrant youth with direct representation by staff attorneys and through a robust network of pro bono attorneys who SPP attorneys train, mentor, and supervise.
About the Role
The Senior Staff Attorney will be joining a group of exceptional public interest attorneys to directly impact the lives of immigrant children looking for safety and security. The Senior Staff Attorney will mentor pro bono attorneys in providing legal representation in immigration and other related proceedings, including cases involving asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and other forms of immigration relief. This position will be primarily based in New York City with less than a quarter of the caseload based on Long Island.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Supervise and mentor pro bono attorneys with Safe Passage Project;
- Represent immigrant clients in similar proceedings;
- Collaborate with Senior Staff in the analysis and creation of legal strategies;
- Contribute to the creation of policies and strategies for Safe Passage Project;
- Supervise and provide detailed reporting statistics on each case mentored and represented directly; and
- Prepare trainings and materials to present at Safe Passage Project trainings.
Qualifications: The strongest candidates for this position will have most, though likely not all, of the following qualifications and characteristics:
- J.D. degree and admission to New York State Bar (required);
- Four (4) or more years of immigration law experience;
- Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively on an interdisciplinary team in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment;
- Excellent written, analytical, oral, organizational, and time management skills;
- Spanish language skills (preferred);
- Experience working with diverse communities and/or with young people; and
- A commitment to the work of Safe Passage Project and readiness to grow and learn with the Safe Passage Project team.
Compensation and Benefits
Safe Passage Project offers a competitive salary in the range of $90,512 - $103,759 annually and offers the following benefits:
- A hybrid work environment, staff currently work from our office 1 day a week.
- Open Paid Time Off
- Medical plans (which includes 1 plan that has 100% premium coverage).
- Dental plans, Vision plans, and telehealth services.
- Employer-sponsored retirement savings plan- we provide up to 6% employer match of your 401(k) contributions
- 12 weeks of Paid Family Leave along with Unpaid Leave of Absence
- Short-term disability (STD) & Long-term disability (LTD) Coverage
- Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and Health savings accounts (HSA)
- Commuter benefits (Transit & Parking)
- Voluntary Life Insurance plans
- Yearly Professional Development Stipend
- Time off from December 24th to January 1st
- Home Office Stipend
- Paid Holidays
- Flexible work schedule
The team works on a beautiful campus at a terrific office location in Tribeca and in our Long Island office in Hicksville, NY. Safe Passage Project is proud to have a top-down, bottom-up commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
How to Apply
Please submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.
Safe Passage Project is an equal opportunity employer. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information on Safe Passage Project, please visit www.safepassageproject.org.