Civil Action Practice Director of CAP Community Intake

Overview 
The Bronx Defenders (BxD) is an innovative, progressive public defense office in the South Bronx. We are seeking a Director of CAP Community Intake to lead and supervise our community services.  
  
Founded in 1997, BxD 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 and address the underlying drivers and enmeshed penalties of legal system involvement. 
  
Our office now has more than 400 staff members who defend nearly 20,000 New Yorkers facing incarceration, family separation, eviction, and deportation (among other devastating consequences) in criminal, family, civil, and immigration proceedings each year. 
  
We continue 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 on how to move to a holistic model of representation with current and future public defenders throughout the country. 
 
Civil Action 
A sweeping array of civil punishments are triggered the moment someone faces arrest, deportation, or family separation. The people we represent risk losing their jobs, homes, income, property, and basic civil rights—struggles that can be more devastating and long-lasting than the charges themselves. Last year, we helped 2,200 people obtain concrete benefits like maintaining their jobs, homes, income, property, and rights. 
 
Civil Holistic Defense Team  
Our goal is to minimize the severe and often unforeseen fallout from criminal, family and immigration court proceedings and facilitate the seamless reintegration of the people we represent into the community. Our CAP attorneys, advocates, and social workers represent and advocate for impacted people in every forum in New York City—administrative, state, and federal—to address these problems. Our civil staff provide comprehensive representation to assist in overcoming civil legal barriers to housing, eviction, employment, and public benefits, as well as addressing instances of police misconduct, criminal record errors, and civil forfeiture.   
 
 
Housing Justice and the Right to Counsel Team  
Recognizing the challenges to accessing affordable, quality, and safe housing in New York City, The Bronx Defenders has a team exclusively dedicated to providing tenants at risk of losing their homes with defense attorneys for their Housing Court cases. Our Housing Team was developed in response to the 2017 New York City Right-to-Counsel Law, which provides tenants facing eviction in Housing Court and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) administrative proceedings with access to free legal representation.    
 
Community Intake Team 
The Bronx Defenders has Community Intake advocates across all practices which allows members of the Bronx community to walk into our office or call our community hotlines and proactively seek legal assistance with criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal issues. 
 
Description 
Reporting to the Managing Director of the Civil Action Practice, the Director of CAP Community Intake will oversee CAP’s community services and intake functions by providing leadership, supervision, and support to both attorney and non-attorney staff. This position focuses on ensuring effective advocacy and representation for clients facing challenges in housing, employment, and reentry, while also strengthening connections and creating systems with community-facing services within the practice and across the organization. This role will have a reduced case load. 
 
Responsibilities 
Develop and oversee CAP community intake operations to ensure collaborative, timely, and effective assessment, referrals, and case management for community members 
Develop and implement systems and best practices for client services, intake protocols, and data tracking 
Coordinate and collaborate with community-facing services, including benefits advocacy, community intake, and early defense/early advocacy teams 
Guide community education, litigation, and advocacy strategies related to CAP’s community services in the areas of housing, employment, and reentry rights 
Build and sustain partnerships with community-based organizations, government agencies, and coalitions to enhance service delivery 
Provide direct oversight of community services staff and ensure high-quality advocacy for Bronx residents 
Represent CAP community intake in internal leadership meetings and external coalitions or advocacy forums 
Leadership 
Provide strategic leadership and direction for the Civil Action Practice’s community intake and services 
Model a collaborative, equity-centered leadership style that empowers attorneys and non-attorney advocates 
Foster a supportive, inclusive work environment that promotes professional growth, accountability, and shared learning 
Champion holistic defense values by ensuring integration across criminal, civil, family, and immigration practices 
Serve as a thought leader in developing strategies to address systemic barriers in housing, employment, and reentry 
Serve as a member of CAP’s management team 
 
Supervision 
Serve as the primary supervisor of CAP staff attorneys and advocates who provide services for clients and in the community in our core areas, including housing, employment, and reentry 
Monitor caseloads, supervise casework, and ensure compliance with professional and ethical standards 
Review and provide substantive feedback on client, written, and oral advocacy work 
Complete annual employee evaluations 
Regularly evaluate and adjust workflow of staff members as necessary to ensure equitable and sustainable distribution of work 
 
Community Engagement 
Develop and strengthen relationships with Bronx community members, grassroots organizations, and coalitions to expand access to services and advocacy 
Represent CAP at community meetings, public forums, and advocacy campaigns 
Promote community education and outreach initiatives, including workshops, know-your-rights sessions, and partnerships with local service providers 
Ensure CAP community intake is responsive to community needs and actively incorporates community feedback into practice goals and strategies 
Engage community coalitions, advocates, and public officials in dialogue about the civil legal needs of Bronx community members 
Grants Management & Fundraising 
Work closely with the development team to identify, secure, and manage grants supporting CAP and our community services 
Oversee grant reporting and compliance, ensuring alignment with funder requirements and organizational priorities 
Contribute to fundraising initiatives, including cultivating donor relationships and representing CAP at funder meetings and events 
 
Qualifications 
Juris Doctor (JD) and admission to practice law in New York (or eligibility to waive in) 
Minimum 6 years of civil legal services experience, with a focus on litigating housing, employment, and/or reentry related matters 
At least 2 years demonstrated experience supervising both attorneys and non-attorney advocates 
Strong leadership skills and proven ability to manage community-based legal services and intake operations 
Experience in grants management, fundraising, and external representation preferred 
Commitment to holistic, client-centered representation and advocacy for low-income communities 
Strong organizational, case management, and communication skills 
Ability to build effective collaborations with interdisciplinary teams, community partners, and external stakeholders 
Deep commitment to racial justice, equity, and systemic reform for marginalized communities 
Excellent written and verbal communication skills 
Ability to effectively engage with attorneys, advocates, court personnel, and elected representatives’ offices 
Fluency or high proficiency in Spanish, validated objectively, is preferred, as the role requires frequent interaction with Spanish-speakers 
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively   
Ability to effectively and respectfully communicate, and collaborate with people from various backgrounds, identities, experiences and in circumstances of crisis 
Ability to think critically and creatively under pressure 
Ability to receive critical feedback constructively, reflect, and shift behavior accordingly 
Meticulous attention to detail  
Ability to exercise excellent judgment, discretion, and confidentiality around sensitive issues 
 
This is an in-person position. Work during evenings and weekends may also be 
necessary. 
 
Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 6 – 8 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position is approximately $127,838.00 – $132,066.00. Full-time employees are also eligible for a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision coverage; 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 not within the bargaining unit. 
  
This position is salaried and exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to overtime. 
  
To apply, please click APPLY TO THIS JOB ONLINE and upload your resume and cover letter in one document. Your resume will be used to determine your salary based on the number of years of directly relevant professional experience and should include all relevant professional experience. Applications without a written cover letter will not be considered.   
  
The Bronx Defenders is an equal opportunity employer and is cultivating 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 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.