Family Defense Practice Supervising Attorney

Overview 
 
The Bronx Defenders – an innovative, progressive, holistic defense office in the South Bronx – seeks an experienced Family Defense Attorney with a commitment to public defense to work as Supervising Attorney in our Family Defense Practice (FDP).  
  
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.   
  
Family Defense Practice  
   
As residents of the most heavily disinvested borough in the city, families in the Bronx experience the highest rates of family policing and parent-child separation. We serve as the primary institutional provider defending parents and caretakers against the painful and unnecessary removals of their children in the Bronx. Together, our attorneys, social workers, and parent advocates provide the legal defense and support necessary to keep families together and interrupt generational cycles of family court involvement.   
 
Responsibilities  
 
Reporting directly to the Managing Director of the Family Defense Practice, the FDP Supervising Attorney will represent a reduced caseload while providing direct supervision, support, and guidance to staff attorneys. Supervisors will act as a liaison between court staff—including judges, clerks, 18-b attorneys, Legal Aid Society, and Family Court Legal Services—and BxD attorneys while assisting with Family Defense Practice programming, development and training. 
 
The Supervisor will supervise attorneys at various levels of experience including law graduates in their first legal position after law school, which will require intensive training, supervision, and mentoring.  
 
Direct Representation 
 
Represent a reduced number of people in Article 10 and related family court matters 
Staff a reduced number of intake shifts 
Supervise intake shifts  
Model best practices with the court, the people we defend, colleagues, and adversaries 
 
Direct Supervision 
 
Supervise Family Defense Practice attorneys 
Conference cases with supervisees regularly to determine litigation strategy and ensure high-quality representation with the goal of reunifying families as quickly as possible  
Evaluate supervisees’ referrals to ensure holistic, client-centered representation 
Observe supervisees’ in-court advocacy and provide timely and constructive feedback 
Assist with and review litigation preparation 
Co-counsel and supervise litigation 
Monitor caseloads to ensure equitable distribution among supervisees  
Manage BxD case management and data entry to ensure supervisees’ cases are kept up to date and accurate   
Assist in arranging coverage of cases 
Approve time-off requests and timesheets 
Evaluate case and calendar management, direct representation, and relationships with the judiciary and adversaries in the courthouse 
Encourage and evaluate supervisees’ collaboration and support of their colleagues through case conferencing, coverage, etc. 
Encourage and support the professional development of supervisees 
Facilitate ongoing trainings and mentorship for attorneys, interns and advocates, providing ongoing feedback and evaluation, and ensuring effective collaboration between all members of the legal team 
Support supervisees in meeting the expectations of their job responsibilities and notify the Deputy Director when additional support is necessary   
Evaluate performance and provide constructive feedback to supervisees, aiding them in their professional development and growth in the role 
 
Liaison in the Courthouse 
 
Be available as a point of contact for the judiciary and adversaries while representing the interests of and advocating on behalf of supervisees and the people we represent  
 
Communicate and Collaborate with Supervisors, Team Leaders and Managing Directors 
 
Participate in Family Defense Practice supervisor meetings 
Work with other supervising attorneys and the Managing Director to coordinate and assist with adequate supervision coverage of staff attorneys, including in-court supervision  
Assist in the development of best practices, new trainings, projects and initiatives in the Family Defense Practice 
Assist with internal and external trainings and breakout sessions for FDP advocates, BxD staff, and external partners 
Advance holistic advocacy on the team and in the office 
 
Training Law Graduates 
 
Provide close, consistent and direct in-court supervision 
Conduct case conferences at least weekly for first-year attorneys 
Review and sign off on all written work of attorneys until they’re admitted to the Bar 
Work with practice and litigation supervisors to update, plan, and execute Training Team’s intensive orientation and training program and weekly trainings 
Supervise admission of law graduates to the bar as expediently as possible 
 
Training and Development  
  
Develop ongoing trainings and mentorship for attorneys, interns, and advocates, providing ongoing feedback and evaluation, and ensuring effective collaboration between all members of the legal team  
Collaborate with the Training Directors in FDP to implement cross-practice training relevant to scope of work for new staff, advocates and interns 
Assist in the development of best practices, new trainings, projects and initiatives in the Family Defense Practice 
Facilitate internal and external trainings, including trainings for BxD advocates, attorneys, interns, and external partners 
Maintain a system to track the outcomes achieved in cases  
Maintain in-house resources including, but not limited to, research articles, expert lists, sample court orders and stipulations, model motions, reply briefs and other materials related to custody, visitation, paternity, guardianship and family offense cases 
Advance holistic advocacy on the team and in the office through fielding internal referrals across the office 
 
 
Qualifications 
 
To be eligible, candidates must have: 
 
Minimum of 3 years of practice as an attorney representing parents charged of abuse and neglect 
Ability to practice in New York or ability to practice pro hac vice until they are admitted to the New York State Bar Association   
 
Candidates must demonstrate: 
  
Commitment to holistic, client-centered representation of parents charged with abuse/neglect of their children and at risk of losing custody 
Understanding of how systemic oppression affects marginalized communities and their experience in the family regulation and criminal legal system 
Experience working in and with racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized communities 
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 within an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers 
Strong research, writing and courtroom advocacy skills 
Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources in cases 
Strong Supervisory and mentoring skills as demonstrated by success in: 
developing and mentoring supervisees 
providing intentional and constructive feedback 
balancing needs of supervisees against their own caseload 
Ability to thoughtfully navigate conflict between supervisees and the people we represent, colleagues, adversaries, and court actors 
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  
 
This is a hybrid position that will require at least 21 hours/week of in-person work.  
     
Salary is commensurate with experience.  For candidates with 3-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $108,717 - 132,077. 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; 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 exempt. By law, nonexempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to overtime, whereas exempt employees are not.    
   
To apply, please 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 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.