Description:

ABOUT US

Sanctuary for Families is New York's leading service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking and related forms of gender violence. Every year, Sanctuary empowers thousands of adults and children to move from fear and abuse to safety and stability, transforming lives through a comprehensive range of services. We provide a range of wrap-around services to help survivors rebuild their lives in the aftermath of abuse, and work to end gender violence through three key strategies: direct services, outreach and training, and systems-change advocacy. Our services are available in 11 locations throughout New York City.

 

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Senior Staff Attorney is a key position within Sanctuary for Families' Immigration Intervention Project, a legal services project that represents thousands of survivors of domestic violence, other forms of gender based violence, and human trafficking in a broad range of immigration matters. The Senior Staff Attorney will work within Sanctuary for Families' Gender-Based Asylum Rapid Response Initiative. In particular, the Senior Staff Attorney will create and expand a Pro Se Asylum Project in collaboration with pro bono partners to deliver trauma-informed legal assistance and representation to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and/or other forms of gender-based violence seeking U.S. asylum. This Senior Staff attorney might also mentor and/or supervise project assistants, volunteer attorneys, legal fellows, and/or interns.

Other responsibilities include conducting community outreach and education, and collaborating with other agencies, to best assist and empower immigrant survivors of domestic violence, other forms of gender based violence and human trafficking and to advocate on their behalf with systems affecting their lives. The Senior Staff Attorney also educates the public, social service agencies, law enforcement agencies, communities around New York State, and political representatives about issues pertaining to gender based asylum claims.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead a project in collaboration with pro bono partners to deliver trauma-informed pro se legal assistance and/or representation to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and/or other forms of gender-based violence seeking U.S. asylum;

• Represent immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, in asylum-related proceedings, before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), and appellate courts;

• Advocate with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and/or advocate and engage in motion practice to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, Board of Immigration Appeals, Administrative Appeals Office, and/or federal courts for the best possible outcome in clients' cases;

• Train, supervise and mentor pro bono and in-house attorneys, support staff, and interns and volunteers on gender-based asylum.

• Design and deliver training curricula on immigration relief options and trauma-informed lawyering to educate the public, legal service providers, community-organizations and other social service providers about issues pertinent to immigrant victims of gender violence and trafficking.

• Conduct screening interviews with immigrant survivors of gender-based violence to assess eligibility for asylum and other immigration relief under United States immigration law;

• Maintain timely and accurate records in electronic database of current and potential clients;

• Represent Sanctuary for Families at community events and on advocacy committees and task forces;

• Advocate on behalf of clients with city and state agencies and institutions on issues of eligibility for housing, education, and public benefits;

• Advocate on behalf of clients in family and criminal court proceedings, as needed;

• Collaborate with community-based organizations, legal services providers, district attorney's offices, other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and health care providers to improve responses to immigrant survivors, and to educate and provide technical assistance on issues relating to immigrant clients.

• Contribute to Sanctuary's efforts to educate the public, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, community-based organizations, and elected officials about issues related to immigrant victims of domestic violence; develop written materials and curriculum for such purposes.

• Refer victims of domestic violence and gender based violence to appropriate legal and social services within and outside of Sanctuary for Families;

• Perform any other Department or agency-related duties or special projects as assigned by the Legal Center Director and the Director of the Immigration Intervention Project.

Requirements:

• Admitted to practice law in a state bar;

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in immigration law;

• Experience working in the field, preferably in a non-profit setting, to assist survivors of domestic violence, other forms of gender-based violence, and/or human trafficking;

• Bilingual English and a relevant community language (e.g. Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, Russian, etc.);

• Excellent judgment;

• Strong writing, research, and analytical skills;

• Strong communications and leadership skills;

• Excellent interpersonal skills;

• Ability to work independently and under pressure;

• Ability to work on complex immigration cases;

• Ability to motivate, inspire, and manage staff;

• Ability to do systems change advocacy;

• Energetic and passionate about Sanctuary's mission of ending gender-based violence and human trafficking;

• Deep understanding of and ability to work well with people of diverse ethnic, cultural, religious, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Budgeted Salary: $80,000 - $85,000 annually

Work position is currently Hybrid; must be able to meet job location schedule obligations

Vaccination Policy: Proof of vaccination or proof of 1st dose with scheduled 2nd dose within 30 days is required.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance

• Employer-paid life insurance

• Employer retirement contribution

• Paid time off

• Flex spending account

• Student loan assistance

• Tuition reimbursement program

• Gym reimbursement program

All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed (religion), color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status or domestic violence victim status, and other categories protected under Federal, New York state or New York city laws. Sanctuary for Families follows the requirements of the Human Rights Law including with regard to non-discrimination on the basis of prior criminal conviction and prior arrest.

People of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, people with disabilities, and survivors of gender-based violence are strongly encouraged to apply.

We recognize that the safety, healing and self-determination of survivors of domestic violence and related forms of gender violence is at the intersection of racial, gender, economic, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and disability justice, as well as many other critical issues. In order to realize our mission, Sanctuary strives to center DEI principles at every level of the organization and continues to deepen that commitment.

Apply Here: https://www.click2apply.net/XRdw5lCVJlRLEHyEjI5WGD

PI233238916

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks a full-time position of National Organizing Director in the National Political Advocacy Department of the ACLU’s National office in Washington, DC and New York, NY. 

The National Political Advocacy Department builds power to achieve an accountable, representative democracy. We have ambitious goals across Reproductive Freedom, Voting Rights, Systemic Equality, Immigration, Trans Justice, and Criminal Justice in order to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties, and advance the freedom, equality, ability to prosper, and humanity of all People.  

Our department conducts analysis, develops policy, crafts world class campaigns, and situates the ACLU to have impact across legislative and executive levers. We are policy experts, lawyers, community organizers, lobbyists, campaign strategists, program managers and more. We partner across the ACLU to drive national efforts, and support and amplify the priorities of our affiliates. We work to center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in our approach. 

Reporting to the National Political Director the National Organizing Director will be responsible for leading the National Organizing team, which sits within the National Political Advocacy Department. The National Organizing team develops programs to engage and empower supporters, volunteers, and community members. The team develops high-impact grassroots and mobilization campaigns in service of ACLU’s goals by identifying and activating volunteers online and in-person to support national and state campaigns, and electoral efforts.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with the National Political Director to plan and execute high-impact grassroots organizing and mobilization programs, in collaboration with the national office and affiliate colleagues, resulting in political and policy successes, and long-term capacity building  
• Lead the Organizing team, charged with developing and implementing grassroots organizing and mobilization goals, strategies, and budgets to reach political/policy outcomes
• Work to ensure that supporters, volunteers, community members and staff are empowered and supported in participating in the work of the ACLU
• Ensure goals for the organizing program are aligned with broader organizational goals
• Track political developments and identify strategic organizing and advocacy opportunities for the ACLU, including opportunities for multi-state or nationwide programs
• Collaborate with other departmental leadership to develop large-scale grassroots campaign efforts and help to advise the National Political Advocacy Department more broadly on all of its work
• Manage a large budget, making strategic investments in hosting events and trainings, technology, grants to affiliates, and other resources as needed to further organizing goals  
• Work with affiliates and colleagues in the Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives Department to develop comprehensive strategy to advance ACLU’s approach to organizing  
• Collaborate with other national departments to support and evaluate the ACLU’s organizing work (e.g., Communications Department to generate earned media coverage of grassroots organizing work)
• Attract, hire, develop and retain staff, and give clear and actionable feedback
• Promote a positive work culture for the team as a whole
• Apply a strong equity lens throughout all aspects of the work, promoting key values such as racial justice and gender equity 

In addition: 

• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned
• Center principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in all work, embedding the values in program development, policy application, and organizational practices and processes
• Commitment to the mission of the ACLU
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity within the office using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences in regards to race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability and socio-economic circumstance
• Commitment to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and/or conflicts

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Significant grassroots organizing experience, including union or issue campaign organizing and electoral organizing  
• Demonstrated direct experience supervising and developing teams of full-time organizers and remote staff, managing toward excellence in outcomes 
• Strong preference for candidates with experience managing candidate, advocacy, or issue-based campaign teams 
• Strong preference for candidates with experience working within large and/or complicated organizations, and who understand the importance of relationship building, both internally and externally
• Experience running inclusive teams with a commitment to staff growth and development
• Experience developing, executing and evaluating data-driven organizing programs and experiments/tests  
• An understanding of organizing theory, including distributed, digital, and relational
• Experience using a variety of political advocacy tools, for instance NGPVAN, EveryAction, GetThru
• Strong project management skills, and ability to build broad support for new and emerging initiatives
• Strong communications skills in order to convey complex concepts in a clear and concise manner
• Must be self-motivated and possess the ability to work independently as well as within a team
• Ability to work and communicate quickly and accurately, handle multiple projects and devote time and energy to the most important responsibilities, and to lead others in doing so
• Demonstrated understanding of both the barriers and opportunities for organizing with immigrant communities, communities of color, and low- and moderate- income people 

COMPENSATION

The ACLU values equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. Consistent with the ACLU’s compensation philosophy, there is a set salary for this role. The annual salary for this position is $206,637 (Level C2), reflective of a position based in New York, NY, where our National offices are headquartered. This salary will be subject to a locality adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting. 

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union – beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people from government abuse and overreach.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

The ACLU makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.