The Center for Appellate Litigation (CAL) – a holistic 50+ attorney nonprofit public defense law firm that represents indigent criminal defendants in all aspects of post-conviction proceedings – seeks to hire Staff Attorney Fellows (law graduates (current 3Ls), current judicial clerks, and recent law graduates) to join our Immigrant Justice Practice (IJP) in September 2023.

ABOUT CAL’S Immigrant Justice Practice (IJP) AND THIS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

IJP, one of the first and largest projects of its kind in the country, zealously pursues the full range of post-conviction remedies for our noncitizen clients to advance their rights, protect them from the threat of immigration detention and deportation, and keep them united with their families and communities here in the United States. Members of our IJP team seek post-conviction relief in trial courts in the Bronx and Manhattan through both negotiated and adversarial motions and hearings to vacate convictions, as well as represent clients in occasional appellate cases. We pride ourselves on a commitment to dynamic and high-quality written and oral advocacy, a client-centered approach to representation, and a collaborative team environment.

IJP Staff Attorney Fellows will have the distinct honor of standing with, serving, and fighting for our clients. Fellows gain extensive exposure to a wide range of post-conviction criminal proceedings. Concretely, this entails: building relationships of trust, support, and dependability with clients; writing motions and other advocacy submissions to vacate our clients’ convictions as well as appearing in trial court for post-conviction proceedings; and, occasionally, writing briefs and arguing in the Appellate Division and Appellate Term. CAL’s comprehensive and practical training program, close supervision process, varied practice, and supportive environment provide an ideal experience for a new attorney.

The fellowship openings are for three-year positions. Fellows will be considered for senior staff attorney positions at the conclusion of their fellowship. Applications must be submitted before November 15, 2022.

Law graduates (current 3Ls), current judicial clerks, and recent graduates are welcome to apply.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A demonstrated commitment to public criminal defense or advocating for disenfranchised immigrants at the intersection of criminal and immigration law
• Excellent analytical, legal and mitigation writing, research, oral advocacy, and negotiation skills
• Ability to think creatively and strategically, manage a dynamic caseload, and be a team player
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and diligent work ethic
• Empathy and respect for people who have been convicted of serious offenses
• Strong interpersonal skills, especially in the face of crisis or disagreement
• Willingness and ability to work within the dehumanizing environments of prisons, jails, and detention facilities
• Fluency in Spanish or another language is strongly preferred

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

At CAL, we embrace and value our staff’s diversity, recognizing that our differences strengthen our community and advance our mission. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, orientation experiences, and communities to apply. CAL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, arrest or conviction record, caregiver status, citizenship status, color, credit history, creed, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, marital status, partnership status, pregnancy, race, religion, salary history, sexual and reproductive health decisions, sexual orientation, status as a covered veteran or active military service member, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking, and sex offenses in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

SALARY

Starting salary will be at least $75,000 for a 2023 graduate to $80,000 for a 2020 graduate. Excellent benefits are provided.

These are full-time salaried positions. Full Covid vaccination is required. Current office policy requires in-office work three days a week.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit by email (as one PDF document) a resume and cover letter to:

dkrumholz@cfal.org

Danielle Krumholz

Supervising Attorney, Immigrant Justice Practice

Center for Appellate Litigation

120 Wall Street, 28th Floor

New York, NY 10005

The email should be titled “2023 IJP Attorney Fellowship.” The deadline for submission is November 15, 2022.

Because of the expected high number of applications, we ask that applicants not contact the office to inquire about the status of their application. Any necessary updates to an application should be sent to myang@cfal.org with the subject line “2023 IJP Attorney Fellowship Update.”