Family Defense Practice Legal Counsel

The Bronx Defenders • Full-time • Bronx, NY, US • $97.18k / year • 19h ago

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 an Appellate 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 FDP Legal Director, the Legal Counsel will carry a reduced caseload while collaborating with the Legal Director and FDP leadership to build core legal competencies, mobilize swift legal/tactical responses to emerging challenges, and develop strategy and legal analysis that advance practice innovation. The Legal Counsel will research and analyze legal issues, and prepare memos, motions, model motion templates, briefs, and guidance materials. Legal Counsel will also support attorney training and coaching efforts and serve as a resource to attorneys and staff seeking feedback and guidance.

Legal Counsel

Support the Legal Director and FDP leadership to identify and define core legal competencies for the practice, and build tools that operationalize those competencies (e.g., checklists, templates, guides)
Mobilize, draft rapid-response practice guides for, and coordinate rapid legal/tactical responses to emerging challenges and urgent matters
Develop strategy and deliver rigorous legal analysis that advances practice innovation
Research and analyze statutes, case law, regulations, and court rules to inform litigation and advocacy
Draft clear, well-supported legal memoranda on complex issues
Prepare motions and model motion templates to standardize high-quality filings
Author trial and appellate briefs as needed
Create concise practice guidance materials for internal use
Support the design and delivery of trainings to build core competencies and advance practice innovation
Provide one-on-one and group coaching
Offer timely feedback and case consultations to attorneys and staff
Collaborate with attorneys in our Criminal Defense, Immigration and Civil Action practices as a part of our holistic, interdisciplinary legal defense model
Collaborate with FDP and Appeals team to develop legal issues for appeals and participate in development and drafting of amicus briefs in relevant cases
Monitor legal decisions and developments in the New York courts relevant to our practice
Maintain and keep up-to-date the FDP library of memos, motions and practice guides
Maintain structured datasets and trackers on legal issues and practice systems

Direct Representation

Zealously represent parents in ACS investigations and child protective proceedings in Bronx Family Court and any concurrent matters including custody, visitation, and termination of parental rights cases
Litigate legal matters in abuse and neglect proceedings in hearings and trials in family court - orally and in writing
Effectively communicate and negotiate with judges, caseworkers, attorneys for the child(ren), and representatives of the Administration for Children’s Services on behalf of parents
Assist parents in accessing appropriate resources and services to restore full parental rights
Collaborate with social workers and parent advocates in the Family Defense Practice, as well as attorneys and advocates in the criminal defense, civil action and immigration practice on enmeshed issues that arise in other venues
Collaborate to provide co-counseling and coverage for cases to ensure that all client needs are met
Maintain client case files and data in BxD’s case management system
Provide mentorship to junior attorneys and co-counsel support
Supervise and train interns and externs
Participate in hiring and recruitment as requested

Qualifications

To be eligible, applicants must have:

Minimum 2 years' experience as an attorney in family defense and family law, criminal law, appellate practice or a related field
Ability to practice in New York or ability to practice pro hac vice until admitted to the New York State Bar

Applicants must demonstrate:

Strong legal research and legal writing skills
Commitment to directly defending parents charged with abuse and/or neglect in child welfare proceedings
Understanding of how race and poverty affect parents’ experiences in the family regulation system
Commitment to 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 with an interdisciplinary team of lawyers and non-lawyers
Commitment to fierce advocacy, and willingness to strategically challenge authority in defense of clients
Strong courtroom advocacy skills, including ability to produce work product on short deadlines
Ability to quickly grasp and understand novel and pressing legal issues and new cases
Ability to think creatively about legal arguments and develop arguments in writing
Ability to engage in extensive and comprehensive legal and other research on a time-sensitive basis
Strong analytical skills and capacity to employ non-legal resources in cases
Ability to multitask, maintain order, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
Meticulous attention to detail and deadlines
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 fully in-person position.

Salary is commensurate with experience. For candidates with 2-10 years of directly relevant experience, the salary range for this position would be approximately $99,004 - $124,577. 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; 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 of Legal Aid Attorneys (AFL-CIO). This position is within the bargaining unit.

This position is exempt. By law, non-exempt employees are compensated hourly based on their annual rate and therefore are entitled to overtime, whereas exempt employees are not.

To apply, please combine your resume and cover letter in one document and upload your application via Idealist. 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.

Applications will be accepted through June 4, 2026.

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.