Job Information
Brooklyn Defender Services Legal Fellowship Opportunity for 2025, Family Defense Practice in Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) seeks rising third year law students, judicial law clerks, and recent law school graduates to sponsor for a post-graduate public interest law fellowship. The fellow will join the interdisciplinary Early Defense Team in the Family Defense Practice and will work collaboratively with BDS to design a project focused on providing comprehensive representation to parents and caretakers who are being investigated by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) prior to a case being filed in court. BDS regularly sponsors fellows for Equal Justice Works, Skadden, Liman, Kirkland & Ellis, and school-based fellowships.
BDS is a public defense office representing low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. Our work with clients is focused on the intersection of the legal systems that disproportionately impact Black and brown communities living below the poverty level in Brooklyn.
BDS represents thousands of people each year who have diverse, complex, and multi-faceted legal needs. In addition to a zealous legal defense, our interdisciplinary teams of attorneys, social workers and advocates provide a wide range of legal and advocacy services, including housing, public benefits, education, and employment issues.
BDS’ Family Defense Practice (FDP) is the primary provider of legal representation for parents and caretakers who are accused of neglect or abuse in Brooklyn Family Court. FDP’s interdisciplinary staff of attorneys, social workers, and advocates provide comprehensive representation to parents which includes robust legal representation and litigation as well as intensive social work intervention and advocacy at agencies that impact the future of the family. FDP staff also works closely with BDS’ other practices to ensure clients have access to a wide range of additional services and resources through our interdisciplinary practice model. BDS’ Integrated Defense Practice (IDP) provides specialized representation to parents who have related criminal and family court cases by offering parents one attorney to represent them in both proceedings.
Fellowship Project
Despite the potential dire consequences of an ACS investigation, parents and caretakers are not entitled to an attorney to represent them until a case is filed in court against them. Both FDP and IDP have early defense teams focused on filling this critical gap in legal services by providing representation to parents who are being investigated by the ACS. The fellow will design a project focused on addressing this area of unmet need. Early Defense representation involves giving advice to families about how to navigate an ACS investigation; making referrals for services that the family wants; advocating with ACS workers and Family Court Legal Services; advocating at Child Safety Conferences; and negotiating with the police. The goal of the work is to prevent family separation and avoid a case from being filed in family court. When a case is filed in family court, attorneys have the information needed to avoid family separation and/or achieve placement with relatives.
Qualifications
Rising third year law student, judicial law clerk, and/or recent law school graduate.
Demonstrated commitment to social justice and family defense issues.
Committed to client-centered representation.
Good oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with interdisciplinary staff members both within the practice and throughout BDS as a whole
Willingness and ability to commit time to write including meet interim and final deadlines for one or more fellowship applications, with input, guidance, and supervision from BDS staff.
Position Information
This is an exempt, salaried position. The normal schedule is Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. The position is based at BDS’s offices, and the courts located in Downtown Brooklyn. There is a three-day per week in-person requirement for all attorneys. Attorneys are also expected to handle all of their own cases in court, as well as meet with clients as needed, even if that results in additional days in-person.
BDS determines salary on a pay scale based on education and experience. For this position there is a base salary range of $80,000-$157,261 depending on the applicant’s education and experience. BDS offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance and a 403(b) retirement plan. In order to support work/life balance and family-friendly policies, BDS has generous vacation, sick, holiday, family, and medical leave policies.
Application Instructions
Click “Apply Now” to submit a cover letter and resume on our online application portal. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. We recommend you submit your application by July 19, 2024.
Brooklyn Defender Services is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to celebrating diversity and maintaining an equitable and inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, expressions, orientations, disabilities, and experiences to apply. If you require an accommodation due to a disability or another reason, please contact the Managing Director, H.R., Christina Wallace, at cwallace@bds.org.