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Please check back soon for more positions available at The Legal Project.  For more information, or to apply for a position with our organization, please contact The Legal Project at (518) 435-1770.

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 Position Posted Through April 27, 2018:  Summer Fellowship for Law Student

AMERICORPS JD PROGRAM- New York State Family Security Project  

AGENCY DESCRIPTION: The Legal Project is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Albany, NY, that has grown from a small volunteer program in 1995 into an innovative staff-based and pro bono program that leverages community resources and experience in providing free and low cost civil legal services to domestic violence victims and the working poor.  Our many programs include family court and divorce representation in domestic violence cases, legal advocacy and assistance to college students who are victims of sexual assault or interpersonal violence; immigration services, foreclosure prevention, wills and end of life planning, bankruptcy, veteran’s legal clinics, small business legal assistance and community legal clinics on general civil legal issues.  The Legal Project also provides community education and professional training.  The Legal Project believes that all people, regardless of income, gender, disability, race, religion, age, sexual orientation or ethnicity should have access to legal services. This belief reflects a deep commitment to fairness and equal justice under the law. Based upon these beliefs, the mission of The Legal Project is to make the law more accessible to those in need, to increase the legal community's involvement in pro bono work; and to serve as a resource on legal issues. We feel a special commitment to women and others who may have difficulty in obtaining legal assistance.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The New York State Family Security Project will engage 106 law students to serve as AmeriCorps members around the state of New York who are focused on fostering family security and community education through the delivery of high-quality legal services.

AmeriCorps JD: New York State Family Security Project

New York State Family Security Project law student members will improve family stability and community safety in the state of New York. Law student members serving at organizations that host Equal Justice Works New York State Family Security Project Legal Fellows will focus specifically on assisting the Fellows with representing clients in immigration court and before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), screening clients and preparing immigration applications, providing brief legal advice and legal aid, educating the community on the impact of evolving immigration law and policy, and engaging pro bono attorneys to provide legal assistance to immigrants and their families.

Attitude and General Responsibilities

• Support program staff, your supervisor, and administrative staff in duties as appropriate and necessary.
• Consult with your supervisor if you have any ideas, issues, or concerns, offering analysis and solutions whenever possible.
• Practice sound health habits, including getting sufficient rest, to effectively perform the position requirements.
• Respect confidentiality of clients, staff, and other AmeriCorps members.

Program leadership

• Make connections with individuals and volunteers in the community for program outreach and program enhancement.
• Assist AmeriCorps members and staff in programming and activities
• Train and assist volunteers when appropriate.

Program-specific duties

• Initial client intake for immigrants and their family members on matters relating to immigration law.
• Work as part of a team to ensure that immigrants and their family members receive appropriate legal services.
• Work in collaboration with The Legal Project’s Immigration Pro Bono Panel, providing support such as legal research assistance, referrals or on-going client contact
• Make referrals to community resources as appropriate and represent The Legal Project as appropriate in external meetings or task forces where legal issues impacting immigrants and refugees are discussed.
• Assist Attorneys during consultations and client follow-up with note taking, research and application preparation.
• Translation of supporting documents for client cases and Interpretation during consultation (if qualified)

Citizenship training and responsibilities

• Participate in AmeriCorps training and national service events as required and requested by the New York State Commission

Program training

• Participate in orientation training.
• Participate in substantive legal issue training as provided by Equal Justice Works    

Skill requirements:

• Thoroughness, organization and attention to detail.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to relate to clients and staff.
• Ability to plan, take responsibility, set priorities and delegate effectively.
• Second language in addition to English preferred

Program Benefits: The New York State Family Security Project AmeriCorps JD program is an AmeriCorps-funded program that provides law students with the opportunity to earn an AmeriCorps education award of ,252 that can be used to pay educational expenses or student loans.  Students may seek up to ,399 in additional compensation for their service, for a total of up to ,651 in compensation.  The ,399 in additional compensation may be funded by a Federal Work Study Award, the student’s law school, local bar foundation, and/or other public interest fellowship award.  In addition, students are welcome to hold outside employment to supplement their income. 

Students must complete 300 hours of service and complete these hours by September 1, 2018 unless prior approval is given by Equal Justice Works. Requirements to serve include completion of a National Sex Offender Public Registry check, state criminal background check(s), FBI Fingerprint criminal background check, and submission of proof of U.S. citizenship or legal permanent residency.

LOCATIONS: Albany, New York

TO APPLY: Send a letter of interest and your resume to: Natalie Birch-Higgins at nbirch@legalproject.org Once you have secured an AmeriCorps JD service position with your host organization, apply to be enrolled in the AmeriCorps JD program through our Student Application Manager. More information is available at http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/americorpsjd.

The Legal Project is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or veteran status.

Application Deadline: April 27th, 2018 but candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

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Description for Equal Justice Works Crime Victims Justice Corps Legal Fellowship

Organization:  The Capital District Women’s Bar Association Legal Project, Inc.

Fellowship: Equal Justice Works Crime Victims Justice Corps

The Capital District Women’s Bar Association Legal Project, Inc.  (The Legal Project), will host a fellow over two years as part of the Equal Justice Works Crime Victims Justice Corps.  Starting date June 1, 2018.

The Equal Justice Works Crime Victims Justice Corps is a legal fellowship program designed to increase capacity and access to civil legal help for crime victims. A cohort of approximately sixty fellows are placed at nonprofit organizations across the country to provide direct representation, to victims of crimes, including human trafficking, fraud/identity theft, campus sexual assault, and hate crime, and immigrant victims of crime with meritorious claims for immigration relief, and outreach and education to community partners. All fellows will incorporate crime victims’ rights enforcement into their practice and will receive training from the National Crime Victim Law Institute and other training and technical assistance providers.

This program is supported by an award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, Award Number 2017-MU-MU-K131, and private funding.

The fellow will be supervised by The Legal Project, 24 Aviation Road, Suite 101 Albany, New York.  The Legal Project is an independent, non-profit civil legal services program, incorporated in 1995 to assist the working poor in the Capital Region of NYS, and has a 23+ year history and reputation for having special expertise in providing civil legal services and crime victim advocacy for intimate partner victims.  In addition to our victim support programs the Legal Project also provides legal representation on immigration matters, bankruptcies, foreclosures, family and divorce proceedings.

Fellowship Description:

The Equal Justice Works Crime Victims Justice Corps Fellow will:

• Work with The Legal Project and community attorneys to expand free legal services for victims of human trafficking on matters such as family law, housing, immigration, education, consumer law, and victims’ rights
• Provide direct legal services to human trafficking survivors
• Conduct outreach and education activities and provide referrals

• Contribute to programmatic reporting required under the federal award
• Collaborate with other Equal Justice Works Crime Victims Justice Corps Fellows
• Actively participate in mandatory in-person training programs including two-day Crime Victims Justice Corps Victim Law Boot Camp training on June 28-29, 2018 in Washington, DC; learning event at the end of the Fellowship; annual three-day Equal Justice Works Leadership Development Training in October/November 2018 and 2019 in Washington, DC; and training calls with the National Crime Victim Law Institute

Qualifications:

 The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Licensed to practice law in New York
• A demonstrated commitment to public interest work and desire to assist indigent clients
• Strong writing, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
• An ability to provide victim-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally competent legal assistance to crime victims/survivors
• An ability to work collaboratively in a variety of contexts and with multiple organizations to facilitate comprehensive services to crime victims/survivors
• Ability to begin the fellowship by on or about June 1, 2018 and serve for 2 years
• Those with legal experience in crime victims’ rights enforcement and victim service are strongly encouraged to apply
• Law school clinic, externship, summer or other relevant practice experience a plus 

Salary and other support:

The Fellow will receive an annual salary, as well as health insurance and other benefits. 

Benefits provided by The Legal Project

• Health insurance provided; Position related travel reimbursement and bar dues provided, etc. 

Application Instructions:

Send cover letter, writing sample, resume and list of references to Jessica Lennon, Assistant Director, at 24 Aviation Road, Suite 101, Albany NY  12205

The Capital District Women’s Bar Association Legal Project, Inc.  is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or veteran status.

Application Deadline:

Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

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 The Legal Project Overview:

The Legal Project believes that all people, regardless of income, gender, disability, race, religion, age, sexual orientation or ethnicity should have access to legal services. This belief reflects a deep commitment to fairness and equal justice under the law.