Description:

Position Overview:
The Senior Staff Attorney handles uncontested and contested matrimonial and contested family court actions, in all five boroughs of New York City and oversees Sanctuary's Uncontested Divorce Project. The Senior Staff Attorney empowers victims of gender based violence by providing them with comprehensive, compassionate, holistic legal services by providing them with comprehensive, compassionate, holistic legal services through direct representation, collaboration with pro bon attorneys, information and referrals, community education, and client outreach.

Responsibilities:

Provides comprehensive legal services to clients who are victims of gender based violence , including: information and referrals; personal advocacy and accompaniment; emotional support and safety services; and criminal/civil justice assistance and advocacy
Represents victims of domestic violence in Family and Supreme Court primarily in cases involving: child support, spousal support orders of protection, custody, and visitation issues, matrimonial matters, enforcement or modification actions.
Recruits, mentors, trains and supervises attorneys, law students, pro bono attorneys and volunteers
Develops and conducts trainings in the area of matrimonial law and gender violence
Coordinates the Uncontested Divorce Clinic with law students and the Publication Divorce Clinic with pro bono attorneys, Overseeing all aspects, including collaboration with participating law schools and law firms, placing cases with law students and associates, training, supervising, and mentoring the law students and associates
Supervise law students in their client interaction and drafting of uncontested divorce paperwork
Supervise, mentor, and collaborate with pro bono attorneys on uncontested, publication, and contested divorces
Collaborates with other domestic violence advocates practicing in the field of matrimonial and family law
Builds relationships/partnerships with law firms, law schools, community based organizations, and other agencies to strengthen our practice and increase the visibility of Sanctuary for Families in the legal and domestic violence communities
Represents Sanctuary for Families on task forces, other political and advocacy committees, and participates in outreaches outside the agency
Advocates for clients in legal and non-legal forums outside of their matrimonial or family court cases
Attends and participates in internal and external agency conferences/webinars and legal/ bar association committee meetings to keep abreast of developments in the areas of pro bono, domestic violence, and matrimonial/family law
Handles a caseload of family and matrimonial matters
Facilitates clients' access to intra-agency and outside resources
Tracks client cases through Salesforce case management system
Performs related duties or special projects as directed by supervisors

Requirements:

J.D. and Admission to the New York State Bar
Minimum of 5 years legal experience, preferably in the public interest sector, and with past family and matrimonial law experience
Ability to handle all aspects of complex matrimonial matters
Experience working in the gender violence field
Ability to be self-motivated, work independently, work collaboratively, problem-solve, prioritize and multitask
Ability to effectively mentor direct reports and collaborate with all staff
Knowledge of gender-based oppression and a strong motivation for social change against gender-based violence
Ability to cooperate well with diverse people and institutions
Excellent oral advocacy, public speaking, communication, research, and writing skills
Excellent problem solving, facilitation, and conflict resolution skills
Excellent organizational skills, initiative and attention to detail
Strong computer skills
Proficiency in LexisNexis Legal Research, Salesforce, Microsoft Office suite
Spanish fluency strongly preferred
Supervisory experience strongly preferred