Temporary Staff Attorney - Hotline Service

Description

Position: Hotline Temporary Attorney – NYS Office of New Americans (ONA). The attorney will report to the Director of Hotline Services and support Rapid Response expanded weekend services, including: (1) advising hotline counselors on incoming calls; (2) screening for relief of unrepresented callers; (3) responding to urgent calls from community members; (4) providing information and brief advice to unrepresented callers; and (5) preparing legal updates and scripts for the Hotline team, with a focus on detention, removal policies, and due process rights.

This is a grant-funded weekend position, and employment will depend on continued availability of funding.

Schedule: Part-time, Saturdays and Sundays (plus 1 hour during the week on occasion) – up to 16 hours total.

Job duration: ASAP – 12/31/26

Salary: $38,000 – $46,000 annually

• Ensure that weekend Hotline Counselors are equipped with the information needed to answer calls from immigrant community members and provide accurate information, including rapid referrals to trusted partners. This includes consulting with counselors on live calls, preparing counselors to handle calls, receiving transferred calls to provide additional support, and conducting follow-up as needed with counselors or callers.
• Conduct brief intakes and evaluation of eligibility for immigration benefits and/or relief and provide accurate information. Answer general questions and provide brief legal advice and Know Your Rights information during calls received on the weekends, or during follow-up calls during the week, as needed.
• Stay current on immigration policy changes, with a focus on removal defense, due process, and eligibility for relief, to assist with preparing tip sheets and scripts for Hotline weekend staff. Provide in-house training, presentations, and workshops to enable Hotline staff to share meaningful referrals and pro se support resources for family preparedness planning, removal defense strategies, habeas petitions, and other legal remedies, as needed.
• Maintain working relationships with partners and stakeholders, including various internal departments, external legal service providers and community members, and conduct outreach presentations, as directed.
• Comply with program reporting requirements, such as maintaining regularly updated timesheets, training roster and data entry for the purposes of compiling vouchers and aggregate reports on weekend Hotline trends for funder and agency.
• Complete cybersecurity, data protection and privacy and cyber-ethics training and follow comprehensive privacy measures and digital best practices, as required under New York State law and by the agency, maintaining confidentiality and ensuring security of records that include personally identifying information of callers.

This is a part-time contract position to cover the ONA Hotline weekend expansion. Expected hours will include up to 16 hours on Saturdays and Sundays, and 1 hour during the week for training and/or meetings. Position is hybrid (primarily remote work; may need to come on-site occasionally for a meeting or training).

Required: The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Travel 5% of the time using public transportation or vehicle, traverse city streets, occasionally ascend/descend stairs, and be exposed to outside weather conditions.
• Remain stationary at a workstation, in meetings, and use a computer at least 90% of the time.
• Remain stationary and/or ambulate to instruct and monitor during trainings and presentations.
• Carry a laptop to offsite work locations.
• Other duties may be assigned.

• Juris Doctor, required.
• Experience in immigration law, required.
• Knowledge of removal defense, a plus.
• Member in good standing of a state bar is required, with admission to the New York Bar strongly preferred.

• Spanish Language Proficiency strongly preferred.
• Excellent writing, research, and analytical skills. Strong…