ICARE Coalition · 5 hours ago
Legal Programs Director
New York, NY
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$90K/yr - $120K/yr
5+ years expICARE Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to legal representation for unaccompanied children facing deportation. They are seeking a Legal Programs Director to lead legal programming for youth on the juvenile docket, providing court support and developing training for coalition partners while ensuring vulnerable immigrant children receive the necessary assistance during legal proceedings.
Non-profit Organizations
Hiring Manager
Sierra Kraft
Responsibilities
Provide on-site and virtual support during juvenile-docket calendars: prepare youth for hearings, draft advocacy/continuance letters, coordinate interpretation, advise on in-person versus virtual appearance logistics
Serve as a courtroom resource to help ensure due process and prevent in-absentia outcomes
Work with ICARE’s Program Manager to translate systemic trends and findings into briefs or reports
Supervise and mentor volunteers or staff supporting court programming
Design and deliver practical trainings to ICARE network providers on topics including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, EOIR practice, motions, virtual-appearance best practices, interpreter use, trauma-informed lawyering, among others
Establish a process to respond in real-time to legal provider questions and concerns (e.g., short continuances for pro se youth, DHS opposition on terminations, venue and calendaring)
Develop a resource directory for legal service providers including, scripts, checklists, sample filings, and practice advisories
Work closely with member organizations, court stakeholders, and 18-B leadership to align protocols and escalate systemic barriers
Maintain a warm-handoff pipeline from court to counsel/services, including referrals for youth on ICARE’s centralized waitlist
Qualification
Required
You have a passion for our mission, and you believe it is critical for all immigrants to have access to counsel
You bring deep knowledge of removal defense, SIJS, asylum, and EOIR practice, with substantial exposure to juvenile docket work
You approach every case with trauma-informed, culturally responsive practice that centers the child's experience and needs
You can balance direct service with program development, moving fluidly between supporting an individual youth and designing tools that serve hundreds
You're proactive in identifying systemic barriers and creating solutions that work in fast-moving, resource-constrained environments
You excel at translating complex legal concepts into practical, accessible training
You've mentored legal staff or trained pro bono/18-B panels, and you're energized by building others' capacity to do excellent work
You have excellent written and verbal communication skills
You collaborate effectively with courts, community partners, and diverse teams, and you exercise sound judgment in high-stakes courtroom environments
J.D. and admission to the New York State Bar
Five or more years of relevant experience (removal defense, SIJS, asylum, EOIR practice) with substantial exposure to juvenile docket work; prior training/mentoring of legal staff or pro bono/18-B panels preferred
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with demonstrated experience in creating and delivering legal trainings
Trauma-informed, youth-centered approach; culturally responsive practice and strong communication skills
Proven capacity to collaborate with courts and community partners and exercise sound court judgment
Comfort in working in a fast-moving environment, and ability to travel to court and partner sites, and cover early-morning calendars
Preferred
Spanish (professional proficiency) strongly preferred; other commonly used languages a plus
Benefits
Health, dental, and life insurance
Paid family leave
Long-term disability
Flexible spending accounts
Eligibility to participate in retirement plans
Generous vacation
Company
ICARE Coalition
Immigrant Children Advocates Relief Effort (ICARE) is a coalition of legal services organizations that provides free legal services to unaccompanied children fighting deportation in New York City with the ultimate goal of access to universal representation.
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase