Supervising Attorney
African Communities Together (ACT), an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for our families here in the U.S. and worldwide, is seeking applications and nominations for the position of New York Supervising Attorney. With current chapters in New York City and Washington, DC, ACT works to support and empower African immigrants to integrate socially, advance economically, and engage civically. It connects African immigrants to services, develops members into grassroot leaders, and drives action to make social change.
ACT’s New York based immigration legal program plays a critical role in fighting for justice and dignity for low-income African immigrants. The New York office works with a diverse, vibrant community of African immigrants, many of them from countries in West Africa. The legal department provides direct services, legal screening, litigation support, and public education campaigns for the communities it serves. At an exciting inflection point of growth and expansion, the Supervising Attorney will lead the New York immigration legal program and serve as ACT’s lead on a coordinate citywide initiative, ActionNYC, which works with immigrant communities across New York’s five boroughs, connecting individuals to no-cost legal consultations, document preparation and application assistance. The Supervising Attorney will oversee a DOJ certified paralegal staff who is currently on staff and expand the team as needed to screen and manage the intake process for new clients.
Location: New York City, NY (currently remote/hybrid)
For the full position description and to apply, please visit: https://recruitcrm.io/apply/25095101
More information about African Communities Together may be found at: https://africans.us
While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:
- A passion for ACT’s mission and demonstrated commitment to community-centered immigrant justice;
- Licensed attorney in good standing and eligible to practice immigration law. New York bar admission strongly preferred;
- At least 2 years of experience of immigration legal practice, preferably with low-income clients from African countries. Experience with affirmative and defensive applications for humanitarian relief (particularly asylum), family-based applications, and naturalization applications is highly desirable;
- An emerging leadership orientation that places deep value on diverse perspectives and emphasizes the development and growth of team members and encourages learning and continued improvement;
- Experience working in partnership and collaboration with diverse groups, including legal service providers, organizers, community leaders, and other legal advocacy organizations; experience engaging with African immigrant communities and centering their experience and voices;
- A deep personal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; lived experience that informs an authentic understanding of challenges faced by vulnerable African immigrants;
- Commitment to personal and professional continuous improvement;
- A leader who is disciplined, focused, and detail-oriented, and who has experience with creating and putting in place systems for organizing and managing legal casework, while also being agile and adaptive;
- Fluency in a widely spoken African language such as Mandingo, Fula, Yoruba, Igbo, Kru or Hausa, and/or in French or Arabic, is strongly preferred; and
- Ability to succeed in a “startup” environment, including accountability to goals, ability to work independently, take on multiple roles, and prioritize. Ability to work evenings, weekends, and irregular hours when the work requires it.
This search is being led by Callie Carroll, Julian Jackson, and Yuniya Khan of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s candidate portal.
African Communities Together is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.