Juvenile Rights Practice Staff Attorney - Entry Level Fall 2026 - New York, NY

The Legal Aid Society's Juvenile Rights Practice (JRP) is seeking to hire entry-level Staff Attorney and or Law Graduates eligible to practice pursuant to the Legal Aid Society practice order, to fill openings in several of its trial offices. JRP provides legal representation to children and youth, who are before New York City Family Courts on child welfare, PINS (Persons-in-Need-of-Supervision), youth justice, public defense, and termination of parental rights petitions. JRP attorneys practice on inter-disciplinary teams with social workers, paralegals, and investigators.

The deadline to apply isDecember 1, 2025. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early. Offers will also be extended on a rolling basis. Interviews will be scheduled throughout the fall, and if you are selected for an interview, you will receive an email notification during this season. The application process will include:

• On Campus Interview (OCI), if applicable, serving as a screening

• Two rounds of interviews

• Reference checks

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Represent clients in Family Court litigation, including fact-finding, dispositional and post-dispositional hearings

• Conduct direct client representation and institutional assignments including intake and case coverage

• Conduct out-of-court case preparation including interviewing, investigation, document review, and witness preparation

• Draft motions, orders, bills/demands, and other documents

• Counsel and interview clients

• Consult and advocating with service providers

• Identify issues and resources

• Collaborate with colleagues across Juvenile Rights, Civil, and Criminal practice areas

• Seek compliance with court orders, regulatory requirements, and agency policies

• Ensure that the child has a voice in all decisions made about their life

• Engage in ongoing professional development and training

• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• Admission to the New York State Bar or Bar Exam Passage, or Law School Graduate eligible to practice pursuant to the Legal Aid Society practice order

• 1-3 years legal advocacy and or litigation experience preferred, not required

• Relevant clinical program or work experience preferred

• Commitment to children's issues and youth justice

• Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and serving racially and socioeconomically oppressed communities

• Ability to work effectively with children, adolescents, and their family members

• Strong written and oral advocacy skills

• Ability to work collaboratively in a high-volume practice

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $83,844 - $147,907

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter

• Resume

• Transcript

• Writing Sample

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.

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