Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney, Temporary
About this role
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney, Temporary Reporting Office: New York, New York or Washington, DC
Department: Refugee and Immigrant Rights Job Classification: Fulltime; Exempt
Supervisor: Managing Attorney, NY Union Classification: Union
Accountable To: Managing Director, Representation Last Updated: 11/2/2026
Expected Start Date: 11/15/2026 Expected End Date: 04/15/2027
Purpose of the Job:
The Staff Attorney / Senior Staff Attorney – Temporary will assist in administering Human Rights First’s pro bono asylum legal representation work, primarily in the New York area. The staff attorney/senior staff attorney will mentor law firm attorneys providing representation in affirmative and defensive asylum cases. In addition, the staff attorney will engage in direct representation of asylum seekers.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
• Conduct legal screenings and intake interviews with asylum seekers; • Assist in identifying cases for pro bono placement and direct representation within our program; • Ensure that refugees represented by Human Rights First’s pro bono team receive high-quality legal representation by: (1) providing in-depth mentoring to volunteer attorneys; and (2) directly representing clients, when necessary; • Provide volunteer attorneys with prompt and thorough legal and procedural support on pro bono asylum cases, including conducting trainings, strategizing on individual cases, reviewing draft submissions, and informing volunteers of significant legal developments in asylum law; • Build and maintain strong relationships with local law firms, corporations, law school clinics, and volunteer attorneys; • Assist in placing our cases with volunteer attorneys, and promote attorney interest in pro bono representation of asylum seekers; • Collaborate with other local service providers to strategize on how to best meet the needs of the immigrant population and improve access to legal representation; • Identify, analyze, and respond to legal or procedural changes that affect asylum seekers, including statutory changes, proposed regulations, and decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal courts; • Provide legal advice and guidance to in-house legal services coordinators, and interns; • Assist in managing law school and undergraduate internship program, including helping recruit and supervise interns; • Assist in furthering advocacy initiatives by meeting with local officials at government agencies and detention facilities, and engaging in other advocacy efforts in collaboration with the Refugee Protection team, as needed; • Promote Human Rights First’s mission by participating in local community, promotional, and other professional networking events to increase the organization’s profile in the community; • Assist in efforts to secure and maintain funding for the organization and Refugee Representation team; and • Other duties as requested based on the team and/or organization’s need.