Pro Bono Scholar – Immigration Unit

Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care.

LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.

LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer.

Pro Bono Scholar – Immigration Unit

Staten Island Legal Services (across the street from the ferry), the Staten Island office of Legal Services NYC, seeks a Pro Bono Scholar for Spring 2027 to join our Immigration Unit.

Program Description

Staten Island Legal Services (SILS) fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. SILS provides high-quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Staten Island’s diverse low-income populations.

SILS focuses on the problems that have the greatest impact on our clients —preserving affordable and decent housing, preventing foreclosures, representing survivors of domestic violence, assisting in obtaining government benefits, obtaining immigration status and preventing deportations, and advocating for the LGBTQ community, students with educational needs, and people with disabilities.

SILS is a part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), which is the largest provider of civil legal services in the country. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.

LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer.

The Opportunity

SILS seeks a Pro Bono Scholar to join the Immigration Unit for the Spring 2027 term. The Immigration Unit provides direct representation to clients in affirmative and defensive immigration matters and conducts outreach efforts to ensure access to our services for underserved Staten Island immigrant communities.

SILS represents immigrants in removal defense, affirmative and defensive asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), family petitions, consular processing, naturalization, VAWA self-petitions, and petitions for U or T-nonimmigrant status.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Pro Bono Scholar’s responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Represent individuals and families in removal proceedings before Immigration Court, and in administrative and federal appeals.
• Handle affirmative immigration matters, including asylum applications, family-based petitions, consular processing, naturalization, VAWA self-petitions, U and T visa petitions, and other immigration benefits.
• Represent clients in Family Court proceedings related to Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) cases.
• Represent clients during orders of supervisions and other check-ins.
• Collaborate with the unit's staff social worker to provide trauma-informed representation and holistic advocacy.
• Conduct client intake, community education, and outreach activities.
• Work collaboratively with attorneys and advocates across LSNYC units and boroughs on cross-disciplinary initiatives.
• Collaborate with Citywide Litigation on habeas petitions when necessary.
• Partner with community-based organizations on campaigns, projects, and advocacy efforts.
• Complete administrative responsibilities, including timekeeping, document management, data reporting, and grant compliance requirements.

Qualifications:

• Be a participant in the New York State Pro Bono Scholar program.
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice and working in low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity.
• Ability to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and conduct community outreach in low-income neighborhoods.
• Excellent advocacy, analytic, writing, and leadership skills.
• Fluency or proficiency in either Spanish or a language other than English that is frequently used by our clients is preferred.
• Experience in immigration related advocacy preferred.
• How to Apply: Interested individuals should upload their resume, cover letter, and writing sample onto Greenhouse.
• Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Please no telephone calls.
• Additional information about the practice may be found on our website, www.legalservicesnyc.org
• . Legal Services NYC is an equal-opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and people over the age of 40 are strongly encouraged to apply.
• All employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless they are unable to for medical or religious reasons.
• Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.