Staff Attorney

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Staff Attorney
Responsibilities: Provide legal advocacy and representation to student survivors of gender violence, including as an attorney-advisor to complainants in gender-based misconduct investigations at colleges and universities, including those conducted at Columbia University and Barnard College, by interviewing clients, assisting clients in building an evidence-based case, accompanying clients to all related meetings and interviews with investigators, assisting with all relevant written documents, reviewing case files, preparing witnesses, and advising clients during any gender-based misconduct hearings; Work with survivors to “system-map” and identify the system(s) that will best provide their pathway to safety and justice, including the Title IX system, Family Court System, and Criminal Justice System, by explaining the differences in procedure, purpose, and burden of proof of each system; Provide criminal justice advocacy to survivors contemplating the criminal justice system, including providing a detailed overview of the criminal justice system, as it pertains to the facts of the client’s case, preparing the survivor for meetings with law enforcement, contacting appropriate law enforcement partners to set up interviews, accompanying client to all meetings and interviews with law enforcement, preparing client to testify and accompanying client to dates of testimony, keeping in contact with assigned law enforcement, and providing clients with updates about their criminal justice case. Provide advocacy and representation to student survivors in Family Court, when appropriate, including on order of protection and custody/visitation matters. Communicate with University staff and administration regarding case assignments and representation of students; Train, mentor, and supervise volunteers, pro bono attorneys, legal interns, and law school student advocates on issues relating to campus gender violence; Conduct educational outreach to relevant populations, including students, advocacy organizations, and law enforcement, on topics including overviews of student survivors’ rights under the Title IX system, the Family Court system, the Criminal Justice system, campus gender violence under the new Title IX regulations, and explanations of the program. Train and supervise law students each semester and volunteer summer associates each summer who advocate for petitioners seeking orders of protection in Family Court; Represent victims of domestic violence in Family Court and the Integrated Domestic Violence Court (IDVC) in cases including: orders of protection, custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, and matrimonial matters; Mentor and supervise law students and volunteers; Advocate for clients in legal and non-legal forums outside of their family law cases, including housing, public benefits, and the criminal justice system; Supervise summer interns on various projects; Collaborate with clinicians, attorneys, and other advocates in and outside of the agency to secure best results for clients; Collaborate with the Family Justice Centers and conduct legal screenings there; Train law students in family law and other related topics; Maintain statistics relating to client services for grant-reporting purposes; Facilitate clients’ access to intra-agency and outside resources; administer provision of direct financial assistance and donations to clients Attend trainings on relevant legal issues; Perform any other department or agency-related duties or special projects as directed by supervisors; Refer clients to the appropriate in-house and external services and track the status of internal and external referrals; Accept referrals of potential clients, screen their cases for eligibility for direct representation, and provide limited scope or full legal representation, as appropriate; Communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with the various referral agencies and partners to ensure victims are receiving the most comprehensive response; Maintain accurate and updated records of current and potential clients in the agency’s electronic database; Perform any other department or agency-related duties or special projects; Collaborate within Legal department to ensure clients have access to legal services such as matrimonial, immigration, and benefits advocacy; Collaborate with Clinical department to ensure clients have access to clinical therapy, counseling services, and case management; Collaborate with outside entities when necessary to connect clients with local or specialized services (such as cultural or borough specific needs).

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