Position: The Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. (LASMNY) seeks a Managing Attorney for its Farmworker Law Project (FLP) located in New Paltz, New York. The New Paltz office represents migrant and seasonal farm, nursery and food processing workers across New York State.
Description of Program: FLP is a statewide project of LASMNY representing migrant and seasonal workers across New York, which ranks 10th nationwide for number of farmworkers and 10th for number of H-2A workers. FLP’s legal practice focuses on employment, wages and working conditions, housing conditions and evictions, civil rights, discrimination and other status issues, and limited immigration practice. FLP collaborates with legal and service providers on issues of taxes and access to New York’s generous ACA health insurance programs that are available to farmworkers.
FLP and LASMNY are funded by the Legal Services Corporation. LASMNY provides comprehensive civil legal services to low income residents of the following counties: Broome, Chenango, Cayuga, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and Otsego. FLP operates statewide from the New Paltz office.
Responsibilities: The Managing Attorney will assist in supervising FLP’s staff which currently consists of a paralegal and an office administrator. She or he will also represent farmworkers in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies in program priority areas. The Managing Attorney will also supervise and be involved in community education and outreach to migrant labor camps, including overnight travel and collaboration with legal and service agencies. The Managing Attorney will participate in development for the FLP and other LASMNY management as assigned. The Managing Attorney will also oversee FLP’s compliance with all requirements of FLP’s funding sources including the Legal Services Corporation.
Qualifications: A qualified applicant will have three to five years experience in employment, immigration and immigrant rights law (preferably in farmworker law, including knowledge of FLSA, AWPA, and H-2A law); excellent legal skills including litigation experience; ability to speak and write Spanish strongly preferred; prior supervisory experience is a plus; and membership in the New York bar or eligibility to obtain membership through reciprocity or by next available exam.
Applications: By electronic mail only, send resume, writing sample, cover letter and references to:
Paul Lupia, Executive Director
Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc.
268 Genesee Street
Utica, NY 13502
[email protected]