SRLP is hiring a staff attorney to be the Director of the Survival and Self-Determination Project. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. Please see our jobs page for more information on jobs and internships at SRLP.
Director of Survival & Self-Determination Project, Staff Attorney
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) is hiring a staff attorney and Director of the Survival and Self-Determination Project to join our Direct Services Team. The attorney would share co-director responsibilities with the Prisoner Justice and Immigrant Rights Project.
SRLP’s Direct Services Team
The Direct Services Team (DST) of SRLP consists of three projects: Survival and Self-Determination Project, Immigrant Rights Project and the Prisoner Justice Project. Our Immigrant Rights Project works with community members seeking name changes, updated immigration documents, adjustment of status, naturalization, removal defense and asylum. In our Survival and Self-Determination Project, we advocate for safe and accessible health care, represent community members seeking name changes and updated identity documents; and assist people seeking other services necessary for survival, like housing and government benefits. SRLP’s Prisoner Justice Project advocates on behalf of our incarcerated community members to address prison conditions, safety issues, access to health care, name changes and placement issues. In addition, the Prisoner Justice Project provides courtroom advocacy and re-entry assistance where possible. All of the attorneys also participate in public education, including speaking at conferences and providing cultural competency trainings to providers and government agencies.
Job Description: Director of the Survival and Self-Determination Project
The staff attorney will direct the work of the Survival and Self-Determination Project and participate in the work of the Immigrant Rights Project. There is significant overlap between both projects. The director will work closely with another attorney to provide direct services, impact litigation, public education, policy work, and community organizing support to advance the rights of transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming people. Responsibilities include all aspects of providing direct services to a caseload of indigent clients; negotiating with agencies to change policies impacting the survival of our community members; developing and pursuing impact litigation for safe access to health care, housing, employment, etc.; drafting know your rights materials and conducting trainings of community members and service providers; supervising legal interns; and supporting campaigns of community organizing projects through such means as coordinating legal observing for actions or conducting on-site clinics. The staff attorney will also share general administrative and collective-wide duties with other staff. Because SRLP is a non-hierarchical organization with no Executive Director, all staff members play a key role in daily operations, organizational development and governance.
Required Qualifications
The applicant should possess the following qualifications:
- Law degree
- Admission to practice in New York
- Familiarity with low-income transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming communities of color – Familiarity with health care, administrative and/or housing law
- Significant experience with immigration law
- Supervision experience
- Commitment to gender self-determination and racial and economic justice
- Willingness to work in a collective environment with consensus-based decision-making
Desired Additional Qualifications
- Fluency in Spanish and English
- Substantial civil legal services and/or civil rights litigation experience
- Public speaking experience
- Experience negotiating with government agencies
Compensation
Consistent with our values as a collective, all full-time staff are paid the same base annual salary, currently $53,836. An increased salary is possible based on need, such as for people supporting family members. Generous benefits package includes 3 weeks of vacation time, full medical and dental benefits, and payment of professional fees.
How to apply
Application
To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to the Hiring Committee via e-mail at hiring@srlp.org with subject line “Survival and Self-Determination Staff Attorney”. Application materials can be mailed to: Hiring Committee, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, 147 w. 24th St., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011. E-mail strongly preferred for submission. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Projected Start Dates
January 5, 2015
*People of color, trans people, women, people with intersex conditions or DSDs, people who have lived in poverty, people with disabilities, immigrants, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer people are strongly encouraged to apply
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