Asylum Seeker Volunteer (Law Students)

About Us

Good Shepherd Services is a leading multi-service agency with more than 85 programs that serve over 30,000 youth and families each year – and builds on their strengths to help them gain skills for success. At Good Shepherd we respect the dignity and worth of every person and reject intolerance, inequity and injustice in whatever form it may take. Voted one of the top 100 places to work in NYC by Crain’s New York, Good Shepherd Services offers a fantastic work environment, a collaborative team dedicated to fulfilling our mission, and an amazing array of benefits. Join our team and help make a difference!

Benefits

This is an Volunteer Position.

Overview

Title: Asylum Seeker Volunteer (Law Students).

Location: Brooklyn, New York (TBD)

Hours: Flexable Weekdays, evenings, and weekends

Salary: This is volunteer position without compensation, $0/hr.

Good Shepherd Services goes where children, youth, and families face the greatest challenges and provides resources that build on their inherent strengths to help them thrive. We operate 94 programs, which help over 30,000 youth and family members in struggling neighborhoods throughout New York City. All of our programs are united by a common goal—to create opportunities that help our participants succeed at school, at home, and in their community.

Overview:

Eastern Brooklyn Emergency Response Collaborative

Good Shepherd Services in collaboration with the Eastern Brooklyn Emergency Response Collaborative is recruiting pro bono lawyers and law students to host volunteer at application assistance pop-up events throughout Brooklyn to support asylum seekers with the application process.

The Eastern Brooklyn Emergency Response Collaborative is a coalition of community based nonprofit organizations, mutual aid networks, and other community stakeholders that came together during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist the residents of East New York with food insecurity, housing, employment, and public benefits. We are coordinating our work, sharing resources, publicizing each other’s services/opportunities for residents, advocating for new investments, and planning together for the neighborhood’s recovery and advancement.

Major Duties:

• Provide one-on-one legal consultation to asylum seekers
• Draft and file I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal
• Communicate with clients regarding case processing and procedural issues.
• Complete USCIS change of address and change of venue for asylum seekers
• Participate in Application Assistance pop-up events through Brooklyn
• Provide support with translations in Bengali, French, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and other Spanish dialects.
  
  
  

Qualifications:

• Pro bono law students with immigration law experience and in process/aspire to be in good standing with a state Bar.
• Law student currently attending law school and/or law school graduates
• Experience with asylum cases and/or the ability to be trained
• Bilingual - Bengali, French, Haitian Creole, Spanish
• Commitment to working toward positive community change.
• High School diploma and minimum 1-year office experience encouraged to apply.
• Must be personable and friendly, with good verbal and written communications skills.
  
  
  

Additional Information

Good Shepherd Services is an equal opportunity employer that is proudly committed to becoming an anti-racist and multicultural organization that stands up for justice and equity . We welcome prospective employees from diverse backgrounds, for administrative support and direct service and leadership roles, who will join us on that journey, uphold our values and approach , and believe in our mission. Additionally, we aim to have a racially representative leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.

Good Shepherd Services is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, participants, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of our activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and termination of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services.

We are committed to providing a workplace that is accessible and accommodating to employees with disabilities. As part of our commitment to providing a barrier-free recruitment and selection process, we will provide reasonable accommodations upon request for candidates with disabilities. If you require any accommodations to participate in the hiring process, please inform us of your needs in advance. We value diversity and inclusivity in our workplace and encourage applicants of all abilities to apply.