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About the Role

The Legal Aid Society's Criminal Defense Practice seeks a Community Engagement Coordinator to support the Policy Unit of the Law Reform Team. This role will focus on policy and legislative initiatives, expert testimony, and advocating for legislative change, with a strong emphasis on incorporating perspectives from individuals with personal experience in the criminal legal system.

Responsibilities

• Organize and expand internal and external contact lists, schedule meetings, and maintain contact with elected officials and community partners.
• Organize advocacy days and hearing testimony.
• Build out and deliver educational platforms on legislative campaigns for the communities served.
• Participate in coalition spaces and build support for legislative reform packages.
• Attend community board meetings to build local support for criminal legal system reforms.
• Develop a sustained method for communicating with individuals represented by the criminal practice to gather feedback on proposed reforms.
• Participate in continuous professional development.
• Learn about forms of bias in the workplace and support an inclusive work environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A combination of 2+ years of post-secondary education, work experience, or equivalent lived experience, such as a period of incarceration.
• Demonstrated interest and experience in racial and social justice advocacy or criminal legal system reform.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and develop relationships with internal and external partners.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Some experience working on legislative and policy issues relating to criminal justice, or other issue-based coalition work including experience with public comments or testimony.
• Familiarity with the criminal legal system and the work of public defense organizations.
• Familiarity with current legislative campaigns and failings of the criminal legal system.
• Experience working with community organizations, elected officials, and organizers.
• Ability to work within a team model.
• Knowledge of movements to reform New York’s criminal legal system, including jails and prisons.
• Demonstration or performance of coalition building and community engagement work.
• Ability to successfully navigate public databases of state and local legislation and reach lawmakers via their staff to schedule meetings and briefings.
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values.
• Interpersonal and communication skills for healthy working relationships.
• Ability to perform duties with confidentiality, integrity, and respect.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship.

Skills

• Project management
• Organizational skills
• Collaboration
• Relationship building
• Written communication
• Oral communication
• Legislative advocacy
• Policy analysis
• Public speaking
• Media training
• Coalition building
• Community engagement
• Public database navigation
• Scheduling meetings
• Testimony preparation

Location

• New York City
• Albany, NY

Work Type

• Full-time
• Grant-funded (two-year position)

Experience Level

• 2+ years of post-secondary education, work experience, or equivalent lived experience

Education Level

• Post-secondary education

Salary/Compensations

• $65,000 - $70,000

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Paid vacation
• Disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility
• State and Federal loan forgiveness programs
• Potential New York state assistance with loan repayments

About the Company

• The Legal Aid Society is committed to securing equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers.
• The organization fosters a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity, inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice, and excellent representation.
• The Legal Aid Society is dedicated to building strong professional relationships with clients and understanding their diverse circumstances to meet their needs.

Equal Opportunity

• As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.
• The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation.
• Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.