Pro bono Attorney
Legal Support Services
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. Our clients look to us to bring a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges effectively and cost efficiently. We believe in hiring talented and dedicated individuals as members of our administrative community. We draw on the strength of our culture and structure to deliver the best of our firm to our lawyers and clients through true collaboration. The firm is seeking a passionate and experienced Pro Bono Attorney to join our award-winning
Pro Bono team to play a critical role in advancing the firm's commitment to pro bono work by supporting and expanding pro bono initiatives across a wide range of practice areas and jurisdictions.
The ideal candidate will join our professional services team and report directly to the Global Pro Bono Counsel & Director of Corporate Philanthropy, collaborating on key initiatives.
The Pro Bono Attorney will work closely with lawyers, legal services organizations, community partners, and will help to manage the pro bono program, mentor lawyers engaged in pro bono work and help to develop innovative strategies to meet emerging legal needs in underserved communities.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Case Supervision & Management
- Oversee, with partners and counsel, a diverse range of pro bono matters, including trials and hearings, in areas including civil litigation, immigration, housing, criminal justice, and family law
- Coordinate staffing of pro bono matters
- Program Development & Strategy
- Create budgets for large pro bono matters
- Develop knowledge management resources for hearings, trials and other pro bono projects
- Identify and evaluate new pro bono opportunities aligned with firm capabilities and social impact goals
- Coordinate clinics and other pro bono events
- Training & Mentorship
- Organize training sessions to support attorney development in pro bono areas
- Provide mentoring and substantive legal guidance to associates and other legal professionals involved in pro bono matters
- Firm Engagement & Reporting
- Promote pro bono culture across offices through internal communications, events, and recognitions
- Track and report on pro bono metrics for internal reporting and external recognitions
Qualifications:
- Required
- J.D. from an accredited law school
- Admission to practice in New York State
- Minimum 5 years of relevant legal experience, including significant experience in government, pro bono, public interest law, or impact litigation
- Extensive experience with hearings and trials in federal and/or state court
- Strong attention to detail, project management, leadership, and interpersonal skills
- Excellent legal research, writing, and advocacy abilities
- Ability to work effectively across departments and with attorneys at all levels
- Ability to multi-task and manage multiple priorities and deadlines
- Strong work ethic, flexible, dependable, and positive can-do attitude; must be able to adapt schedule to changing environment
- Preferred
- Experience at a large law firm
- Experience with criminal proceedings and experience in immigration court and family court
- Experience with database management and knowledge management
- Fluency in written and spoken Spanish and ability to act as an informal interpreter when needed
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