Position: Staff Attorney and Program Coordinator
Department: LASSIF Legal Services
Reports to: Supervising Attorney
Basic Function of Position
The staff attorney/program coordinator works within a team of two attorneys and one DOJ-accredited representative/paralegal and ASC’s Supervising Social Worker under the Legal and Supportive Services for Individuals and Families Program (“LASSIF”) Program. This program provides a wide-range of civil legal services to individuals and families living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. The main areas of practice include - immigration, housing, family, public benefits, and advanced directives. The attorney/program coordinator will be responsible for a caseload and supervisor of the staff attorney and paralegal. The attorney will also work closely with ASC’s legal department, including attorneys, legal fellow, paralegals, volunteer attorneys, and law student interns.
New NYC Care Plan a Major Step Forward in Health Equity & Immigrant Rights
African Services Committee (ASC) applauds Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement to guarantee comprehensive health care to all New York City residents regardless of ability to pay or immigration status. Beginning in the Bronx in June, with rollout to the other boroughs completed by 2021, the NYC Care plan is a landmark initiative, contributing to universal health care coverage in New York City and is a welcome rebuttal to the Federal administration’s unrelenting assault on immigrant communities.
“Mayor de Blasio’s announcement that the new plan will include health coverage for undocumented City residents is a bold, essential step toward health equity and immigrant rights in New York City,” says ASC’s Director of Advocacy, Amanda Lugg.
Read more: ASC Lauds NYC Mayor’s Guarantee of Comprehensive Health Care for All
Threatens to Imperil Public Health Initiatives
New York, New York 10/10/2018 — African Services Committee condemns in the strongest possible terms the administration’s proposed revision to the “public charge” rule, and stands in solidarity with immigrant families and their allies across the country against any expansion of the “public charge” provisions.
When applying for permanent residency or “green card,” U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) must determine whether an immigrant is likely to become a public charge. The administration is proposing to dramatically expand the types of public benefits which USCIS may consider in its determination regarding whether someone is likely to become a public charge and therefore ineligible for permanent residency.
Read more: ‘Public Charge’ Proposed Rule Devastating to Immigrants & Families
As the current administration continues its assault on immigrants, detention centers are over capacity and asylum seekers are being sent to remote detention centers around the U.S. Places where there are no attorneys who can help them. They have no rights and they are treated as less than human. ASC and ICLC attorneys recently went the extra mile, literally, by traveling to provide pro bono legal counsel to help these asylum seekers.
Read more: ASC /ICLC Attorneys Assist Detainees at Remote ICE Detention Facility