Title: Court Advocate

Unit: Court Advocacy

Reports to: Director of Court Advocacy

Status: Full Time; Regular; Non-Exempt

Salary: $50,000 - $55,000

Location: Kings County Court

Days/Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm

Position Summary:

Responsible for working with court stakeholders to assess and screen, and advocate for individuals to be placed in Fortune’s Alternative to Detention (ATD) or Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) programs, and report to the court regarding clients’ participation in programming.

Mission, Culture and Fit

The Court Advocate needs to match the mission and culture of Fortune, including, meeting a client there they are at; engaging participants with a non-judgmental, inclusive attitude; holding space for trauma associated with criminal justice involvement and incarceration; and helping them to believe in their power to change.

Communication

The Court Advocate must be able to communicate effectively, both written and orally with defense and district attorneys, judges, other court parties, internal program staff and participants. The Court Advocate must understand the role of each of these stakeholders and how to communicate with all.

Time Management

Court can be a fast paced, unpredictable, chaotic environment. Court Advocates are tasked with communicating with court parties, managing multiple court appearances, some of which occur at the same time, conducting client screenings and assessments, fielding calls from active clients and internal and external program staff and participating in case conferences. Prioritizing the above is imperative in being able to manage the work and do it effectively.

Initiative

Court Advocates are the doorway for many of our Fortune clients. It takes initiative to get cases, follow them through to plea and finally completion and sentencing. While many time cases are brought to the Court Advocate by the defense or district attorney, more often than not, the Court Advocate needs to take the lead by going after appropriate cases and then approaching the attorneys and potential participants. This takes confidence, drive and ambition.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Screen court calendars and court related documents to identify eligible candidates for Fortune’s ATD/ATI programs;
• Liaise with defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges;
• Interview prospective clients, both currently incarcerated and in the community;
• Advocate before the court for the release of clients to Fortune’s ATD/ATI programs;
• Present written and verbal reports to the court regarding client’s participation in ATD/ATI programming;
• Collaborate with Fortune’s counselors, case managers, and other staff including clinical team, to assist clients in achieving long and short-term goals;
• Record accurate information on all activities including court proceedings related to clients’ court cases;
• Provide up to date information regarding Fortune’s ATD/ATI service to all external stakeholders;
• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with defense attorneys, judges, and prosecutors that engender confidence in Fortune; and
• Perform other duties as needed.

Qualifications:

• Ability to get access to the courts through an Office of Court Administration Secure Pass;
• High school diploma or GED/HSE required; MSW or LMSW, preferred
• Previous court advocacy experience preferred;
• Experience with databases for entering client information;
• Knowledge of the structure and procedures of the Criminal Justice System and its legalese required;
• Experience with ATD and ATI programs a plus;
• Strong oral and written communications skills required;
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus; and
• We seek talented, dedicated individuals from all walks of life who possess a strong commitment to this mission. Relevant personal experience is a plus.

Travel Requirements:

Requires travel around NYC boroughs and to our Long Island City site office.

Physical Demands:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The responsibilities and requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, minimum education, training, licensing, experience and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

The Fortune Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of conviction history, race, religion/creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, victim of domestic violence status or marital status.