The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is seeking staff attorneys to join its brand-new Emergency Response Team (ERT) in the Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens Neighborhood Office. Every day across New York City, hundreds of low-income families end up in the various housing courts seeking immediate assistance as they have been evicted or are facing eviction within the next 24 hours. These critical cases require immediate action. Under this program, a team of supervisors, attorneys, and paralegals will operate as an emergency response team to provide representation to these clients. The ERT provides clients with legal and social services, with the dual objectives of preventing the immediate threat of homelessness and stabilizing families over time to reduce the risk of homelessness in partnership with social services agencies.

The City-wide Housing Practice at The Legal Aid Society handles a broad range of individual and group tenant representation at the trial and appellate levels, including holdovers, nonpayment proceedings, administrative hearings, and affirmative litigation in state and federal courts. The practice also works with tenant associations, tenant organizers, community-based organizations, partner legal services agencies, and probono attorneys.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Represent clients in city, state and federal court proceedings, administrative hearings, and affirmative litigation
• Provide representation and advocacy with local, state, and federal agencies
• Conduct policy advocacy on behalf of clients
• Represent the Civil Practice and The Legal Aid Society in the community
• Promote the work of the office, the Housing Law Practice, and the Civil Practice
• Work with pro bono lawyers and partner organizations
• Maintain a full caseload of clients
• Other duties as assigned

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Admission to the New York State Bar is required
• Experience and knowledge of housing law issues preferred
• Demonstrated commitment and experience in public interest law and civil legal services
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team and manage a high volume of cases
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate successfully with other groups and organizations
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills
• Excellent organizational skill
• Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role.  The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/Salary: $83,844 – $147-907

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if an offer is made.

Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society 

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov 

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Writing Sample

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of 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. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

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 (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), 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.