The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is seeking a Staff Attorney to join its Foreclosure Prevention Unit to represent shareholders in cooperative units and owners of low-income condominiums facing the loss of their shares or their condominium apartment because of default with their mortgage payments and/or arrears with maintenance or common charges.  The attorney will represent condominium owners in Supreme Court and shareholders in cooperative units in non-judicial foreclosure actions with the goal of preserving one of the few affordable housing resources.

The Foreclosure Prevention Unit provides representation and assistance to homeowners to prevent foreclosures and challenge abusive lending and real estate practices. The Unit partners with city-and statewide advocates on policy advocacy and law reform issues and conducts community outreach and education.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Represent clients in supreme court involving foreclosure actions commenced against owners of condominium apartments
• Represent shareholders in cooperative units in non-judicial foreclosures including but not limited to bringing affirmative actions in supreme court
• Assist clients in resolving disputes with the board or management of the coop or condo board as applicable
• Advocate for legislative reforms and policy changes
• Develop and maintain relationships with community-based organizations, advocates, governmental agencies, elected officials, and the courts
• Develop community education materials and conduct community outreach, education and training
• Assist with pro bono initiatives and work with pro bono partners
• Train and supervise interns
• Complete administrative tasks as assigned, such as those related to grant reporting
• Other duties as assigned

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

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Writing Sample

• New York State Bar admission or ready for NYS Bar admission
• Familiarity with foreclosure, lending and consumer issues required
• Experience in assisting shareholders and owners or condominiums strongly preferred
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills
• Ability to work independently as well as a part of the team and manage a high volume of cases
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and civil legal services
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate successfully with other groups and organizations
• 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: $81,426- $143,640

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 

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.

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.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jo**************@le*******.org.

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.