Job Title: Staff Attorney - Special Populations Programs
Job Responsibilities:
- Maintain a full-time caseload representing eligible clients in housing and landlord-tenant matters, including evictions and conditions issues, primarily in Monroe County courts, with occasional work in other areas within the organization's service area.
- Provide legal services to low-income clients and client groups, which include advice, negotiation, litigation, and administrative advocacy.
- Interact respectfully and effectively with clients, partners, and team members from diverse backgrounds, with a strong emphasis on cultural competence and humility.
- Collaborate with other advocates within the organization, human services providers, non-profit organizations, community groups, courts, administrative tribunals, and the private bar to address legal problems within the community, including providing community legal education.
- Ensure compliance with all grant reporting requirements, program reporting, timekeeping, file maintenance, case closing, and compliance review.
Education and Experience Information:
- Juris Doctorate or equivalent is required.
- Must be admitted to practice and in good standing in New York State.
- Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income individuals is essential.
- Experience in litigation and advocacy in local, state, and/or federal court and/or administrative forums in at least one area of poverty law is preferred.
- Experience with anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices in legal work is valued.
- Understanding of structural and institutional racism and its impact on underserved and underrepresented communities is crucial.
- Strong interpersonal skills, including a commitment to providing trauma-informed services, are important.
- Proficiency in Google Drive/GSuite, Word, Excel, and database programs such as LexisNexis and Westlaw is advantageous.
- Lived experience with client communities and fluency in a language other than English spoken by clients is a plus.
- Passion for social justice and commitment to the mission of the organization is necessary.
Salary Information:
- The starting salary for a Staff Attorney with no experience is $70,000, increasing to $106,100 for those with thirty years of experience. Salary is based on experience.
- The organization is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF).
Additional Benefits:
- 94% employer-paid medical premium with 100% employer-paid in-network deductible.
- 100% employer-paid dental insurance, life insurance, enhanced short-term disability, and long-term disability.
- Vision insurance.
- 20 paid vacation days per year, 12 sick days per year, 5 personal days per year, holidays plus 2 floating holidays per year.
- 35-hour work week.
- Hybrid work schedule, allowing up to 3 days of remote work per week for new staff, increasing to 5 days with manager approval after 6 months, as workload permits.
Organization Information:
The organization is a not-for-profit law firm providing free civil legal services to low-income clients in a 14-county area of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier. With seven fully staffed field offices and additional satellite offices, the organization employs over 180 staff members who work collaboratively across specialization areas to provide comprehensive legal representation. The organization is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and encourages applications from underrepresented groups. The organization has a long-standing history of high-quality legal representation and is dedicated to creating a law firm where race equity, diversity, and cultural competency are integral to its operations and client advocacy.
