Staff Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Staff Attorney

FLSA Status: Exempt

Hours/Schedule : Full Time, 35 hours per week (Monday- Friday)/Flexibility to work remotely

Department/Location: Advocacy/Hauppauge (travel to Riverhead as needed and Nassau County occasionally)

PURPOSE :

The Retreat is seeking a mission-driven attorney with a deep commitment to trauma-informed practice and a passion for supporting for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. This role sits at the heart of our legal advocacy work - providing direct client representation, advising staff and advocates, and showing up for clients in court and beyond. You will join a close-knit, collaborative team dedicated to holistic, survivor-centered services that meet clients where they are and support their full path to safety and healing.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for providing legal counsel and representation to clients of The Retreat which include victims of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking in Suffolk County.
• Topics for representation include but are not limited to: child custody; visitation; family offense petition; obtaining a restraining order or order of protection; issues around eviction or safe housing; legal employment obstacles; law enforcement, and other entities on behalf of victims to protect their rights and identity theft and financial fraud; and other interventions, including with administrative agencies where legal assistance would assist in addressing the consequences of a person's victimization. As needed, the attorney will also assist victims in filing motions to vacate and/or expunge certain convictions based on their status of being victims.
• Responsible for working with The Retreat's Advocacy Department as well as the overall Retreat team by answering legal questions and providing counsel that will allow staff to best assist their clients.
• Act as a liaison between The Retreat and The Crime Victims Legal Network (CVLN) through the Office of Victim Services. This includes attending scheduled meetings; facilitating the acceptance of clients through this service, and offering advice, assistance, and legal representation as needed while helping to assure proper data collection.
• Act as a liaison with the Nassau and Suffolk Bar Associations as needed.
• Document client services through The Retreat's database system and keep updated client files including information pertinent to legal matters.
• Work with the Paralegal for administrative, clerical and communication support with internal and external parties who interact with the Attorney and Advocacy departments.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP:

Reports to the Executive Director

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A J.D. from an accredited law school with admission to the New York State Bar in good standing
• 2-3 years of experience with family court matters
• Passion for working with survivors
• MS Office skills. Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to multi-task, strong organizational skills
• Must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills/sensitivity to survivors of abuse

Other Qualifications

• Bi-lingual preferred

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Sits, stands, stoops, squats, walks, and moves intermittently during work hours
• May lift, push, or pull 10-20 pounds occasionally.

OTHER DUTIES:

Every effort has been made to make agency job descriptions as complete as possible. However, it does not state or imply that these are the only duties required for this position or the sole responsibilities for which this employee will be accountable. The omission of specific statements of duties or responsibilities does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, is a logical assignment to the position, or is within the scope of generally accepted business practices for an employee with this specific job title. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The Retreat Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer

THE RETREAT, INC. is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, military status, veteran status, age, marital status, domestic violence victim status, disability, pregnancy-related condition, gender identity, religion, genetic predisposition, familial status, ancestry, prior arrest or conviction record or any other protected category under applicable law. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

The agency values and is committed to providing compassionate, empathetic, culturally aware services to all clients/members. Interactions are approached with these values in mind, and it is expected that clients/members will be treated with compassion, respect, and sensitivity during the provision of holistic, inclusive, and welcoming services.