Staff Attorney (Public Housing Justice Project)

Job Description

Job Description

About NYLAG

Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. During COVID-19, most of our services are virtual to keep our community safe. NYLAG’s staff of over 400 impacted the lives of 129,000 people last year.

Job description

NYLAG’s Community Access Programs Unit (CAPU) and the Tenants' Rights Unit’s Public Housing Justice Project (PHJP) have an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney to join a cross-team initiative to work on increasing access to housing justice for Manhattan tenants at risk of eviction. The Staff Attorney will partner with communities in Manhattan to provide community education, access to legal services, and representation for Manhattan residents who are facing housing instability.

Leveraging the outreach and community lawyering models of CAPU and PHJP, the individual in this role will ensure services are responsive to community needs and goals. This role is an excellent opportunity for an attorney who is eager to develop their trial and writing skills and approach this work on both an individual and a systemic level. As a cross-unit collaborative, they will provide high quality, client centered housing legal services on a full range of tenants’ rights matters, including defending against evictions in housing court, advocating in administrative proceedings on behalf of NYCHA tenants, and bringing affirmative litigation. In addition, they will go into communities to provide outreach, education, and legal screenings, breaking down barriers to accessing services. The Staff Attorney will staff CAPU’s Mobile Legal Help Centers, Legal Hand clinics, as well as partner with elected officials and community-based organizations to bring legal services directly into communities facing barriers to accessing legal support.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide advice, counsel, and full representation services to Manhattan residents in eviction proceedings in Housing Court, HP actions in Housing Court and family member grievances at the Office of Impartial Hearings as well as in related matters in other venues; public housing tenants facing termination of tenancy proceedings and residents with pending Article 78s in Supreme Court or the Appellate Division, as necessary.
• Engage in non-litigation advocacy to resolve clients’ housing-related legal issues outside of court and administrative tribunals.
• Conduct intakes on NYLAG’s Mobile Legal Help Centers, Legal Hand clinics, and other community-based sites.
• Collaborate with community-based organizations, elected officials, and colleagues to design and implement other community outreach initiatives and resources.
• Develop and deliver Know Your Rights presentations and participate in other community outreach events. 
• Track and identify patterns experienced by communities that are ripe for impact litigation.
• Participate in cross-provider working groups to work alongside other legal service providers, community-based organizations, and organizers fighting to achieve housing justice.
• Mentor interns, volunteers, and pro bonos.
• Maintain up-to-date case notes, data tracking, and files.
• Other duties as necessary.

Qualifications:

• Admission to New York Bar, required

• A minimum of three years of housing law experience.
• At least one year of experience representing tenants in NYC Housing Court, with a preference given to those with experience representing public housing residents and/or experience in administrative hearings.

• Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese preferred.
• Experience conducting community outreach, including but not limited to Know Your Rights events preferred.
• Excellent writing, speaking, and organizational skills.
• Dedication to client-centered, culturally responsive, and trauma informed representation of NYC tenants.

• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and social justice.

• Demonstrated ability to work both collaboratively with a team as well as independently. 
• Comfort with outreach, networking, and professional relationship building.

NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

Employment type:
☒ Full-time

Professional Level:
☒ Professional

Salary: NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $93,265- $108,277 (commensurate with experience)

Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.

Application Instructions: Please save resume and cover letter on one pdf.

NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.

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