Housing Justice Staff Attorney - Amsterdam

Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York; City of Amsterdam (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Unionized program benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible hybrid-remote schedules

Job summary

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York is seeking a Housing Staff Attorney based in our Amsterdam Office. You will provide legal representation and assistance to households at risk of homelessness across Fulton, Montgomery, and Schoharie counties, focusing on eviction prevention and benefits acquisition.

Essential duties include collaborating with government and nonprofit partners to deliver housing services, maintaining housing stability through legal advocacy, and supporting families

Qualifications

• Must be licensed to practice law in NYS or eligible for admission; bar exam considered.
• Demonstrated commitment to helping low-income and disadvantaged people overcome barriers.
• Ability to communicate effectively with clients and staff; work independently and collaborative with partners.
• Willingness to travel within the service area; must have a car and clean NY driver's license.
• Strong computer, administrative, reporting, and data entry skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal assistance to eligible households at risk of homelessness, preventing evictions and securing benefits.
• Collaborate with government and nonprofit agencies to plan and provide housing-related services.
• Maintain or secure permanent housing, handle eviction defense and tenancy protections.
• Protect public and subsidized housing tenancies and address utility shut-offs or service denials.
• Provide a full range of legal services: counsel, referrals, hearings, litigation, and outreach.
• Be an expert in Emergency Rental Assistance or Right To Counsel programs and data collection.
• Work with LASNNY housing attorneys and paralegals to maximize access to services and address systemic issues.
• Participate in LASNNY race equity priority development and professional development plans.

Skills

NY bar admission

Travel willingness

Spanish or Chinese (plus)

Strong communication

Job description

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking a Housing Staff Attorney. Our service area spans sixteen counties, in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position is based out of our Amsterdam Office.

For more information about our work, staff, and clients, visit www.lasnny.org.

Staff Attorney: The attorney will provide legal representation and assistance to households at risk of homelessness, and who are suffering from financial and other hardships in Fulton, Montgomery, and Schoharie.

Minimum Requirements

• Must be licensed to practice law in NYS or be eligible for admission. Law Graduates will be considered if they have taken the bar exam.
• Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to helping low-income and disadvantaged people overcome institutional barriers to employment, safety, housing, and income support and the provision of assertive, compassionate victim sensitive trauma-informed services to victims of domestic violence.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with clients and staff, work independently and efficiently, and be able to problem solve and work collaboratively with community partner agency staff.
• Training or experience in community lawyering or community organizing or engagement, demonstrated strong listening and relationship-building skills, experience, creativity, and willingness to use varied legal and non-legal advocacy tools to advance community-identified initiatives preferred.
• Must be willing to travel throughout the relevant service area and have a car and a clean valid New York driver's license.
• Strong computer, administrative, reporting, and data entry skills required.
• The ability to speak Spanish or Chinese is a plus.

Staff Attorney Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• The attorney will provide legal assistance to eligible households at risk of homelessness by preventing evictions, securing mainstream benefits, and making referrals to services that will enhance the household's ability to maintain permanent housing.
• Attorneys are expected to work collaboratively with government and nonprofit agencies that provide supportive services, income, shelter, permanent supportive housing, homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing services, and financial assistance, to plan and provide assistance to the homeless and at-risk residents.
• The attorneys will provide legal assistance in maintaining or securing permanent housing and the income necessary to retain permanent housing. Legal assistance will include eviction defense, asserting protections for tenants and fully utilizing the law to preserve tenancies and keep people safe in housing.
• Attorneys will protect public and subsidized housing tenancies and subsidies, address utility shut-offs or denials of service, and secure emergency assistance, ongoing temporary assistance, and other income support necessary to achieve housing stability.
• Attorneys will provide a full range of legal services, including counsel and advice, referrals, representation in administrative hearings, affirmative and defensive litigation, systemic advocacy, community legal education, outreach and engagement, and community lawyering.
• The attorneys will be experts in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program or Right To Counsel Program and related data collection.
• Requirements and compliance therewith and will work collaboratively with other LASNNY housing attorneys and paralegals to ensure that efficient and effective legal assistance is provided which maximizes access to LASNNY services and addresses systemic issues that cause homelessness.
• The attorneys will also participate in the development and implementation of LASNNY's race equity priority and their professional development plan.

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional law office environment and occasionally may require the carrying of items of up to 20 pounds. This role requires the use of standard office equipment and software and remote videoconferencing platforms. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

We are a unionized program with excellent benefits, offering generous time off, excellent health insurance coverage with premiums primarily paid by LASNNY, health and long-term disability insurance, retirement contributions, tuition reimbursement, qualifying moving expenses, and flexible hybrid-remote and alternative work schedules.

At LASNNY we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual's race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. We strongly encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQI+ persons, protected veterans, applicants and recipients of public assistance, older adults, and people with disabilities.

If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at LASNNY and we will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.