Legal Hotline Staff Attorney

New York City Bar Association; New York (NY); Remote; USD 40,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Legal Hotline Staff Attorney to enhance access to justice remotely. This part-time role involves providing legal assistance and advice to New Yorkers in need, engaging with a diverse clientele, and collaborating with a team of attorneys. Ideal candidates will possess strong legal judgment, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to serving underrepresented communities. Join a passionate team committed to making a difference in the legal landscape while enjoying a flexible work environment and a supportive benefits package.

Benefits

Paid Time Off

401K

Employee Assistance Program

Complimentary Membership

Free CLEs

Employee Discounts

Qualifications

• Must be a New York bar member with at least 3 years of relevant experience.
• Detail-oriented self-starter with excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal assistance on a high-volume Legal Hotline.
• Conduct follow-up services and maintain case management data.

Skills

Legal Judgment

Communication Skills

Client Counseling

Detail-oriented

Tech Savvy

Education

New York Bar Membership

3+ years of relevant practice experience

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Legal Database Platforms

Slack

Teams

Job description

Legal Hotline Staff Attorney – Part Time
FLSA Status: Exempt

The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) seeks an attorney committed to expanding access to justice to join us as a fully remote, part-time (approximately 20 hours per week) Legal Hotline Staff Attorney. CBJC provides high-quality, free civil legal services benefiting over 25,000 New Yorkers each year who lack the resources to hire private counsel. With a staff of just under 50, CBJC also relies on expansive partnerships with law firms, corporate legal departments, the courts, the City Bar, and other stakeholders who support and work with CBJC’s dozen civil legal services projects.

Areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as part of a team of staff attorneys who answer questions and provide legal assistance on CBJC’s high-volume Legal Hotline, which typically responds to approximately 1,000 calls and online inquiries per month.
• Provide callers/online applicants with legal information, advice, and referrals on a range of civil legal issues.
• Occasionally conduct follow-up brief services, such as reviewing legal documents and helping callers draft simple court pleadings.
• Enter clean data and succinct notes into our case management system for each caller/online applicant.
• Stay abreast of changes and updates to the law.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS:

• Candidates must be New York bar members in good standing with at least three years of relevant practice experience, preferably in nonprofit legal services and/or with a focus on landlord/tenant, family/matrimonial, and/or consumer law.
• We seek a detail-oriented self-starter with superb legal judgment and a capacity to multi-task who is creative, thoughtful, tech savvy, and has high standards in work quality, and who can demonstrate a commitment to racial and economic justice and to serving those who struggle with a lack of resources.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and an ability to work both independently and with a team.
• Excellent people and client counseling skills, including effectively interacting with members of the public in a respectful and sensitive way, many of whom suspect institutions and the legal profession, and some of whom struggle with mental illness.
• Collegiality and being able to communicate and work collaboratively with other staff attorneys via online platforms such as Slack and Teams.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office 365 and ability to effectively learn and use legal database and other platforms.
• Fluency in a non-English language is highly preferred.

Though this is a fully remote work position, our Legal Hotline staff will be expected to physically come to our offices in midtown Manhattan on occasion for team-building, training, or other specific business activities.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. We are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

Salary for this position is $40,000-$45,000 (annualized) based on experience and a 20 hours/week schedule. The New York City Bar Association’s benefits package for part-time employees working 20 hours/week includes paid time off, 401K, Employee Assistance Program, complimentary New York City Bar Association membership, many free City Bar CLEs and employee discounts, among others.

To apply: We strongly suggest submitting a cover letter detailing your interest in the position together with your resume. Candidates invited to interview will additionally be asked for three professional business references. The City Bar Justice Center is a proud equal opportunity employer, and we particularly encourage applications from candidates belonging to communities historically under-represented in the legal profession. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds and unique experiences to apply.

We welcome diversity of all kinds. It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, marital status, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law.

With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, the organization will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons due to their religious beliefs, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition or because the individual was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.