Staff Attorney, Neighborhood Stabilization Project (Foreclosure Prevention and Community Economic Development))
$86k - $110k USD
Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.
LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer.
Immediate Job Opening: Two Positions
Staff Attorneys
Neighborhood Stabilization Project (Foreclosure Prevention and Community Economic Development)
Bronx Legal Services seeks two Staff Attorneys for its Neighborhood Stabilization Project to start immediately.
About Bronx Legal Services
Bronx Legal Services seeks two dynamic and experienced attorneys to join its Neighborhood Stabilization Project, a combined practice unit that provides direct legal representation to individual homeowners on a wide range of foreclosure-related matters including predatory lending practices and real estate abuses, and provides transactional legal counsel to underserved groups in the borough such as not-for-profit organizations, low-income housing cooperatives, and small businesses. We are looking for highly motivated individuals who thrive in a fast-paced environment and can manage multiple projects at once.
Bronx Legal Services is part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), the largest provider of free civil legal services in the country. The Bronx Office is comprised of 185+ staff including attorneys, paralegals, social workers, and support staff. It is a diverse and unionized office that provides high-quality free legal services in the areas of foreclosure prevention, community economic development, eviction defense, tenant’s rights advocacy, family law and the protection of domestic violence survivors, public benefits, employment, immigration, consumer rights, education, and disability and serves LGBTQ+ residents of the Bronx. We seek equal access to the legal system for low-income Bronx residents through a range of legal services, education, and community partnerships.
Bronx Legal Services prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts. As a social justice organization, we are committed to fighting for a workplace that is as diverse, equitable, and inclusive as possible for everyone. Our citywide DEIB committee and numerous affinity groups work to foster collegial relationships among staff and allow staff to explore and advocate for racial justice and anti-oppression growth within our organization and through our legal work. All employees are expected to learn about, seek to understand, and work to realize our DEIB goals
Role and Responsibilities
The attorneys selected for this position will be expected to handle a diverse and high- volume caseload that involves litigating a mix of individual foreclosure actions, partition cases, predatory lending, and deed theft cases. The attorneys may also represent homeowners in foreclosure-related ancillary proceedings in the Surrogate’s Court for letters of administration or in Bankruptcy Court on Chapter 7 and 13 petitions to avert foreclosure. We operate and staff a weekly off-site clinic to screen distressed homeowners for assistance, which the selected attorney will staff on a rotational basis with other attorneys in the unit to conduct intakes. Conducting outreach and community education are integral aspects of our work and will require occasional evening and weekend work.
The attorneys will also be expected to work on community economic development assignments involving the representation of low-income cooperative buildings on transactional matters that lead to the preservation of existing affordable housing stock, assisting small businesses in commercial lease disputes, assisting not-for-profit organizations with corporate formation, and litigating matters aimed at challenging discriminatory and unfair housing practices.
Participation in coalition meetings and lobbying efforts on topics related to the work is required. Timely inputting of case notes and maintaining records in our case management system is also required.
Experience and Qualifications
The ideal candidates will possess the following experience and qualifications:
> Admission to the New York State Bar;
> A minimum of three years of litigation experience in areas such as foreclosure prevention, consumer rights, fair housing, civil rights and/ or economic justice or a related practice area, multiparty complex litigation experience a plus;
> Experience drafting dispositive motions, written discovery, and taking and defending depositions;
> Experience with court appearances and oral advocacy;
> A demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice issues;
> A deep connection to low-income communities in the Bronx
> Strong interpersonal skills, empathy and a sense of teamwork
> Excellent analytical, research and writing, and organizational skills;
> High level of interest in meeting and collaborating with community groups;
> Background in conducting community education and outreach events;
> Experience working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance equality;
> Commitment to furthering the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging mission of the organization;
> Experience in conducting due diligence on lending transactions in the affordable housing context is preferred but not required,
> Experience with assisting not-for-profit organizations and small businesses is preferred but not required;
> Knowledge of Bankruptcy and Surrogate’s Court practice and procedure preferred but not required;
> Fluency or proficiency in Spanish or another language commonly spoken by Bronx residents is preferred but not required.
How to Apply:
Interested applicants should upload a cover letter, resume, two recent writing samples, and three references. No Telephone Calls Please—Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Bronx Legal Services is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, and transgender people, and people over 40 are all welcome and are encouraged to apply.
Salary and benefits are determined by the LSNYC Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Our offices currently work on a hybrid model of in-person and remote work. Staff are expected to be in person any five days in a ten-day bi-weekly pay period. Salary is commensurate with experience.
Vaccinations
Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, all employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations unless they are unable to due to a medical or religious reasons.
Salary Range (Based on years’ experience):
• 1-10 years: $85,612 - $110,424
• 11-20 years: $112,950 - $133,347
• 21+ years: $139,500 - $164,905
Dependent on work history and experience.
Salary Range
$85,612—$120,553 USD
All employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless they are unable to for medical or religious reasons.
Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.