Supervising Attorney (Right to Counsel)

BROOKLYN LEGAL SERVICES SEEKS SUPERVISING ATTORNEY(S)

FOR

HOUSING UNIT-RIGHT TO COUNSEL PRACTICE

Brooklyn Legal Services (‘BLS’) seeks one or two Supervising Attorneys for its Housing Unit-Right to Counsel practice. The Supervising Attorneys will be expected to work collaboratively with and provide leadership for LSNYC’s city-wide housing practice.

Brooklyn Legal Services, part of Legal Services NYC, provides high-quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Brooklyn’s diverse low-income population. BLS focuses on the problems that have the greatest impact on our client - preserving affordable and decent housing, maintaining income support, redressing abusive lending and consumer practices, promoting family stability and mitigating the effects of domestic violence, and advocating for vulnerable populations including low income immigrants, older adults and people with disabilities.

As a community-centered, social justice organization, BLS is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where staff and clients feel welcome. Through our various affinity groups and committees, we actively work to foster collegial relationships among staff and allow staff to explore and grow in our understanding of and challenge systemic barriers within our organization and through our legal work. All employees are expected to learn about and seek to understand, identify and overcome barriers from individual preconceptions to structural barriers to justice and work to realize our organizational goals and mission. 

The Housing Unit-Right to Counsel practice preserves affordable housing for Brooklyn’s low-income communities through the representation of low-income tenants in eviction proceedings, collaboration with community-based organizations, and affirmative litigation to challenge abusive and discriminatory behaviors that displace low-income families and eliminate affordable housing. The Unit is currently implementing Right to Counsel (RTC) and continuing to expand anti-displacement advocacy, focused on supporting Brooklyn communities facing rapid gentrification. Our Unit has partnered closely with the Human Resources Administration (“HRA”) to launch and build a unit to support this ever-expanding right to counsel. The core of the UAC team’s work is to provide zealous legal representation to Brooklyn tenants facing eviction in Housing Court and administrative proceedings through aggressive litigation and creative advocacy. In addition, we preserve housing subsidies and public benefits for our clients through both individual representation and cutting-edge litigation. We also provide advice and community education to tenants throughout Brooklyn at legal clinics and through Know Your Rights trainings.

The Supervising Attorneys will work closely with the Unit Director and Deputy Directors to provide supervision to the Unit’s attorneys and paralegals, strengthen relationships with community partners, address systemic housing issues that perpetuate poverty, and handle administrative and grant responsibilities. The Supervising Attorney will be responsible for helping to develop and implement a strategic vision for and supervision of the Unit’s work on a range of litigation including individual and group representation in Housing Court, administrative proceedings, and affirmative litigation in State and Federal Court. Other duties include intake review, community education and outreach, strengthening partnerships with community groups and elected officials, and policy advocacy. The Supervising Attorneys will lead a small team of attorneys, maintain a partial caseload of affirmative and defensive cases, and will work closely with the Director of the Housing Unit overseeing Right to Counsel intake.

In addition to the qualifications below, the ideal candidate will be a highly motivated individual with a keen interest in supervising a practice in a community-based law office, and a demonstrated ability to jump-start litigation or community-based campaigns and to collaborate with other staff to see such initiatives through to fruition.

Experience and Qualifications

We seek attorneys admitted to the New York State Bar with:

• A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity;
• Excellent analytical, written, and communication skills;
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills and the ability to provide supportive and consistent supervision to attorneys, paralegals, and support staff in a fast-paced and high- volume practice;
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant litigation experience;
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant advocacy experience, particularly related to housing public benefits and rent subsidies;
• Strong ties to Brooklyn’s communities of color are helpful, but not required; and,
• Experience with complex litigation

How to Apply

Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and two writing samples. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls, please