Economic Justice and Community Lawyer

LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF NORTHEASTERN NEW YORK
ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY LAWYER

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LASNNY) is a publicly funded law office with five offices providing free civil legal services to low income individuals living in 16 counties in northeastern New York. Our current priorities are Support for Families, Preserving the Home, Maintaining Economic Stability, Maintaining Safety, Stability & Health, and Serving Populations with Special Vulnerabilities, Children’s Advocacy and Delivery of Legal Services. We seek motivated attorneys who want to improve the community by providing free legal services to low income people.

LASNNY is looking to hire a permanent staff attorney in our Albany office, serving Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Columbia and Greene Counties. LASNNY is a not-for-profit law firm which provides civil legal services to low income clients in a 16-county region in Northeastern New York State. We are seeking an attorney to staff an economic justice initiative and provide place based advocacy in low income neighborhoods in Albany. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that low income residents of our capital region community have sufficient income to maintain their housing and the essentials of daily living and that those in need are served by systems that are just, fair and responsive. Through the legal work of the staff attorney, households will access and secure financial supports necessary to meet basic human needs (public assistance, including emergency assistance and temporary housing assistance, SNAP, Medicaid, child care assistance, unemployment insurance benefits, SSI). Through working with the individuals and families served by this project, the attorney will also identify and secure changes needed in the delivery of income supports and related human services so that the systems serving low income residents of the capital region respond as the law requires and in a manner that supports and develops human potential.

The attorney, while providing a full range of legal services, will be expected to implement creative strategies for providing legal services, engaging the people served by the initiative and collaborating with or challenging the service systems that impact the economic lives of low income community members

The attorney will assist in the design, coordination and implementation of place based advocacy in West Hill, Arbor Hill and South End Neighborhoods in Albany, to address community identified needs, and to work with other LAS staff to assess and address the legal needs of their clients. The attorney will do intake and provide a spectrum of legal services to the low income residents of these neighborhoods. Services will range from legal information and to full legal representation and could include legal education workshops, ask a lawyer appointments, the development and distribution of legal information, self-help information and tools, advocate trainings, technical assistance and support to community agency staff and advocates, legal support for groups and organizing efforts, negotiation and litigation to address and resolve underling systemic problems in each of the communities they seek to serve.

Requirements: Admission to New York State Bar. Five to seven years’ experience. Applicants who have passed the NYS Bar exam and are awaiting admission, and out-of-state attorneys who are eligible under New York’s pro hac vice rule will also be considered. Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to helping poor and disadvantaged people overcome institutional barriers to access employment, safety, housing and income supports. Must be intelligent, hardworking, careful, reliable, have good judgment, attention to detail and a demonstrated commitment and sensitivity to the low-income community. 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, and 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 16 county service area, and have a car and a clean valid New York driver’s license. Strong computer, administrative, reporting and data entry skills required. Ability to speak Spanish a plus.

Salary: $46,307 – $61,839 DOE. We are a unionized program and our fringe benefits are excellent.

Application Deadline: June 10, 2019

Any applications that do not have a cover letter, resume and writing sample will not be considered.

To apply, please go to www.lasnny.org OR

1) Complete the Application linked here, or the mobile-friendly application linked here

2) Complete the Demographic Survey linked here

We are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, the elderly, LGBTQ persons, Protected Veterans and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.