Staff Attorney, Rochester, NY

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT (September 2020)
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
FULL-TIME STAFF ATTORNEY

The Rochester office of Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. ® (LawNY) has an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney. LawNY is a not-for-profit law firm providing civil legal services to low-income clients in a 14-county area of western New York, including the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions. The Rochester office primarily serves residents of Monroe County.

The Staff Attorney will provide direct legal representation primarily in landlord-tenant matters within the Justice for All Right to Counsel in Evictions Pilot Project. The Project will enable those at-risk of homelessness to maintain their housing and prevent eviction through the provision of legal representation and advocacy. The Project was developed in partnership with a diverse group of community stakeholders as part of the Justice for All initiative.

Core responsibilities include:
• Assistance and legal advocacy related to helping low-income people maintain their housing, housing subsidies and income supports.
• Providing representation in administrative hearing forums and the court system to challenge evictions, public housing and housing subsidy terminations, wrongful public benefit determinations and illegal housing practices.
• Client interviews and investigation.
• Represents clients zealously within the bounds of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
• Data collection and file maintenance.
• Outreach activities.
• Relationship-building with court staff, community groups and other stakeholders.

The applicant must have the caring, patience, and emotional maturity to help low-income people overcome crisis situations. Due to COVID-19, LawNY staff are working remotely all or part of the week. LawNY maintains an extensive safe operations plan and seeks to ensure the safety of both our staff and our clients. All staff are still required to fulfill their professional obligations, which will require direct in-person contact with clients and in-person appearances in court or administrative agencies as needed to perform the functions of their role.

LawNY is committed to equitable inclusion across race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, sex, religion, economic circumstances, ethnicity, national origin, and culture. We are striving to transcend the construct of race and be an anti-racist law firm. We encourage staff to bring their whole selves to work each day and pledge to celebrate every aspect of who they are.

Desired Skills:
• Prior legal experience with low-income and other oppressed communities and clients.
• Lived experience with our client communities is highly desired.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, time management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work under deadline and manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to empathize and sensitively respond to people in crisis situations.
• Excellent use of Google Drive/GSuite, Word, and Excel; database programs a plus.
• Proficiency in Spanish is an advantage but is not required.
• Passion for social justice and commitment to the mission of LawNY.

Salary: Salary is dependent on experience and based on a pay scale with annual increments. The beginning salary for a Staff Attorney with no prior experience is $50,000, and the salary for a Staff Attorney with five years of relevant experience is $57,500 as per the LawNY salary scale. We also provide an excellent package of fringe benefits, including health, disability, and life insurance, as well as generous leave provisions.

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. ® (LawNY) is an equal opportunity employer. LawNY encourages applications from diverse candidates. LawNY welcomes applications regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or any other consideration protected by law. This position is considered Exempt pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act.