CEDC CANNABIS STAFF ATTORNEY
The Community & Economic Development Clinic (CEDC) at CUNY School of Law seeks applicants for the position of Staff Attorney. The CEDC Cannabis Staff Attorney will work to advance the CEDC’s mission of advocating for racial, economic, and social justice by providing legal advice, educational services, and other assistance to social & economic equity & CAURD cannabis licensees and applicants in a variety of areas, including incorporation, governance, application support, compliance (with corporate, employment, tax, cannabis and other laws), and real estate, zoning/land use, and lease issues. The Staff Attorney will also provide educational opportunities via workshops, trainings, and materials development. The Staff Attorney will also participate in relevant coalition work, including policy development, and support relevant grant-related responsibilities. The position offers a unique opportunity to provide pro bono legal services to the emerging cannabis industry in New York State.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Provide comprehensive legal advice to social & economic equity and CAURD cannabis licensees and applicants in New York State on transactional matters, including incorporation, governance, application support, compliance (with corporate, employment, tax, cannabis and other laws).
• Provide comprehensive legal advice to social & economic equity and CAURD cannabis licensees and applicants in New York State on property matters, including real estate transactions, zoning/land use, and lease issues.
• Provide educational opportunities via workshops, trainings, and materials development to support current and prospective social & economic equity and CAURD cannabis licensees and applicants in New York State and related social & economic equity initiatives.
• Participate in relevant coalition work and advocacy, including policy development, alliance building, and collaboration with CEDC’s partners.
• Engage in effective client intake and screening in compliance with laws and regulations in preparation for legal counseling.
• Conduct legal research, counseling, and drafting to advance transactional matters from inception through closing, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and legal ethics.
• Collaborate with staff on administrative compliance through quality control, program evaluation, outcomes measurement, strategic planning, and technical assistance grants.
• Support tracking, use of data, special projects and other duties and responsibilities relevant to grant compliance and fundraising.
BACKGROUND:
The Community & Economic Development Clinic (CEDC) advances racial and economic justice by supporting the development of worker-owned enterprises, cooperative ecosystems, and other forms of community-controlled development. Grounded in movement lawyering, the clinic works alongside grassroots partners in historically disinvested and plundered communities to build democratic economic institutions that redistribute wealth and power.
CEDC integrates transactional legal services, policy advocacy, and institutional design to support worker cooperatives, community land trusts, and broader solidarity economy initiatives. Its work also includes advancing tenant organizing, health justice, including the transition to just marijuana policies and justice initiatives that address structural inequality and the social determinants of health, and other strategies that address structural inequality and the social determinants of health.
Our organization is committed to repairing the harms of cannabis prohibition, and we actively seek team members with relevant lived experience in our work.
SALARY AND COMPENSATION:
Salary and benefits in this position is facilitated by the CUNY Research Foundation (RFCUNY).
This is a full-time position in New York City with excellent benefits, including:
• Comprehensive medical/dental/vision insurance
• Paid vacation and personal days
• Paid sick leave
• CUNY tuition reimbursement program
• Pre-tax benefits for transit and healthcare costs
• Family/parental leave
• Life insurance
CEDC-RFCUNY staff also benefit from:
• A positive work/life balance.
• Opportunities for advancement within the organization.
• Engagement with the broader CUNY network.
• Working with organizational leadership who have years of significant public sector and policymaking expertise.
QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS:
• Applicant should be admitted to the New York State Bar, or pending admission within 3 months of start date, or able to be admitted on motion
• Applicant should have at least 2 years’ relevant post-law school experience
• Strong research, writing and analytical skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Excellent interpersonal/communication skills, and a demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Strongly preferred familiarity with the New York State cannabis law and regulations
• Strongly preferred experience in community organizing and working with grassroots groups fostering social justice in the city and a demonstrated commitment to social justice and engagement in racial, economic, and social justice initiatives
• Strongly preferred experience engaging with clients and communities through accessible information and popular education, and developing creative movement lawyering strategies to support grassroots and community-based organizing
• Strongly preferred personal experience in navigating systems affecting communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, working and immigrant communities of color, and/or historically marginalized communities.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Interested applicants may also send a resume and cover letter by email to [email protected] by June 1, 2026. Please include “CEDC Cannabis Staff Attorney” in the subject line. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
Location: CUNY School of Law
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