Employment Opportunity Legal Corps Fellowships
Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Employment Opportunity Legal Corps
at Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.®
August 17, 2016
AGENCY DESCRIPTION:
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.® (LawNY®) is a not-for-profit law firm providing free legal services to eligible clients in civil cases through seven regional offices covering a fourteen county area in Western New York. LawNY® receives funding from the New York State Office of Court Administration, Legal Services Corporation, Interest on Lawyer Account (IOLA) Fund of the State of New York, AmeriCorps, Equal Justice Works and a number of other funders. Our workforce includes approximately 145 attorneys, paralegals and support staff.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Equal Justice Works and AmeriCorps have partnered to create the Employment Opportunity Legal Corps (EOLC) Fellowship, an opportunity to remove barriers to employment for economically disadvantaged individuals across the nation. The EOLC Fellows at LawNY® will provide civil legal assistance to former criminal offenders and other disadvantaged persons in removing barriers to employment.
LawNY® has two EOLC Fellowship positions available for the 2016-2017 program year. This is a one year Fellowship that can be renewed for a second year. One Fellow will be placed in LawNY®’s Ithaca office, and the other Fellow will be placed in LawNY®’s Geneva office. The Fellows will work as part of a team with two returning LawNY® EOLC Fellows, one housed in LawNY®’s Rochester office and the other housed in LawNY®’s Jamestown office.
Based on Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps guidelines, the initial one year term of service must commence on or before September 30, 2016. Requirements include completion of National Sex Offender Public Registry check, state(s), and FBI Fingerprint criminal background checks as well as compliance with all Corporation for National and Community Service Federal Regulations throughout the fellowship program.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:
The AmeriCorps EOLC Fellow will:
• Provide direct representation to persons seeking to remove or mitigate barriers to employment, such as license suspension/revocation, criminal record errors, and application for Certificates of Relief, among other civil legal issues
• Work with community partner agencies to create protocols and facilitate referrals, as well as work with the local bar and law schools/colleges to recruit volunteers
• Develop materials to publicize the project to a variety of audiences
• Deliver presentations on employment and barrier-removal topics
• Other administrative tasks related to AmeriCorps and Equal Justice Works program compliance
COMPENSATION AND OTHER BENEFITS:
Compensation:
● AmeriCorps living allowance of $25,060
● Supplemental benefits paid by LawNY® of up to $21,000 for housing, student loans, relocation, professional dues, life & disability insurance, and retirement plan expenses. Fellows are required to submit documentation of qualifying expenses before reimbursement can be provided.
Other benefits:
● $5,775 AmeriCorps Legal Education Award upon successful completion of service
● AmeriCorps provided childcare assistance, if eligibility requirements are met
● Professional development and training assistance
● Student loan forbearance and interest accrual payment for eligible loans upon successful completion of service
● Participation in Equal Justice Works training opportunities and conferences, as applicable
● Fringe benefits, including health insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, and flex benefit plan
QUALIFICATIONS:
Applicants should be admitted to practice in New York or recent law school graduates who have sat for the July 2016 NYS bar examination. The Fellow will be required to have excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as interpersonal, organizational and negotiation skills and the ability to work as a team member. Diverse economic, social and cultural experiences and/or a second language are an asset. The Fellow must be a graduate of an Equal Justice Works member law school.
TO APPLY: Please send a letter of interest, resume, law school transcript, a list of three (3) references with email addresses and telephone numbers, and a legal writing sample to Administrator Kaitlin Tharp at [email protected]. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. The selected Fellows must be able to start on or before September 30, 2016.
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