Senior Staff Attorney II

Organization Overview

Bronx Works helps individuals and families improve their economic and social well-being. From toddlers to seniors, we feed, shelter, teach, and support our neighbors to build a stronger Bronx community. In all aspects of our work, Bronx Works strives for the highest ethical and performance standards. We are guided by the belief that people must be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their present situation or past experiences.

We have over 65 locations throughout the Bronx providing a variety of programs that assist in the areas of family, children and youth support, educational services, senior services, homelessness, financial empowerment, and workforce development, among others. With over 50 years of experience supporting Bronx communities, we are an employer of choice for anyone interested in a meaningful career in the social services field.

The Bronx Works model aims to break the cycle of poverty by mobilizing the organization’s extensive resources to apply a holistic and progressive approach, helping individuals and families transition from crisis to self-sufficiency. A crucial component of this continuum of support is Bronx Works Legal Services, which provides free legal assistance to those seeking immigration stability, facing eviction, and surviving domestic violence and other crimes.

Within Bronx Works Legal Services, the Tenant Defense Program plays a vital role in securing housing stability by representing low‑income tenants in eviction proceedings and advocating for essential public benefits to preserve affordable housing. The program supports New York City’s groundbreaking Universal Access to Counsel initiative, which ensures low‑income tenants the right to full legal representation in eviction proceedings.

The Tenant Defense Senior Staff Attorney role is designed to provide professional development opportunities for attorneys with at least three years of experience, who are still building toward supervisory roles and includes a salary increase above the staff attorney scale. In addition to handling casework and meeting other staff attorney responsibilities, the Senior Attorney will work closely with a supervising attorney to mentor junior staff and law graduates.

This includes accompanying law graduates to court, signing stipulations, pleadings, and motions on their behalf, and offering guidance on case strategy, legal research, and court filings. Moreover, the Senior Attorney will support the professional growth of less experienced staff through mentorship and training and provide constructive feedback. They will also assist in leading legal team meetings, CLE trainings, and strategic planning sessions.

• Directly supervise junior attorneys, law graduates, paralegals, and/or other assigned staff, including assigning and monitoring work, setting priorities, approving schedules, and ensuring adherence to legal and program standards.
• Conduct formal performance evaluations of direct reports and provide written and verbal recommendations on promotions, terminations, disciplinary actions, and salary adjustments; such recommendations are given particular weight in final employment decisions.
• Hold staff accountable for meeting deadlines, data quality standards, and program deliverables, and take corrective action where performance does not meet expectations.
• Hold staff accountable for attending in-person meetings, including weekly unit meetings and monthly department-wide meetings.
• Mentor and train staff, including accompanying junior attorneys and law graduates to court, providing guidance on legal strategies, and offering constructive feedback on case preparation and litigation.
• Approve leave requests and work schedules for supervised staff and reallocate resources as needed to meet program needs.
• Assist in leading legal team meetings, CLE trainings, and strategic planning sessions.
• Exercise independent judgment in directing the work of others to ensure that client needs and contract requirements are met.
• Supervise intake processes and join a weekly court…