Staff Attorney - Housing

Overview

The Jamestown office of LawNY® seeks to fill an immediate opening for a full time Staff Attorney in its Housing Unit. The Staff Attorney will provide direct legal representation, primarily in eviction defense cases in Chautauqua with additional town and village coverage in Cattaraugus County. The candidate must have the caring, patience, and emotional maturity to help people with low-income overcome crisis situations.

Staff Attorneys at LawNY® provide comprehensive legal services to eligible clients. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of how civil legal issues affecting communities with low-income intersect with social and economic justice. Staff Attorneys help realize LawNY®’s vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and are expected to actively engage in learning and developing practice that supports this vision.

Basic Requirements

• Admitted to practice and in good standing in New York State.
• Demonstrated commitment of service to people with low-income.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Additional Competencies

Experience in housing, poverty law, and related areas is expected, with a commitment to culturally competent and trauma-informed service delivery.

• Maintain a full-time caseload representing eligible clients served by the Eviction Prevention Unit.
• Develop and maintain specialized knowledge in housing matters, particularly landlord-tenant, subsidized housing, and government benefits.
• Provide legal services to low-income clients and client groups including advice, negotiation, litigation and administrative advocacy.
• Interact respectfully with clients from diverse backgrounds, with awareness of cultural competence and humility.
• Collaborate with other LawNY® advocates, human services providers, non-profits and community groups, as well as courts and tribunals, to address legal problems and provide community legal education.
• Contribute to a safe and healthy work environment for colleagues.
• Cooperate in grant reporting, program reporting, timekeeping, file maintenance, case closing and compliance review.
• Maintain professional competence through training and ongoing learning in poverty law and equity-focused client service.

Additional Traits and Skills

• Litigation and advocacy experience in state and/or federal court and/or administrative forums within related poverty-law areas (e.g., landlord-tenant, foreclosure, bankruptcy, homelessness prevention, fair housing, government benefits).
• Ability to apply an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens to legal practice.
• Understanding of structural and institutional racism and its impact on underserved communities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and commitment to trauma-informed services.
• Lived experience with client communities.
• Fluency in a language other than English spoken by clients (desired).

The beginning salary for a Staff Attorney with no experience is $75,000 and the salary for a Staff Attorney with thirty years of experience is $111,100. Salary will be based on experience. LawNY is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF).

• 94% Employer paid Medical Premium with 100% Employer paid in-network deductible
• 100% Employer paid Dental Insurance
• 100% Employer paid Life Insurance
• 100% Employer paid Enhanced Short-term Disability
• 100% Employer paid Long-term Disability
• Vision Insurance
• 20 Paid Vacation days per year
• 12 Sick days per year
• 5 Personal days per year
• 13.5 Holidays plus 2 floating Holidays per year
• 35-Hour Work Week
• Hybrid
  
  Work Schedule:
  
  new staff can work from home up to 3 days per week; after 6 months, this can increase to 5 days per week with Manager approval, workload permitting.

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY®) is a not-for-profit law firm that provides free civil legal services to clients with low income in a 14-county area of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier. LawNY® has seven field offices and satellite offices in multiple locations, and a business office in Rochester.

LawNY® has over 180 employees and is committed to equitable inclusion across race, gender, sexual…