Supervising Attorney, Housing Justice Tenant Defense (Staten Island)

The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is seeking experienced and talented lawyers with a deep commitment to public interest practice and policy to join a dedicated team of managers, Staff Attorneys, Social Workers, Supervisors and Paralegal staff as a Supervising Attorney in the Housing Justice Unit – Tenant Defense. The Civil Practice’s Housing Justice Program engages in both eviction defense and affirmative litigation and handles a broad range of individual tenant representation at the trial and appellate levels, including holdovers, nonpayment proceedings, HPs, Housing Authority administrative hearings, and state and federal court appeals. Our Group Housing practice represents low-income tenant associations in proceedings to enforce the housing maintenance code.

The Supervising Attorney, in conjunction with the Attorney-in-Charge and the supervisory team, will be responsible for the smooth and effective day-to-day operations of the Housing Justice Program and Housing Related Government Benefits in the assigned office. The Supervising Attorney reports to the Attorney-in-Charge and will be primarily responsible for supervising a team of Housing Attorneys and Paralegal Casehandlers. The Government Benefits work may include but is not limited to representation, legal assistance, legal advocacy and education to clients who need income and related supports from city, state and federal programs. The Supervisor will provide support to housing advocates representing low-income tenants in housing-related matters who seek assistance relating to benefits cases, including rent arrears, grants from city agencies and charities. They will supervise housing Paralegal Casehandlers in their work which may also include representing clients at administrative hearings and advocacy with NYC HRA and NYS OTDA to ensure they are receiving the maximum benefits to which they are entitled. They will coordinate with citywide initiatives related to all Housing and Government Benefits.

They will also work with other Supervisors to build their substantive knowledge and skills related to Housing and public benefits generally and rent subsidy and arrears advocacy, in particular. The Supervising Attorney will coordinate and collaborate with the other Housing related Government Benefits supervisors and with our Government Benefits Unit to create Practice-wide training and advocacy programming for housing and benefits advocates. The Supervising Attorney will also coordinate, mentor, and supervise staff, provide leadership, and prioritize legal issues. The Supervising Attorney participates in Practice-wide management discussions and decision-making and is responsible for maintaining relationships with other stakeholders in the legal, court, and service communities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Housing Supervision Duties

• Supervise, mentor, and train staff attorneys and paralegals
• Monitor and maintain a high standard of representation and client service
• Collaborate and work closely with the AIC of Staten Island, Housing, Housing Coordinator, and the housing, benefits and grants management teams on all aspects of the housing practice
• Participate in structural and strategical planning for the benefits work within the housing practice of their respective neighborhood office
• Identify needs and resources for the Staten Island Neighborhood Office and participate in management team responsibilities to meet those needs
• Coordinate intake
• Represent clients in local, state and federal administrative and court proceedings
• Develop and maintain community support and relationships with community-based organizations, advocates, government agencies, elected officials, and the courts
• Reinforce and maintain staff accountability
• Analyze legal issues, develop legal strategy, and supervise the implementation of legal strategies under the supervision and at the direction of the direction of the Director of Housing and in consultation with the Director of Government Benefits develop impact and/or affirmative litigation
• Conduct community education, training, and outreach and promote the work of the office, the Housing Practice, and the Civil Practice
• Develop and maintain community support and relationships with community-based organizations, advocates, government agencies, elected officials, and the courts
• Represent the Civil Practice and Legal Aid in the community

Team Development and Management Duties

• Assign work, approve time off and remote work schedule requests following the guidance of LAS policy and procedures
• Attend management meetings, participate in management trainings, and utilize current employment policies, practices and guidance as provided by management and Human Resources
• Conduct management and supervision practices that affirmatively support equity and inclusion in the workplace
• Supervise direct reports in setting performance standards, provide routine feedback as well as coaching/counseling, and issue disciplinary action as needed
• Identify and provide training and development opportunities and ensure mandatory trainings are completed
• Resolve employee conflict, complaints, and address union concerns, with guidance from Borough Housing Director, Attorney-in-Charge of Borough Office, other senior civil practice leaders, and Human Resources

Professional Development and Other Duties as Assigned

• Participate in continuous professional development
• Continuously learn about forms of bias in the workplace and demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Admission to the NYS Bar and a willingness to apply for admission to the federal courts (S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y., Second Circuit) as it may become necessary
• Minimum of three years of legal practice required
• Experience in government benefits required

Preferred qualifications:

• Minimum of one year of supervisory and management experience preferred or relevant experience such as leadership positions in a membership organization
• Experience conducting trainings preferred
• Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of Housing law and housing benefits law
• Experience litigating in various judicial and administrative forums
• Excellent litigation skills, oral and written advocacy skills
• Demonstrated commitment to and experience in public interest law and civil legal services, as it relates to addressing fundamental issues of poverty and justice within a comprehensive civil legal services model of representation
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational skills
• Commitment to exploring alternative approaches for legal practice
• Ability to work in a collaborative team model

Supervision Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to schedule, assign, and manage work and resolve problems as needed
• Ability to create and implement effective communication plans
• Ability to provide meaningful performance feedback for professional development including having difficult conversations and resolving sensitive employee issues
• Pursue continuous learning on forms of systemic oppression of marginalized identities and establish team norms and management practices using an equity mindset and informed by inclusive practices

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video
• May or will require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region

• For positions noted as essential, this will require either remote or in-person work during times of closure or otherwise non-typical business hours which may include evenings and weekends and during unforeseen events such as inclement weather or poor air quality conditions.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $99,444 - $163,507

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Writing Sample

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.