Description

The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice is seeking an experienced and talented lawyer with a deep commitment to public interest practice and policy to join a dedicated Housing team as the Supervising Attorney of the Elder Law Unit-Bronx. The ideal candidate will also have a passion for representing the most vulnerable clients and in multidisciplinary collaboration ensuring the seniors we represent not only preserve their tenancies but continue to live in the community healthy and safely long after their eviction case has ended. The Legal Aid Society has a long history of providing eviction defense services to seniors. The Elder Law Unit (ELU) is a city-wide unit with teams in both the Bronx and Brooklyn. The ELU is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team, including attorneys, social workers and paralegal casehandlers, specializing in eviction defense for seniors. The ELU recognizes that the preservation of housing for a senior often involves many intersecting medical, financial and social issues. The ELU seeks to assess and address the needs of our senior clients to not only prevent their eviction but to alleviate the underlying causes that lead them to be at risk of eviction. The Supervising Attorney, with the Director of Elder Law, will be responsible for the smooth and effective daily operations of the Elder Law Unit in the Bronx Office. The Supervising Attorney will also coordinate, mentor, and supervise staff, provide leadership, prioritize legal issues and support collaboration between attorneys and the unit’s non- attorney staff. The Supervising Attorney participates in the housing practice of the assigned borough office as well as practice-wide management discussions and decision-making and is responsible for maintaining relationships with other stakeholders in the legal, court, and service communities. The Supervising Attorney also participated with the Director of Elder Law in legislative advocacy including testifying before City Council.

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Elder Law Supervision Duties Supervise, mentor, and train staff attorneys, paralegals, and volunteers/interns Monitor and maintain a high standard of representation and client service Analyze legal issues, develop legal strategy, and supervise the implementation of legal strategies with focus on seniors with physical and/or mental health disabilities, and/or cognitive decline Develop and maintain understanding of ethical rules as it pertains to representing clients with diminished capacity Foster and encourage positive environment for collaboration and communication between attorneys and non attorney team members Reinforce and maintain staff accountability Conduct management and supervision practices that affirmatively support equity and inclusion in the workplace Coordinate intake and conduct off-site intake as needed, including based on client needs such as being homebound Collaborate and work closely with the Borough AIC, Director of Elder Law, Housing Coordinators and the grants management team on all aspects of citywide elder law housing practice. Identify needs and resources for the Bronx Neighborhood Office and participate in management team responsibilities to meet those needs 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 Society in the community Engage in policy advocacy including drafting and presenting testimony before City Council Conduct community education, training, and outreach and promote the work of the office, the Elder Law Unit Practice, and the Civil Practice Respond to client, community and staff concerns 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 New York State 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 Demonstrated commitment to and experience in public interest law and civil legal services Experience working with vulnerable populations, including but not limited to seniors Preferred qualifications: Minimum of three years of legal practice preferred 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 Grant-writing and fundraising experience preferred Pro bono, government, public service, and academic experience will be considered, but is not required Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required

 KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of topical areas including Housing and Benefits Law, with a specific focus as it relates to seniors Excellent litigation skills and experience litigating in various forums Excellent oral and written advocacy skills Ability to work in a collaborate team model Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills Commitment to exploring alternative approaches for legal practice Demonstrated commitment to addressing fundamental issues of poverty and justice within a comprehensive civil legal services model of representation 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 train and mentor staff of various levels of experience and foster an inclusive work environment Ability to develop and support positive and productive working relationships between attorneys and the social workers and paralegal case handlers 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: Requires both sedentary time and non-sedentary physical movement, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video May or will require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region

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