LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF NORTHEASTERN NEW YORK
Economic Justice Staff Attorney- Albany
Located in New York, must live in NYS
Full-time, Min 35hr/ week
Salary: $59,794 – $78,384, DOE, plus generous benefits
Overview
The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking an Economic Justice Staff Attorney. Legal Aid’s mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society that is inclusive and equitable for all. We transform lives, build community, and empower people by using the law to address individual and systemic wrongs and inequities. Our service area spans sixteen counties, in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position can be based out of our Albany office. For more information about our work, staff, and clients, visit www.lasnny.org.
Economic Justice Project: The staff attorney will serve in our Albany office. The positions are dedicated to ensuring that low-income residents of our capital region community have sufficient income to maintain their housing and the essentials of life and that those in need are served by systems that are just, fair, and responsive. Through the legal work of the staff attorneys, households will access and secure the financial support necessary to meet basic human needs (public assistance, including emergency assistance and temporary housing assistance, SNAP, Medicaid, childcare assistance, unemployment insurance benefits, and SSI). Through working with the individuals and families served by this project, the attorney also will identify, and secure changes needed in the delivery of income support and related human services so that the systems serving low-income residents of the capital region respond as the law requires and in a manner that supports and develops human potential. The attorneys will also participate in place-based advocacy in low-income neighborhoods in cities in the Capital Region.
Minimum Requirements
- Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to helping community members address individual, institutional, and systemic problems related to economic security and stability through the provision of high-quality legal services to low-income clients.
- Must be an expert or become an expert in a broad range of issues and law, practice expertly in many forums in five counties, and conduct effective community legal education including clinics and know your rights events.
- Must be able to identify and address systemic legal problems and work collaboratively with other LASNNY staff to ensure delivery of a full range of legal services to clients served by the Albany office. Occasional travel is required to co-counsel and/or conduct litigation or other advocacy strategies in other counties of the service area to advance the training and systemic advocacy goals of LASNNY.
- Must be intelligent, hardworking, careful, reliable, have good judgment, and attention to detail. Must be able to communicate effectively with clients and staff and work independently and efficiently. Good computer skills.
- Ability to handle high volume caseload, work off-site, and collaboratively with community partner agency staff.
- Must have a car and a valid New York driver’s license.
- Strong preference for lived experience, ability to speak Spanish, training and experience in community lawyering or organizing, and demonstrated creativity and experience in using varied legal tools and strategies to secure systemic outcomes on behalf of low-income consumers.
Staff Attorney Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- The attorneys will be responsible for developing expertise in and providing a full range of legal services in matters such as public assistance, including emergency assistance and temporary housing assistance, SNAP, Medicaid, childcare assistance, unemployment insurance benefits, and SSI).
- They will be expected to implement creative strategies for providing legal services, engaging the people served by the initiative, and collaborating with or challenging the service systems that impact the economic lives of low-income community members
- The attorneys will assist in the design, coordination, and implementation of place-based advocacy in low-income neighborhoods in the Capital Region to address community-identified needs and to work with other LASNNY staff to assess and address the legal needs of their clients. The attorneys will do intake and provide a spectrum of legal services to the low-income residents of these neighborhoods.
- Services will range from legal information to full legal representation and could include legal education workshops, ask lawyer appointments, the development and distribution of legal information, self-help information and tools, advocate training, technical assistance and support to community agency staff and advocates, legal support for groups and organizing efforts, and negotiation and litigation to address and resolve underlying systemic problems in each of the communities they seek to serve.
Work Environment
This position operates in a professional law office environment and occasionally may require the carrying of items of up to 20 pounds. This role requires using standard office equipment and software and remote videoconferencing platforms. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
We are a unionized program with excellent benefits, offering generous time off, excellent health insurance coverage with premiums primarily paid by LASNNY, health and long-term disability insurance, retirement contributions, tuition reimbursement, qualifying moving expenses, and flexible hybrid -remote and alternative work schedules.
Application Deadline: Until Filled
To apply, please go to www.lasnny.org OR
Complete the Application linked here, or
The mobile-friendly application linked here
Complete the Demographic Survey linked here
At LASNNY we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. We strongly encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQI+ persons, protected veterans, applicants and recipients of public assistance, older adults and people with disabilities.
If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at LASNNY and we will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.
