Staff Attorney – Reentry and Economic Justice

STAFF ATTORNEY

Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (“LASNNY”) in Albany, New York.

The Position:  The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking an experienced attorney to provide a full range of civil legal services to low income individuals facing housing and economic instability and systemic barriers due to involvement in the criminal legal system. The position is in the Albany office, serving Albany, Rensselaer. Schenectady, Columbia, and Greene Counties.

The attorney will serve in the economic justice initiative. The goals of the initiative are to ensure that low income residents of our capital region community have sufficient income to maintain their housing and secure the essentials of daily living, have opportunities to improve their income and are served by systems that are just, fair, and responsive. Through working with the individuals and families served by this project, the attorney will identify and secure changes needed in the delivery of income supports 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 Attorney will provide legal assistance to clients by providing a full range of re-entry services, including rap sheet review and clean up, certificates of relief from disabilities, certificates of good conduct and criminal record sealing and housing and employment discrimination based on criminal records or justice system involvement. The attorney will also address individual and systemic issues involving subsistence income such as TANF, Safety Net, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, work rules and sanctions, emergency assistance, and temporary housing assistance. The attorney will implement an economic improvement effort by providing legal representation and tools for self-advocacy regarding barriers to education, training, licensure and employment faced by individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. The attorney will provide training and technical support on public benefits and re-entry issues for a) in-house trainings for attorneys and paralegal case handlers b) non-attorney advocates at partner organizations and c) community education and workshops to empower self-advocates.

The attorney will assist in the implementation of place based advocacy in West Hill, Arbor Hill and South End Neighborhoods in Albany, to address community identified needs, and to work with other LAS staff and community partners and community based initiatives to assess and address the economic stability related legal needs of their clients, including homeless households and justice involved individuals.

 

The attorney, while providing a full range of legal services, 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 Office:  The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York is a publicly funded law firm which provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals.  Our priorities include cases and matters in the following priority areas: Support for Families; Preserving the Home; Maintaining Economic Stability; Maintaining Safety, Stability and Health; and Serving Populations with Special Vulnerabilities, Children’s Advocacy, Delivery of Legal Services, and Ensuring Equitable Treatment, Services, and Outcomes for People of Color.

Our mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society which 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.

We seek an attorney who will be dedicated to our mission and will seek justice and fairness for the justice involved community.  We are skilled, creative, and compassionate advocates combining a passion to serve with the skills and will to address both individual and systemic injustice.

The office is in Albany, NY, the state capital, and a lively family -friendly city with a reasonable cost of living, excellent quality of life, and easy access to major metropolitan areas as well as year round outdoor opportunities. Our office is a collegial and supportive workplace, encouraging and supporting staff development. We take pride in providing holistic services to our clients with a wide range of programs and substantive law expertise.

We are an integral part of the legal and human service community and expect this attorney to be deeply involved in the networks serving the justice involved population in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schenectady Counties.

Qualifications:

Admission to New York State Bar. Four to nine years’ experience.  Applicants who have passed the NYS Bar exam and are awaiting admission, and out-of-state attorneys who are eligible under New York’s pro hac vice rule will also be considered.  Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing institutional and systemic barriers to employment, housing and income faced by individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. Must be intelligent, hardworking, careful, reliable, have good judgment, attention to detail and a demonstrated commitment to economic justice. Must be able to communicate effectively with clients and staff, work independently and efficiently and be able to problem solve and work collaboratively with community partner agency staff.  Training or experience in community lawyering or community organizing, and demonstrated strong listening and relationship building skills, experience, creativity and willingness to use varied legal and non-legal advocacy tools to advance community identified initiatives preferred.  Must be willing to travel throughout the 16 county service area and have a car and a clean valid New York driver’s license. Strong computer, administrative, reporting and data entry skills required.  Ability to speak Spanish a plus.

 

Salary:  $62,921 to $73,297 DOE.  We are a unionized program, and our fringe benefits are excellent.

 

Closing Date:       Until Filled

No applications will be accepted without cover letter, resume, references and writing sample.

 

To apply, please 

 

 

 

 

LASNNY is committed to the creation of an inclusive and diverse workplace and providing Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action to all applicants. We strongly encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQ persons, protected veterans, applicants and recipients of public assistance, the elderly and people with disabilities.