Deputy Housing Director - Right to Counsel

Legal Services NYC • New York, NY

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

Brooklyn Legal Services (BLS), part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), seeks a Deputy Director for its Housing Law Unit – Right to Counsel Practice. This role involves providing leadership for LSNYC’s city-wide housing practice, focusing on preserving affordable housing for Brooklyn’s low-income communities. The practice includes representing tenants in eviction proceedings, collaborating with community organizations, and conducting affirmative litigation against displacement and discriminatory practices. The unit works closely with the Office of Civil Justice to support the expanding Right to Counsel initiative. The core work involves zealous legal representation for tenants facing eviction in various courts and administrative proceedings, preserving housing subsidies and public benefits, and providing advice and community education through legal clinics and Know Your Rights trainings. The Deputy Director will directly supervise law graduates, attorneys, and paralegals, strengthen community partnerships, address systemic housing issues, and handle administrative and grant responsibilities. This role will also contribute to developing and implementing a strategic vision for the Unit, supervising attorneys in various litigation types, managing intake, onboarding and training new staff, community outreach, strengthening partnerships, and policy advocacy. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, interested in supervising a community-based law office practice, and capable of initiating and collaborating on litigation or community-based campaigns.

Requirements

• Attorney admitted to the New York State Bar.
• Demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity.
• Excellent analytical, written, and communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Ability to provide supportive and consistent supervision to attorneys, paralegals, and support staff in a fast-paced and high volume practice.
• Excellent persuasive writing and editing skills.
• Experience with appellate advocacy.
• Minimum of 6 years of relevant housing litigation experience.
• Working knowledge of housing laws, court procedures, public benefits, and best practices in the field.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively, with a high level of integrity.
• Ability to prioritize and meet multiple and competing deadlines.
• Prior supervision experience in a relevant setting, including mentoring/supervising a group of advocates in a fast-paced environment, and providing trainings and supervision to newer advocates daily.

Nice To Haves

• Strong ties to Brooklyn’s communities of color are helpful, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct supervision to the Unit’s law graduates, attorneys and paralegals.
• Strengthen relationships with community partners.
• Address systemic housing issues that perpetuate poverty.
• Handle administrative and grant responsibilities.
• Help develop and implement a strategic vision for the Unit’s work.
• Supervise attorneys on a range of litigation including individual and group representation in Housing Court, administrative proceedings, and affirmative litigation in State and Federal Court.
• Manage intake.
• Create and lead onboarding and training of new attorneys and law graduates.
• Conduct community education and outreach.
• Strengthen partnerships with community groups and elected officials.
• Engage in policy advocacy.
• Provide zealous legal representation to Brooklyn tenants facing eviction in Housing Court, appellate courts, and administrative proceedings through aggressive litigation and creative advocacy.
• Preserve housing subsidies and public benefits for clients through both individual representation and cutting-edge litigation.
• Provide advice and community education to tenants throughout Brooklyn at legal clinics and through Know Your Rights trainings.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision plans
• Contributions to a 403(b) plan
• Generous leave time
• Access to internal Justice Learning Center for free CLEs and trainer experience
• Opportunities for professional development
• Support for attending local and national trainings to build supervision and management skills

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed