Junior Associate

SOUDER LAW GROUP LLP•Newark, NJ

4d•$85,000 - $110,000•Onsite

About The Position

Souder Law Group is a Newark-based New Jersey firm built on a simple idea: lawyers create the rules of life, and those rules define space. We are Spacemakers, Institution Builders, and Change Agents. Our Inclusive Legal Solutions span real estate and economic development, government affairs, education and nonprofit, health and cannabis, and litigation, with a focus on urban communities across the Northeast. Our Real Estate Group pairs commercial and residential real estate skill with a deep understanding of community needs, guiding owners, developers, lenders, housing authorities, and municipalities through redevelopment agreements, PILOT and tax-exemption programs, land-use approvals, and complex legal disputes. The Junior Associate is where an SLG legal career begins. You will build a foundation across the firm's real estate, land-use, redevelopment, and tax-abatement work while also supporting the firm's litigation practice. You will research, draft, and assemble the work that moves our matters forward, learning directly from senior attorneys how municipal approvals are won, how transactions close, and how disputes are prepared and argued. The role is closely supervised by design, and it is built for growth.

Requirements

Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school.
Admitted to practice in New Jersey, or a recent graduate awaiting admission.
Strong research, writing, and citation skills, demonstrated through a writing sample.
Meticulous attention to detail and disciplined time management.
Genuine interest in urban redevelopment, community-centered legal work, and litigation.

Nice To Haves

0 to 2 years of experience, including judicial clerkship, law clerk, or internship experience in real estate, land use, municipal, or litigation practice.
New York or Pennsylvania admission.
Familiarity with Clio and Microsoft 365.

Responsibilities

Prepare foundational research on zoning ordinances, redevelopment law, tax-abatement statutes, and municipal procedures.
Assist with drafting portions of land-use applications, redevelopment submissions, long-term tax exemption filings, and planning board materials.
Support commercial and residential real estate transactions through due diligence, title review, survey analysis, and closing checklists.
Prepare preliminary drafts of lender compliance documents, loan schedules, and municipal certifications.
Research procurement, ethics, and public contracting requirements for government-entity clients.
Attend internal and municipal meetings as an observer; client-facing responsibilities are limited at the outset and expand with demonstrated readiness.
Maintain meticulous, contemporaneous timekeeping in Clio and meet the 1,800-hour billable requirement.
Research legal issues and prepare first drafts of memoranda, pleadings, motions, briefs, and certifications for review by the Head of Litigation and supervising attorneys.
Draft discovery requests and responses, conduct document review, prepare privilege logs, and draft deficiency letters.
Prepare deposition outlines, witness preparation materials, and exhibit bundles; attend depositions, hearings, and trials in support or second-chair roles.
Support litigation arising from the firm's core practice, including prerogative writ challenges to land-use decisions, commercial lease and title disputes, foreclosure matters, and public-entity matters.
Track court deadlines and case management orders in Clio and prepare filings for submission through eCourts under attorney supervision.
Once admitted, and with supervising-attorney approval, handle routine appearances such as case management conferences and uncontested motions.