Staff Attorney - General Law & Public Benefits

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.•Ithaca, NY

6d•$75,000 - $111,100•Hybrid

About The Position

The Ithaca office of LawNY® seeks to fill an immediate opening for a full time Staff Attorney in its General Law/Public Benefits Unit. The Staff Attorney will assist at-risk students with cases involving education plans, school discipline for those with special needs, homelessness, and other issues specifically affecting students with low-income. The Staff Attorney will also assist clients with public benefits issues, which will include representing clients who have been denied disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. We encourage applicants with a wide range of substantive legal experience to apply. We expect those who fill this position will grow and adapt their practice to the needs of the community and the organization. The candidate must have the caring, patience, and emotional maturity to help people with low-income overcome crisis situations. Staff Attorneys at LawNY® provide comprehensive legal services to eligible clients and the ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of how civil legal issues affect communities with low income and intersect with social and economic justice. Staff Attorneys play a critical role in realizing LawNY®’s vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Every Staff Attorney is expected to actively engage in learning and becoming increasingly skilled in practice that supports this vision.

Requirements

Admitted to practice and in good standing in New York State.
Demonstrated commitment of service to people with low-income.
Excellent oral and written communication skills

Nice To Haves

Litigation and advocacy experience in state and/or federal court and/or administrative forums within at least one area of poverty law, especially family law, government benefits, eviction prevention, consumer, and/or fair housing.
Experience incorporating an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens into legal practice.
An understanding of the concepts of structural and institutional racism and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities.
Strong interpersonal skills, including a commitment to providing trauma-informed services.
Lived experience with our client communities.
True fluency in a language other than English that is spoken by our clients.
Passion for social justice and commitment to the mission of LawNY.
Excellent use of Google Drive/GSuite, Word, and Excel; database programs; and Lexisnexis or Westlaw.

Responsibilities

Maintain a full-time caseload representing eligible clients.
Interacts respectfully with clients from a wide range of backgrounds, with an awareness of the importance of cultural competence and humility.
Collaborates with other LawNY® advocates, human services providers, non-profit organizations and community groups as well as the courts, administrative tribunals and the private bar to address legal problems within our community, including providing community legal education.
Contributes to a safe and healthy work environment for fellow employees.
Cooperates in all grant reporting requirements, program reporting, timekeeping, file maintenance, case closing and compliance review.

Benefits

LawNY is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program(PSLF).
LawNY® provides an excellent package of fringe benefits including:
94% Employer paid Medical Premium with 100% Employer paid in-network deductible
100% Employer paid Dental Insurance
100% Employer paid Life Insurance
100% Employer paid Enhanced Short-term Disability
100% Employer paid Long-term Disability
Vision Insurance
20 Paid Vacation days per year
12 Sick days per year
5 Personal days per year
13.5 Holidays plus 2 floating Holidays per year
35-Hour Work Week
Hybrid Work Schedule (new staff are able to work from home up to 3 days per week. After 6 months, this increases to 5 days per week with Manager approval, as workload permits)