Staff Attorney, Group Representation - Preserving Affordable Housing Program-Brooklyn
About The Position
Build Up Justice NYC (BUJNYC) has been providing free legal services to low-income Brooklyn residents since 1968, focusing on justice, empowerment, and community development. They use legal and advocacy strategies, including community organizing, litigation, and eviction defense, to protect individuals and families. BUJNYC also collaborates with government officials to enforce housing laws and develop policy solutions. The organization has three main programs: Preserving Affordable Housing (PAH), Consumer & Economic Advocacy (CEA), and Community & Economic Development (CED), all crucial for meeting basic needs and affirming rights. The Group Representation Staff Attorney will represent various groups, including low-income tenant associations facing landlord harassment, individuals and families facing eviction, low-income tenant co-ops, community institutions threatened by market pressures and displacement, low-income tenants in fair housing litigation, and community groups fighting housing discrimination and segregation. The role involves providing brief advice on housing issues and managing a caseload of full representation cases, such as HP cases for repairs/harassment, non-payment, holdover, and 7A proceedings in housing court. This includes motion practice, discovery, depositions, client communication, negotiations with opposing counsel, and advocacy with outside agencies. The attorney will also file complaints with DHCR for rent-stabilized tenants and conduct workshops and outreach to inform tenants of their rights under fair housing laws.
Requirements
- Admission to the bar of the State of New York is required
- Passion for social justice and helping and representing clients in low-income tenant groups, community organizations, and coalitions
- Experience working with clients in the nonprofit sector, low-income tenant groups, community organizations and/or coalitions
- Ability to meet with a group of tenants for the purpose of advising them of their rights and obtain their cooperation of filing affirmative litigation
- Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with client/tenants of different races, ethnicities, ages, and sexual orientations in a multicultural environment
- An understanding of the City’s housing market and/or experience in housing law practice
- Ability to work independently with strong motivation, to manage a high caseload, to meet deadlines, and to be flexible
- Excellent legal writing, litigation and advocacy skills
- Computer proficiency sufficient to independently review and generate materials relevant to the position
- Maintain up-to-date client information in Brooklyn A’s case management system to ensure accurate data collection and statistical tracking
- Language proficiency relevant to our clients, especially Spanish
Nice To Haves
- Experience in housing law practice
Responsibilities
- Represent low-income tenant associations confronting landlords harassing low-income residents and seeking to vacate buildings
- Represent individuals and families facing eviction
- Represent low-income tenant co-ops seeking to reinforce and sustain themselves
- Represent community institutions facing closures or adverse actions due to extraordinary market pressures and neighborhood displacement
- Represent low-income tenants in fair housing litigation
- Represent community groups involved in struggles against pervasive housing discrimination, neighborhood segregation, and other issues critically affecting the future of their communities
- Provide brief advice on a range of housing issues
- Handle a caseload of full representation cases, i.e. HP cases for repairs and/or harassment, non-payment, holdover, and 7A, proceedings in housing court
- Engage in frequent motion practice, discovery, and depositions
- Communicate with clients
- Negotiate with opposing counsel
- Advocate with outside agencies on behalf of clients
- File complaints with DHCR on behalf of rent stabilized tenants
- Conduct workshop and outreach events to ensure that tenants are aware of their protections under various fair housing laws
- Collaborate as needed with program managers and development team to write narrative reports for grant and contracts
- Attend meetings, and perform administrative tasks related to the work, such as timekeeping and case notes
- Publish articles effectively advocating on behalf of clients and Build Up Justice NYC
Benefits
- 27 days vacation
- Employer paid health, dental and vision insurance
- Employer contribution to 401(k)
- Paid parental leave
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
