Staff Attorney - Special Populations Program

Management Information Exchange • Rochester, NY

282d • $70,000 - $106,100 • Remote

About The Position

The Rochester office of LawNY® seeks to fill an immediate opening for a full time Staff Attorney in its Special Populations Programs (SPP) Unit which provides civil legal services to seniors, veterans, victims of elder abuse, and crime victims and other victimized individuals. We encourage applicants with a wide range of substantive legal experience to apply. Cases handled frequently involve health care matters including Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security issues (SSI, SSDI), and the rights of Nursing Home Residents. We expect those who fill this position will grow and adapt their practice to the needs of the community and the organization, and place an emphasis on supervision skills and the ability to practice in multiple forums. The candidate must have the caring, patience, and emotional maturity to help low-income people 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 affecting low-income communities 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

• Juris Doctorate or Equivalent
• Admitted to practice and in good standing in New York State.
• Demonstrated commitment of service to low-income people.

Nice To Haves

• Litigation and advocacy experience in local, state and/or federal court and/or administrative forums within at least one other area of poverty law.
• 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.
• Excellent use of Google Drive/GSuite, Word, and Excel; database programs such as Lexisnexis and Westlaw.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a full-time caseload representing eligible clients
• Provides legal services to low income clients and client groups regarding these matters including advice, negotiation, litigation and administrative advocacy.
• Interacts respectfully with clients, partners, and team members 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.
• Cooperates in all grant reporting requirements, program reporting, timekeeping, file maintenance, case closing and compliance review.

Benefits

• 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)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree