Staff Attorney

Fair Share Housing Center•Cherry Hill, NJ

4d•$75,000 - $82,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC) is a nonprofit advocacy organization that uses legal, policy, and community-building strategies to dismantle decades of racial and economic discrimination in New Jersey and nationally that excludes people from the opportunity to live in safe, healthy, and affordable housing. Fair Share Housing Center’s work has created over 70,000 homes affordable to lower-income families in communities that otherwise would have excluded them, with 50,000 more anticipated over the next decade. FSHC has shaped both state and national policy on racial justice and fair housing, including through the largest settlement in the 50-year history of the federal Fair Housing Act in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. And the organization also led the charge to pass the Fair Chance in Housing Act—the first statewide bill of its kind in the country that protects individuals with prior criminal legal involvement from discrimination in the rental market. More broadly, FSHC works closely with partner organizations in New Jersey and nationally to advance racial, economic, and social justice issues that impact low-income communities and communities of color. The Staff Attorney will be a key player in a small, tight-knit team of attorneys and policy advocates that works together to make sure that the promise of New Jersey’s fair housing laws becomes reality. This position will require an attorney with a diverse range of legal skills, including litigation, reviewing proposed ordinances and plans to ensure they actually will create affordable homes, and policy work. The successful candidate will be an attorney with demonstrated skills in creatively using legal knowledge in a broad range of forums and settings to protect the rights of lower-income people and people of color.

Requirements

Demonstrated commitment to racial & economic justice and alignment with FSHC’s mission & values
Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school
Admission to the bar in New Jersey with active license in good standing required
1-3 years of experience in civil rights, fair housing, or related public interest law (judicial clerkships may be considered towards this experience level)
Experience or proven interest in working as a lawyer with communities of color on advancing racial and economic justice
Knowledge of Fair Share Housing Center’s work or other housing/social justice organizations
Courtroom and mediation/negotiation experience or willingness to shadow and train for these skills
Excellent legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
Ability to maintain confidentiality

Responsibilities

Reviewing compliance with fair housing settlements through analyzing proposed municipal fair share plans, ordinances and supporting documentation to make sure much-needed homes are actually built; work will include frequent communication with opposing counsel, urban planners, and community leaders to attempt to resolve issues as they arise
Litigation focused on ensuring compliance with fair housing rules, including bringing cases and litigating through to conclusion when municipalities fail to plan and provide for affordable housing, or violate past agreements or court orders setting forth requirements for affordable housing production
Working with community groups and FSHC’s policy and communications staff to help explain our legal work—and the homes created through it—in order to ensure that potential applicants have information about how to apply to homes, and to respond to issues being raised by civil rights, religious, and other organizations about fair housing compliance in their communities
Conduct legal research, draft motions and briefs, and represent FSHC in court
Working collaboratively with the Litigation Team and/or Senior Staff Attorneys to strategize, plan for, and lead mediations between interested parties
Collaborate with co-counsel, experts, and other stakeholders to develop and implement legal strategies
Provide legal analysis and support for policy initiatives and legislative advocacy
Review compliance with fair housing settlements through analyzing proposed municipal ordinances & policies
Assist in the development and implementation of the litigation team’s strategic goals and initiatives
Other duties as assigned