Strategic Advocacy Staff Attorney - Albany
About The Position
The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LASNNY), a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking a Strategic Advocacy Staff Attorney. LASNNY's mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society that is inclusive and equitable for all. They transform lives, build communities, and empower people by using the law to address individual and systemic wrongs and inequities. Their service area spans sixteen counties in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position is based out of their Albany Office. Attorneys in the Advocacy Department will implement strategies for impactful advocacy for economic and social justice in a broad range of civil legal issues. This requires a systemic approach that addresses deep-seated inequities rather than surface-level issues. The staff attorney will collaborate with other practice areas at LASNNY to identify and challenge systemic civil rights violations and injustices affecting large groups of clients in various legal fields, such as unequal access to safe housing, employment discrimination, and wrongful denial of public benefits. The staff attorney will center community and co-create solutions, providing community legal education and support to community-led advocacy efforts. In strategic impact cases, the staff attorney will plan, develop, file, or defend lawsuits whose outcome impacts more than one individual and that focus on changing laws or protecting the rights of those impacted. In addition to providing direct representation to clients or client groups, the attorney will also utilize all other available advocacy tools to effectively achieve the client's desired goals - from litigation, coalition collaboration, white paper drafting, participation in the rulemaking process, media campaigns, among others.
Requirements
- Juris Doctor degree
- Admitted to the practice of law in the State of New York or eligible for admission
- Minimum 7 years of post-admission legal experience
- Willing and able to travel throughout our service area regularly
- Strong legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills
- Experience in initiating affirmative litigation in state and/or federal court
- Courtroom experience in civil litigation matters
- Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income populations, social justice and equity
- Training or experience with community lawyering or community organizing with demonstrated strong listening and relationship-building skills
- Experience, creativity, and willingness to use varied legal and non-legal advocacy tools to advance community-identified initiatives
- New York State Resident with reliable transportation
Nice To Haves
- Admission to the US District Court for the Northern District of New York
- Work in one or more of LASNNY's practice areas (family/DV law, housing defense, disability rights, public benefits, consumer, worker and other civil rights)
- Appellate practice
- Legislative experience
- Fluency in another language other than English; Spanish preferred
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute legal strategies in collaboration with the Advocacy Director, other LASNNY staff, and community partners to address systemic issues
- Conduct legal research and provide analysis on complex systemic legal issues
- Identify and work collaboratively with other staff and pro bono co-counsel
- Draft and review pleadings, briefs, motions, memoranda, advocacy letters, and rulemaking comments
- Lead and manage litigation matters from selecting the appropriate plaintiffs/petitioners through trial and/or settlement
- Mentor and co-chair with other practice staff attorneys; ensure team compliance with all deadlines and case requirements
- Take, perfect, and argue appeals on a variety of civil legal matters
- Work collaboratively with LASNNY staff and community-based organizations to identify new advocacy opportunities that address community-identified systemic legal issues and organizational priorities
- Conduct community education, outreach, and build relationships with communities served by LASNNY
- Draft educational materials for media and for the larger community
- Collaborate with the communications team for litigation efforts, client stories, and impact
- Other duties as determined by the Advocacy Director
Benefits
- Generous time off
- Excellent health insurance coverage with premiums primarily paid by LASNNY
- Health and long-term disability insurance
- Retirement contributions
- Tuition reimbursement
- Qualifying moving expenses
- Flexible hybrid-remote and alternative work schedules
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
