Workplace Justice Staff Attorney

Make the Road•New York, NY

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Make the Road New York (MRNY) builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. Make the Road New York operates community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; Brentwood, Long Island and White Plains, Westchester County. With a membership of 28,000, MRNY tackles the critical issues facing our communities, including workplace justice, tenants’ rights, immigrant rights and civil rights, TGNCIQ justice, public education, health care access, and immigration reform. MRNY is a newly unionized workplace. MRNY is a multi-service organization. Our member-led organizing committees -- which work on the issues named above -- implement strategies to combat shared problems, and develop leadership and the capacity for civic participation. We also provide an array of high-quality bilingual services: We offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), citizenship preparation, and in-school and after-school youth programs. We have a robust legal program that offers direct representation across a spectrum of practice areas, including employment law, immigration law, housing and benefits, and TGNCIQ civil rights; we also take on impact litigation as a strategy for achieving broad change. Our health program offers facilitated enrollment into health insurance programs and SNAP benefits, a community health worker home visit program, nutrition education and emergency food pantries, health care navigation, and more. MRNY seeks a bilingual (Spanish & English), highly motivated, organized, and dedicated employment law attorney to join our Workplace Justice legal team. The position is full-time and will be based in our Bushwick, Brooklyn office. Our team currently includes 4 other experienced employment attorneys and 3 paralegals who handle a wide range of employment-related legal matters facing our community members, including wage theft, employment discrimination, paid sick leave, retaliation, paid family leave and health and safety issues on the job. Our Workplace Justice legal team collaborates closely with and provides strategic support on worker organizing campaigns to improve and enforce labor standards at the city and state levels.

Requirements

Eligible to work in the US;
Admission (or eligibility for admission) to practice law in New York State or the possibility of waiving into the state.
Fluency in the Spanish language;
Demonstrated commitment to social, racial and economic justice and an understanding of the challenges facing low-wage workers, immigrant communities, and communities of color;
Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-energy environment.
Interpersonal and organizational skills of the highest caliber.

Nice To Haves

Experience working among populations that make up major portions of MRNY’s membership – such as documented and undocumented immigrants, members of TGNCIQ communities, and youth.

Responsibilities

Handle an employment law caseload that involves a range of legal representation and advocacy, from direct negotiation and resolution of cases, filing administrative claims, to multi-plaintiff federal court litigation.
Work closely with MRNY members and organizers to envision and implement strategic affirmative litigation projects and leverage other strategies that strengthen MRNY's worker organizing.
Support MRNY members and organizing campaigns through strategic litigation, legislative advocacy, research and action support.
Work with MRNY organizers and other partners to support campaigns, provide legal clinics and facilitate know-your-rights workshops in both English and Spanish.
Participate in legal team and organization wide meetings.
Maintain case data and cooperate with reporting requirements.