What are the responsibilities and job description for the Staff Attorney - Foreclosure position at National Legal Aid & Defender Association?
Position Description
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Jamestown office of LawNY® seeks to fill an opening for a full time Staff Attorney in its Foreclosure Unit. The Staff Attorney will provide direct legal representation, primarily in tax and mortgage foreclosure cases in Chautauqua County that secondarily may lead to chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy cases. The candidate must have the caring, patience, and emotional maturity to help people with low-income 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 communities with low-income intersect with social and economic justice.
Compensation Package
The beginning salary for a Staff Attorney at LawNY with no experience is $75,000 and the salary for a Staff Attorney with thirty years of experience is $111,100. Salary will be based on experience. LawNY is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program(PSLF).
LawNY® Provides An Excellent Package Of Fringe Benefits Including
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)
Responsibilities
These are the most significant responsibilities and primary functions of the position.
Maintain a full-time caseload representing eligible clients served by our Foreclosure Unit.
Develop and maintain specialized knowledge in foreclosure and bankruptcy matters.
Provide legal services to low income clients and client groups regarding these matters including advice, negotiation, litigation and administrative advocacy.
Interact respectfully with clients from a wide range of backgrounds, with an awareness of the importance of cultural competence and humility.
Collaborate 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.
Contribute to a safe and healthy work environment for fellow employees.
Cooperate in all grant reporting requirements, program reporting, timekeeping, file maintenance, case closing and compliance review.
Maintain a high level of professional competence through attendance of training sessions, seminars and conferences and individual efforts to keep abreast of current developments in the area of poverty law and the application of an equity lens to client service.
ADDITIONAL TRAITS AND SKILLS These are the traits, attributes, attitudes, and skills that speak to the candidate’s ability to succeed in the position. While no one candidate will possess all of the qualities listed, the ideal candidate will have many of these qualities.
Litigation and advocacy experience in state and/or federal court and/or administrative forums within at least one related area of poverty law, especially landlord-tenant, foreclosure, bankruptcy, homelessness prevention, fair housing, and/or government benefits.
Experience with tax and mortgage foreclosures and/or bankruptcy is preferable but not required.
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.
Lived experience with our client communities.
True fluency in a language other than English that is spoken by our clients.
ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY®) is a not-for-profit law firm that provides free civil legal services to clients with low-income in a 14 county area of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier. LawNY® has seven fully staffed field offices in Bath, Elmira, Geneva, Ithaca, Jamestown, Olean and Rochester, satellite offices in Lakeville and Lyons, and a business office in Rochester.
LawNY® has been providing high quality legal representation for 54 years, and today has over 180 employees, including attorneys, paralegals, and a legal support team who work closely across areas of specialization to bring a holistic approach to addressing legal issues affecting our clients and community.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Jamestown office of LawNY® seeks to fill an opening for a full time Staff Attorney in its Foreclosure Unit. The Staff Attorney will provide direct legal representation, primarily in tax and mortgage foreclosure cases in Chautauqua County that secondarily may lead to chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy cases. The candidate must have the caring, patience, and emotional maturity to help people with low-income 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 communities with low-income intersect with social and economic justice.
Compensation Package
The beginning salary for a Staff Attorney at LawNY with no experience is $75,000 and the salary for a Staff Attorney with thirty years of experience is $111,100. Salary will be based on experience. LawNY is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program(PSLF).
LawNY® Provides An Excellent Package Of Fringe Benefits Including
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)
Responsibilities
These are the most significant responsibilities and primary functions of the position.
Maintain a full-time caseload representing eligible clients served by our Foreclosure Unit.
Develop and maintain specialized knowledge in foreclosure and bankruptcy matters.
Provide legal services to low income clients and client groups regarding these matters including advice, negotiation, litigation and administrative advocacy.
Interact respectfully with clients from a wide range of backgrounds, with an awareness of the importance of cultural competence and humility.
Collaborate 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.
Contribute to a safe and healthy work environment for fellow employees.
Cooperate in all grant reporting requirements, program reporting, timekeeping, file maintenance, case closing and compliance review.
Maintain a high level of professional competence through attendance of training sessions, seminars and conferences and individual efforts to keep abreast of current developments in the area of poverty law and the application of an equity lens to client service.
ADDITIONAL TRAITS AND SKILLS These are the traits, attributes, attitudes, and skills that speak to the candidate’s ability to succeed in the position. While no one candidate will possess all of the qualities listed, the ideal candidate will have many of these qualities.
Litigation and advocacy experience in state and/or federal court and/or administrative forums within at least one related area of poverty law, especially landlord-tenant, foreclosure, bankruptcy, homelessness prevention, fair housing, and/or government benefits.
Experience with tax and mortgage foreclosures and/or bankruptcy is preferable but not required.
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.
Lived experience with our client communities.
True fluency in a language other than English that is spoken by our clients.
ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY®) is a not-for-profit law firm that provides free civil legal services to clients with low-income in a 14 county area of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier. LawNY® has seven fully staffed field offices in Bath, Elmira, Geneva, Ithaca, Jamestown, Olean and Rochester, satellite offices in Lakeville and Lyons, and a business office in Rochester.
LawNY® has been providing high quality legal representation for 54 years, and today has over 180 employees, including attorneys, paralegals, and a legal support team who work closely across areas of specialization to bring a holistic approach to addressing legal issues affecting our clients and community.
Salary : $75,000 - $111,100