Staff Attorney(s)

Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.

LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer. Further, LSNYC prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) efforts and aims to create a work environment where everyone can bring their full selves to the work.

BROOKLYN LEGAL SERVICES,

NEIGHBORHOOD ECONOMIC JUSTICE PROJECT SEEKS

 STAFF ATTORNEY(S)

HOMEOWNER RIGHTS & FORECLOSURE PREVENTION

Brooklyn Legal Services (BLS) seeks one to two staff attorneys for its Neighborhood Economic Justice Project (NEJP). The attorneys will primarily support our homeowner rights & foreclosure prevention advocacy.

About Us

BLS is the Brooklyn branch of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), the nation's largest civil legal services provider. Our mission is to fight poverty and seek racial, social, and economic justice, and our citywide force of over 500 staff helps more than 110,000 low-income New Yorkers annually. BLS, LSNYC’s largest program, stops evictions, preserves affordable housing and homeownership, helps people access essential public benefits, identifies and redresses discrimination in housing and mortgage lending, protects borrowers from abusive and illegal collection tactics, empowers victims of domestic violence, represents students in disciplinary proceedings and ensures access to educational supports, assists Brooklyn residents who are LGBTQ or HIV+ in gaining access to the services they need, and promotes the rights of immigrants, veterans, the disabled, and the elderly.

BLS’ nationally prominent homeowner rights and foreclosure prevention practice was the first of its kind in New York City. We use complex federal and state litigation, anti-discrimination enforcement, policy advocacy, and community education to assist low-income neighborhoods at increased risk of foreclosure due to predatory lending or abusive loan servicing practices. NEJP is actively litigating cases challenging discriminatory and abusive lending, unfair and deceptive servicing practices by the nation’s largest banks and loan servicers, and deed theft scams. We are also a city and statewide leader in policy advocacy around economic justice, including fair and responsible lending, access to a just and unbiased court system, and transforming the status quo for struggling homeowners by working to educate elected officials, leaders, enforcement agencies, and the public at large about the pressures of gentrification, the annual property tax lien sale, and real estate scams, as well as creative alternatives to traditional ownership and banking such as community land trusts and public banking.

LSNYC and BLS pride themselves on their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts. As a social justice organization, we are committed to fighting for a workplace that is as diverse, equitable, and inclusive as possible for everyone. Our DEIB committee and numerous affinity groups work to foster collegial relationships among staff and allow staff to explore and advocate for racial justice and anti-oppression growth within our organization and through our legal work. All employees are expected to learn about, seek to understand, and work to realize our DEIB goals.

Responsibilities

The staff attorneys will represent homeowners in state and federal court litigation, including foreclosure, civil rights, consumer protection, estates administration, quiet title, and partition actions, as well as contribute to our project’s general civil rights work, which includes fair housing litigation, enforcement complaints, and matched-pair testing. Other responsibilities include client intake, community education and outreach, legal trainings, and policy advocacy. The positions will offer opportunities to engage in a broad range of exciting and creative advocacy.

Requirements

• Admission to the New York State Bar;
• A demonstrated passion for social justice and commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance racial and economic equity;
• Demonstrated commitment to homeowner issues;
• Strong interest in client work and litigation;
• Excellent organizational, analytical, writing, communication, and advocacy skills; and
• Strong interpersonal skills, empathy, and sense of teamwork.

Preferred Experience

• At least 3+ years of experience working on homeowner rights litigation;
• Experience with policy and legislative advocacy;
• Proficiency in a language spoken in the communities we serve; and
• Strong ties to Brooklyn’s low-income communities.

How to Apply

Applicants submit a cover letter, resume, and two writing samples.

Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls, please.

BLS offers excellent benefits, including health, dental, and vision plans; contributions to a 403(b) plan; and generous leave time. BLS offers a highly competitive public interest salary commensurate with experience.

Brooklyn Legal Services is an equal opportunity employer: people of color; women; people with disabilities; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people; and people over the age of 40 are welcome and encouraged to apply. We are committed to race, gender, and economic justice in our work and within our workplace. Staff members who are not managers are members of the LSSA/NOLSW UAW Local 2320.

All employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless they are unable to for medical or religious reasons.

Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.