Director, Neighborhood Stabilization and Foreclosure Prevention Project

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. 

Immediate Job Opening

Unit Director

Neighborhood Stabilization and Foreclosure Prevention Project

Bronx Legal Services seeks a unit director for its Neighborhood Stabilization and Foreclosure Prevention Project to start immediately.

About Bronx Legal Services 

Bronx Legal Services, the largest provider of free civil legal services in the borough, is part of Legal Services NYC’s network of local programs throughout New York City. Its mission is to advance society’s promise to its most vulnerable members that they are entitled to equal access to our legal system. For over 50 years, it has provided civil legal services to help its clients meet their essential needs and has challenged the systemic injustices that keep them poor in practice areas including housing, homeowner protection, public benefits, access to healthcare, disability rights, family law, immigration law, consumer law, access to education, and employment rights. We also work with our clients and partners to identify and address root causes for systemic inequalities in the Bronx and throughout New York City.

The Position 

The mission of the Neighborhood Stabilization and Foreclosure Prevention Unit is to pursue  creative strategies and zealous advocacy in the pursuit of justice for Bronx homeowners facing foreclosure and other threats to homeownership through litigation, nonlitigation advocacy, and community education. In this work, the unit challenges and seeks to eradicate abusive lending practices and other predatory threats to homeownership in the Bronx. While the unit’s primary focus is preserving homeownership, it also works with boards of directors of Housing Development Fund Corporation buildings, nonprofit organizations and government agencies on transactional matters to help preserve existing low-income cooperatives and assists nonprofit organizations with corporate formation.

The unit director will be responsible for managing and supervising all aspects of the work of a team consisting of 4 staff attorneys and a paralegal, in addition to carrying a small caseload. The Director’s duties will include supervision of a weekly walk-in foreclosure clinic in Bronx Supreme Court, where advice and brief services are provided.

The team represents clients in all aspects of homeownership preservation, including intake and case assessment, staffing a court-based foreclosure clinic, brief advice and assistance with pro se  answers to foreclosure complaints, representing defendants at mandatory foreclosure settlement conferences and assistance with loss mitigation, and in the full range of litigation, including drafting pleadings and motions, conducting discovery, trials and arguing appeals, both in defensive foreclosure litigation and affirmative litigation challenging abusing mortgage servicing and discriminatory lending practices and providing advice to homeowners filing Chapter 7 and 13 petitions. 

The Unit also includes a small community economic development practice, which includes multiparty complex litigation, transactional work around the establishment of community land trusts, advising small businesses on legal matters, and assisting nonprofit organizations with corporate formation and applications for federal tax-exempt status.   We would like to grow this practice.

The unit director will also be responsible for managing the administrative aspects of the unit, including grant management and reporting, identifying, and pursuing new funding opportunities, monitoring client intake processes, managing day-to-day personnel issues, advocating with the courts and participating in policy advocacy and advocacy focused on funding for homeownership preservation services.

We seek a candidate with:

• A J.D. from an accredited law school and license to practice law in New York;
• At least 7 years’ experience as a practicing attorney; with 3 years’ supervisory experience
• A demonstrated passion for social justice and commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity;
• Demonstrated experience in foreclosure defense litigation is required. Additional experience in areas such as non-profit corporation transactions, bankruptcy, consumer justice, fair housing, civil rights, estates matters, and/or economic justice is preferred;
• Experience with lending transactions for housing preservation projects and familiarity with New York City’s Housing Preservation and Development department is preferred;
• Demonstrated experience in a leadership, mentorship, or supervisory role is preferred;
• Excellent writing, communication, and oral presentation skills; 
• The ability to effectively lead outreach, education, litigation, and team projects;
• Leadership and supervision skills appropriate to lead a team that includes staff attorneys, paralegals and interns;
• A facility working with basic software used in a law office setting, and proficiency in the entire MS Office suite; and
• Enthusiasm for partnering with community-based advocates and organizations.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are more hesitant than others to apply for jobs where they fear they may not fully meet every single qualification listed. While the above list represents the qualities we seek in applicants, we are committed to finding the best candidate for the job. If you are interested in this position and have substantial relevant experience, we encourage you to apply even if you do not fully meet each of the criteria above.

Application Details:

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

Bronx Legal Services is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to race, gender, and economic justice in our work and within our workplace. People of color, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, and people over the age of 40 are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Salary Range (Based on years’ experience): $132,096 to $198,144

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.

 

 

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.