Staff Attorney, Homeowner Defense 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. 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.

Staff Attorney - Homeowner Defense Project, Staten Island Legal Services

Staten Island Legal Services (across the street from the ferry), is seeking a full-time Staff Attorney to join our homeowner defense/foreclosure prevention practice.

About Us

Staten Island Legal Services (SILS) provides high-quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Staten Island's diverse low-income populations. SILS focuses on the problems that have the greatest impact on our clients — preserving affordable and decent housing, representing survivors of domestic violence, obtaining immigration status, and preventing deportations, advocating for the LGBTQ community, preventing foreclosures, and advocating for students with educational needs and people with disabilities. SILS is a part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), which is the largest provider of civil legal services in the country. LSNYC prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts. 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.

The Homeowner Defense Project (HDP) provides high-quality, innovative representation to prevent foreclosures and address the pressing legal needs of Staten Island’s low-income homeowners. HDP is one of the most effective programs in the state, achieving affordable, long-term homeownership for its clients. SILS uses federal and state litigation, policy advocacy, negotiation, and community education to assist low-income homeowners at risk of foreclosure due to predatory lending or abusive loan servicing practices. HDP is actively litigating numerous cases, including appeals, in state and federal court against the nation’s largest banks. HDP also works to preserve homeownership by representing homeowners in administrative hearings on building violations and representing surviving family members in Surrogate’s Court proceedings. Further, HDP staff engages in policy advocacy to address social justice and fair lending issues.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The attorney will be supervised by the HDP Director and will be working in a hybrid remote work and in- office work arrangement (per the LSNYC Collective Bargaining Agreement). The work includes:

• Direct client advocacy (via both in-court and non-litigation efforts, including applying for grants, property tax exemptions, and loss mitigation);
• Intake, community education, and community outreach;
• Active participation in foreclosure-prevention-oriented taskforces and working groups citywide, statewide, and nationwide;
• Active support of foreclosure-prevention law and policy objectives through coalition work, collaboration with other advocates on, e.g., amicus curiae briefs or white papers; and
• Administrative tasks, including timekeeping, file maintenance, uploading documents, data reporting, and case closing for grant

Requirements:

• Applicants must have a J.D. from an accredited law school;
• Admitted or be in the process of being admitted to practice law in the State of New York;
• Strong demonstrated background and experience in public interest, litigation, foreclosure defense, housing, or consumer law;
• Experience working with diverse low-income communities and familiarity with structural and systemic racism and their intersection with poverty. Strong ties to or understanding of the Staten Island low-income communities is a plus;
• Commitment to social justice and working in low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity;
• Strong interest in working directly with clients, specifically clients in crisis;
• Strong time management and organizational skills;
• Superb analytical, oral, and written communication skills; and
• Foreign language fluency is preferred but not

Salary determined by Collective Bargaining Agreement. Good benefits package.

How to Apply:

Interested individuals should submit a resume, cover letter, and writing sample. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Please, no phone calls.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Additional information about the practice may be found on our website, www.legalservicesnyc.org. Legal Services NYC 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 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.

Salary Range (Based on years of experience):

• 1-10 years: $74,881 - $98,355
• 11-20 years: $100,605 - $118,773
• 21+ years: $124,254 - $135,637

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.