Legal Services NYC (“LSNYC”) fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low income New Yorkers. For almost 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustice and helped 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 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps more than 110,000 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 equal opportunity for all low income New Yorkers.

LSNYC’s Pro Bono Program

LSNYC’s pro bono program engages a range of private partners on behalf of thousands of low income New Yorkers across multiple practice areas. Managed by a director and staffed by this position, a coordinating attorney, two immigration attorneys, a bankruptcy attorney, and three paralegals, the Pro Bono Services Department (“Department”) works with LSNYC staff and pro bono partners to create and manage pro bono projects, place cases, run clinics, train and mentor volunteers, access in-kind resources, and match individual volunteers with appropriate LSNYC offices. LSNYC’s private partners include nearly 100 law firms and corporations, along with law schools, bar associations, and individual volunteers.

Housing is a core part of our pro bono program, with a particular focus on litigating conditions and harassment cases. LSNYC supports more than a dozen other pro bono initiatives as well, focused immigration, benefits, education, family, and more. Immigration makes up more than half of our pro bono work, including asylum, U-visas, VAWA self-petitions, battered spouse waivers, youth removal, and naturalizations. LSNYC conducts more than 70 pro bono clinics and study groups each year for tenants, veterans, immigrants, and transgender clients, among others. We operate a high-volume practice, with more than 2,000 pro bono cases annually at law firms, impacting more than 7,000 New Yorkers each year.

Opportunity

This position will focus on developing and coordinating our housing pro bono efforts – in particular, litigation of housing repair and tenant harassment cases (HPs). Thousands of low-income tenants struggle with shocking housing conditions in New York City – including lack of heat, mold, vermin, and even nonworking plumbing. These conditions are frequently compounded by landlord harassment, particularly in the City’s many gentrifying neighborhoods. The vast majority of tenants seeking this relief are pro se, and many struggle to litigate their cases without legal support.

The Housing Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney will expand and facilitate effective pro bono representation for tenants seeking this relief. In particular, the attorney will: train and mentor pro bono volunteers; review and improve training materials; hold regular study groups and office hours at law firms; identify and evaluate prospective cases; interface with LSNYC housing units about pro bono support and HP work; develop systems to ensure high quality legal support by pro bono volunteers; and work with the rest of the Pro Bono Department to develop relationships with law firms and corporations. The attorney may also work on a small docket of cases without pro bono involvement.

The Housing Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney will additionally explore and develop new pro bono housing initiatives – e.g., reasonable accommodations cases for tenants, NYCHA administrative appeals, or Article 78s – and investigate areas for possible impact litigation.

We are searching for an applicant who has housing expertise and is innovative, highly organized and responsive, skilled at public speaking and leading teams, and a problem-solver with strong interpersonal skills.

Under the supervision of the Director of Pro Bono Services, the Housing Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney’s duties will include:

 Expanding and coordinating pro bono initiatives for tenants who are seeking repairs and/or to challenge harassment from landlords

 Providing expert legal mentorship for pro bono attorneys, including reviewing drafts, discussing case strategy, second chairing hearings and trials, and providing guidance on working with low income tenants

 Setting up and administering frequent pro bono attorney study groups and office hours at law firms

 Developing training materials, conducting regular trainings for pro bono attorneys and other volunteers, and creating/updating training manuals

 Coordinating first and second-level screening of prospective clients

 Monitoring policy developments and alerting pro bono attorneys about important changes

 Drafting case descriptions to pitch to pro bono attorneys

 Creating and coordinating systems and databases to track a high volume of clients, coordinate volunteer work, and track case outcomes with support from other members of the pro bono team

 Researching and assisting with outreach to law firms and corporations

 Building a referral network with other organizations

 Assisting with reporting, data collection, and evaluation of the program

 Participating in and assisting with pro bono events

 Researching and analyzing relevant laws and regulations

Applicants must have the following qualifications:

 Collaborative, solution oriented, and capacity to work in a team  Highly self-motivated

 Commitment to a pro bono model of serving client needs

 Strong writing and analytical skills

 Demonstrated excellent organizational skills

 Excellent oral and written communication skills

 Demonstrated consistent ability to pay close attention to details

 Ability to work with people from a range of backgrounds – including low income clients, other LSNYC staff, and private attorneys from law firms and corporations

 Skilled presenter, with experience training attorneys on substantive legal issues

 At least 2 years of experience as a housing attorney

 Track record of coordinating a high volume of clients and/or volunteers

 Demonstrated communication habits that are consistently prompt and highly responsive

 J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to the New York Bar

Preferred qualifications

 Experience and expertise in housing repair and harassment cases

 Experience mentoring pro bono attorneys

 Experience doing pro bono as an attorney at a large law firm or corporation

 Experience on civil rights matters

Salary and benefits determined by the LSNYC Collective Bargaining Agreement.

How To Apply
Interested applicants should e-mail a cover letter and resume to:

Jobpostings@lsnyc.org

Type on Subject line: Housing Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney, Pro Bono Services

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

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