Description:
The law graduate/staff attorney will work in collaboration with this extraordinary coalition of neighborhood organizations and their tenant and community organizers in Brooklyn and Queens. Our mission is to preserve and expand long-term affordable housing for residents and groups of residents who qualify for legal services on an income level basis. The staff attorney will represent low-income tenant associations who face rapid gentrification, harassment, and displacement. Willingness, desire, and ability to attend evening tenant association and community meetings is a requirement.Role Expectations:
Direct Representation of Clients in Legal and Administrative Proceedings
Counseling and Advocating for Clients Outside of Court
Provide timely legal and practical advice to clients regarding their legal rights and the most effective strategies by which those rights can be redeemed. Conduct brief advice calls within 5 business days of assignment. Direct actions like rent strikes, letter writing campaigns, media advocacy, and outreach to agencies or elected officials. Meet regularly with clients, including through regular tenant association meetings with group clients. These meetings should be scheduled so as to best accommodate the needs of the clients.
Cooperation with Organizers During Legal Representation
Collaborate closely with the organizers assigned to their cases, ensuring that both organizer and attorney are timely informed about new facts, developments in court, or other issues related to the representation.
Cooperation with Supervising Attorney
Meet at least weekly with their supervisors. Submit all written work for review, including letters, affidavits, filings with courts or administrative agencies, and settlement agreements. Work closely with supervising attorneys to develop well researched, high quality papers before they are circulated to external parties. Update their caseload information in our LegalServer database in order to facilitate the equitable distribution of new cases.
Case Management and Other Record Keeping
Keep accurate and up-to-date records on LegalServer and our shared Google Drive for the purposes of keeping up-to-date records on client communications, factual developments, and legal proceedings. Create case entries on Legal Server for each brief advice, limited scope, and full representation case. Record notes in LegalServer reflecting communications with clients, opposing counsel, court personnel, witnesses, etc., as well as other developments in cases. Record hours worked, paid vacation, and sick days in LegalServer. Scan all relevant physical documents in legible form and file them on CoRe's shared drive.
Caseload Standards
In general, an attorney should expect to represent approximately 10 active tenant associations at a time. Where tenant associations are small, assisted by effective organizing, and/or relatively calm in terms of litigation activity, an attorney may be required to handle 12-15 or more of such matters.
Supervision of Interns and Externs
Participate in our internship programs through supervising interns or participating in the work of the Internship Committee.
Community Education and Advocacy
Attorneys are expected to participate in at least one coalition of which CoRe is a member. Additionally, attorneys will provide occasional educational know your rights workshops, staff regularly scheduled clinics, and participate in community and outreach events.
Admittance to the New York State Bar
Salary Range:
This position is represented by The Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 and is part of the bargaining unit. Terms and conditions of employment are governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Salary amounts are not subject to negotiation and follow the established CBA step schedule.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
- Maintain a caseload of individual and group litigation matters before judicial and administrative forums in the State of New York. Most of CoRe's litigation is before the Housing Part of the New York City Civil Court. However, staff attorneys may have occasion to represent clients before: the Supreme Court of the State of New York; various appellate courts of the New York State court system; the Federal District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal; the New York City Human Rights Commission; the New York State Division of Human Rights; and other forums as appropriate.
- Zealously represent clients in all matters in which they appear, and conduct themselves in accordance with applicable legal and professional standards and best practices. Attorneys are encouraged to proactively consider additional legal proceedings which could improve clients' prospects of obtaining legal relief.
- Conduct client meetings and tenant association meetings in the homes of the clients during the most accommodating times for the clients including evening meetings.
Counseling and Advocating for Clients Outside of Court
Provide timely legal and practical advice to clients regarding their legal rights and the most effective strategies by which those rights can be redeemed. Conduct brief advice calls within 5 business days of assignment. Direct actions like rent strikes, letter writing campaigns, media advocacy, and outreach to agencies or elected officials. Meet regularly with clients, including through regular tenant association meetings with group clients. These meetings should be scheduled so as to best accommodate the needs of the clients.
Cooperation with Organizers During Legal Representation
Collaborate closely with the organizers assigned to their cases, ensuring that both organizer and attorney are timely informed about new facts, developments in court, or other issues related to the representation.
Cooperation with Supervising Attorney
Meet at least weekly with their supervisors. Submit all written work for review, including letters, affidavits, filings with courts or administrative agencies, and settlement agreements. Work closely with supervising attorneys to develop well researched, high quality papers before they are circulated to external parties. Update their caseload information in our LegalServer database in order to facilitate the equitable distribution of new cases.
Case Management and Other Record Keeping
Keep accurate and up-to-date records on LegalServer and our shared Google Drive for the purposes of keeping up-to-date records on client communications, factual developments, and legal proceedings. Create case entries on Legal Server for each brief advice, limited scope, and full representation case. Record notes in LegalServer reflecting communications with clients, opposing counsel, court personnel, witnesses, etc., as well as other developments in cases. Record hours worked, paid vacation, and sick days in LegalServer. Scan all relevant physical documents in legible form and file them on CoRe's shared drive.
Caseload Standards
In general, an attorney should expect to represent approximately 10 active tenant associations at a time. Where tenant associations are small, assisted by effective organizing, and/or relatively calm in terms of litigation activity, an attorney may be required to handle 12-15 or more of such matters.
Supervision of Interns and Externs
Participate in our internship programs through supervising interns or participating in the work of the Internship Committee.
Community Education and Advocacy
Attorneys are expected to participate in at least one coalition of which CoRe is a member. Additionally, attorneys will provide occasional educational know your rights workshops, staff regularly scheduled clinics, and participate in community and outreach events.
Admittance to the New York State Bar
- Law graduates are required to be admitted to the New York State Bar within two (2) calendar years from the date of graduation. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
- Attorneys are required to maintain admission and good standing before the New York State Bar.
Salary Range:
- $79,273.32 – $124,211.91
- Salary placement within this range is commensurate with experience and determined in accordance with Communities Resists' step schedule.
This position is represented by The Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys – UAW Local 2325 and is part of the bargaining unit. Terms and conditions of employment are governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Salary amounts are not subject to negotiation and follow the established CBA step schedule.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
