Description:
Queens Legal Services seeks a full-time staff attorney for its Homeowner & Consumer Rights Project (HCRP) to start immediately.Program Description:
Founded in 1967, QLS seeks equal access to justice for all low-income residents of Queens through a range of legal advocacy, education, and community partnerships. We provide free legal counseling, representation, and referrals in civil matters involving the essentials of life including housing, public and disability benefits, domestic violence prevention, consumer and homeowner protections, access to education, and employment rights to eligible lowincome individuals and families. We work with our clients and partners to identify and address root causes for systemic inequalities in Queens and throughout New York City.
We provide civil legal services from our office in Jamaica, Queens. We are part of a network of local programs that make up A Non-Profit Organization, the largest free civil legal services provider in the United States.
The Position:
HCRP's mission is to engage creative strategies and zealous advocacy in the pursuit of justice for Queens residents. We help homeowners facing foreclosure and other threats to homeownership through litigation, non-litigation advocacy, and community education in an effort to challenge and eradicate abusive lending practices and other predatory threats to homeownership in Queens and throughout New York. We also have a Surrogate's Court practice through which we help families build and protect intergenerational wealth by ensuring that they can preserve their family homes and other assets when a loved one dies. While our primary focus is preserving homeownership, we also assist a limited number of people facing consumer debt collection arising from credit cards, student loans, and nursing home debt. Our team currently consists of eight attorneys and two paralegals.
The staff attorney will assist homeowners in foreclosure proceedings by providing legal advice, negotiating settlements, and engaging in litigation, which includes drafting pleadings and motions, conducting discovery, and arguing appeals. The staff attorney will also support our Surrogate's Court practice by providing limited advice to individuals who contact us because of the death of a family member, and by determining opportunities where more comprehensive assistance can deliver critical impact. The staff attorney will advocate for policy initiatives that expand homeowner rights and enhance access to the courts. They will be expected to manage multiple projects at once, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, and work in close collaboration with HCRP colleagues to shape our practice agenda. Duties include outreach, intake, development of litigation, and working closely with numerous grassroots partners and community-based advocates.
We seek an attorney admitted to the New York State Bar or a law graduate who has sat for the bar examination and is awaiting admission with:
- A demonstrated passion for social justice and commitment to working with low-income communities, immigrant communities, and communities of color to advance equity;
- Excellent analytical, research, writing, and oral advocacy skills;
- Strong interpersonal, communication, time management, and organizational abilities;
- Litigation experience in areas such as foreclosure, estate practice, bankruptcy, consumer justice, fair housing, civil rights and/or economic justice;
- Fluency or working proficiency in Spanish or another language spoken by our client communities is strongly preferred;
- A facility working with basic software used in a law office setting, and proficiency in the entire MS Office suite;
- Enthusiasm for partnering with community-based advocates and organizations; and
- Experience working with diverse communities.
