Description:
A Non-Profit Organization seeks a Staff Attorney for its Disability Advocacy Project. This is a temporary one (1) year position with the possibility of renewal depending on future funding.Program Description:
The DAP team assists low-income residents of The Bronx seeking federal disability benefits based on mental and/or physical health impairments and disabilities. We assist clients with case development and represent them in administrative hearings, appeals, and collateral issues that arise after an award of benefits. We work with community members and partner organizations in identifying and resolving systemic barriersto obtaining disability benefits.
A Non-Profit Organization, the Bronx office of A Non-Profit Organization, fights poverty and seeks racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. We provide high-quality legal services to resolve those problems that have the greatest impact on low-income New Yorkers, namely affordable and decent housing, income support, abusive lending and consumer practices, family stability, domestic violence, and the disabled. We bring significant financial resources to an underserved community, promoting the health and stability of the neighborhoods we serve.
The Position:
The staff attorney will be responsible for advocacy, litigation, and community outreach in The Bronx. The attorney will appear in administrative proceedings before the Social Security Administration and in appeals to the federal district court. The attorney will investigate and develop disability claims, evaluate the merits, prepare clients to testify at hearings, advocate at hearings including direct examination of clients and cross-examination of experts, and prepare written arguments and memoranda of law. The advocate will collaborate with other partners or community groups to create and shape public policy advocacy.
Qualifications:
- J.D. degree from an accredited law school and admitted to practice in New York
- 2-3 years' experiencewith Social Security disability work, including Social Security disability applications, appeals to the ALJ and Appeals Council, and litigation in Federal Court
- Ability to work well with people of diverse national, ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Ability to work independently, stay organized, meet deadlines, and work under pressure
- Demonstrated commitment to, or experience providing, culturally sensitive services to vulnerable populations
- Demonstrated commitment to, or experience working with, individuals living with physical and/or mental health disabilities
- Demonstrated commitmentto social and racial justice
- Experience working as part of a collaborative team of attorneys and non-legal professionals
- Excellent analytical, oral, and written communication skills
- Excellent computer, organizational, planning, and time management skills.
