Description:
Job Description:A Social Services Organization has an immediate opening for a temporary staff attorney in the Consumer Protection Unit to staff the Consumer Debt Volunteer Lawyer for the Day Program (VLFD), in the Bronx, Staten Island, and/or Queens. The position is expected to be for a period of up to six months. VLFD is a limited representation court-based program, wherein attorneys and other volunteers represent debtor defendants in court for that day/appearance only. VLFD pairs the defendants with a volunteer attorney who can advocate on their behalf and prevent additional abuse and misrepresentations by creditors. The attorney hired for this position will have the unique opportunity to make a strong impact in an innovative, court-based program designed to increase pro se litigants' access to justice in an important and evolving area of law.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The attorney will primarily provide services on-site in the Personal Appearance Part of Bronx, Queens and/or Richmond County Civil Courts to directly handle consumer credit cases and provide direct oversight of attorneys and law students serving as volunteers in the Court for the Consumer Debt VLFD. Responsibilities include: Representing pro se litigants on a limited appearance basis for the day; providing support for all aspects of the litigation for the cases calendared in the court part for the day on behalf of consumer credit defendants including but not limited to: negotiating with opposing counsel, making oral arguments, reviewing stipulations negotiated by volunteers for VLFD, drafting and reviewing answers, orders to show cause, and other motions, affidavits and discovery demands prepared by the self-represented litigant and/or the volunteer lawyers. The attorney will also mentor and advise volunteer lawyers participating in the VLFD program. The attorney will work closely with the Bronx, Queens and Richmond County CLARO program, as well as local bar associations' pro bono programs, to coordinate services, and will meet at least once weekly with the Project staff to review cases and strategy. The Staff Attorney will also work with A Social Services Organization's Special Litigation Unit in order to identify patterns and practices ripe for class action lawsuits in order to make a larger community and systemic impact.
When not working on the VLFD Project, the attorney will support other CPU staff and projects to expand access to services to consumers across New York City. This includes but is not limited to staffing intake sites, providing advice and representation, conduct research, and provide community educational workshops.
Qualifications:
Required:
- Admission to the New York State bar. Those who passed the Bar and are only waiting admission to the Bar may apply but must indicate this on the cover letter, with an estimate on their admission date.
- Demonstrated passion for social justice and public service, including a commitment to advance the rights of communities who have been historically oppressed and targeted.
Preferred:
- Experience litigating in the Consumer Part, practicing consumer law, and with general litigation experience is highly preferred.
- Federal court admission preferred.
- Applicants must be willing to litigate in adversarial and charged environments and be fully prepared and understand the relevant law and court procedures needed to be successful.
- High attention to detailed and organized.
- Excellent communication, research, and writing skills.
- Enjoy collaborating with others.
- Commitment to and passion for serving vulnerable New Yorkers and populations of diverse backgrounds.
- Able to manage multiple cases and projects at one time; excellent time management skills.
- Applicants should be self-directed, dedicated to the work, and be committed to ongoing growth and learning.
