Staff Attorney (Elder Law Unit)

Project Description Brooklyn Legal Services (BLS) seeks a Staff Attorney for its Elder Law Unit. Brooklyn Legal Services is part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) and provides high quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Brooklyn’s diverse low-income population. LSNYC’s mission is to fight poverty and seek racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country. Our staff of over 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps more than 110,000 New Yorkers annually. BLS focuses on the problems that have the greatest impact on our clients — preserving affordable and decent housing, maintaining income support, redressing abusive lending and consumer practices, promoting family stability and mitigating the effects of domestic violence, and advocating for older adults and people with disabilities.

The Elder Law Unit is a general practice unit designed to provide comprehensive legal services to Older Adults residing in Brooklyn. The mission of the Unit is to assist Older Adults to maintain their independence and to be able to live with dignity, and we accomplish our mission through legal representation, affirmative litigation, collaboration with community-based organizations, and education and outreach. The Unit assists in a broad range of civil legal needs, including public assistance and other benefits, social security, healthcare and home care, housing, advance directives and permanency planning, consumer debt, guardianship, and elder abuse.

LSNYC prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts. As a social justice organization, we are committed to fighting for a workplace that is as diverse, equitable, and inclusive as possible for everyone. Our DEIB committee and numerous affinity groups work to foster collegial relationships among staff and allow staff to explore and advocate for racial justice and anti-oppression growth within our organization and through our legal work. All employees are expected to learn about, seek to understand, and work to realize our DEIB goals. LSNYC provides numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including funding for continuing education (CLE) hours.

Roles and Responsibilities

The attorney will be responsible for litigation, representation in administrative fora, advocacy, and community education throughout Brooklyn (and occasionally Staten Island). The attorney will be expected to be a generalist, engaging at least occasionally in most or all our practice areas. However, a primary focus of this attorney will be to assist our clients with income and health security, including public assistance and other benefits, Social Security, and healthcare and home care. The attorney will also be involved in our work to prevent elder abuse. The attorney will occasionally engage in community outreach and will make home, hospital, and nursing home visits to meet with clients when necessary.

Experience and Qualifications

We seek an attorney admitted to the New York State Bar with:

• A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low income communities and communities of color to advance equity;

• Demonstrated experience and a commitment to working with the elderly, including an understanding of the particular legal and social issues that occur in that population;

• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills;

• A demonstrated ability to work with clients in crisis;

• Demonstrated capacity to engage in a generalist practice and to be able to handle a caseload with a variety of legal issues and problems across multiple practice areas;

• Strong organization skills and ability to handle diverse, fast-paced, and high-volume caseload; and

• Experience with health law (including Medicaid/Medicare), public benefits, and social security is preferred.

Health Recommendation All employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless they are unable to for medical or religious reasons.

How to Apply Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and two writing samples to bkhiring@lsnyc.org. Please write “EL Atty” in the subject line of the email. Hiring sites are not a substitute for these application instructions. Please, no telephone calls. Salary and benefits are determined by the LS-NYC Collective Bargaining Agreement. LSNYC is an affirmative action, equal-opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and people over the age of 40 are all welcome and encouraged to apply. LSNYC acknowledges that applicants from groups that have been historically marginalized are less likely to apply for positions unless they feel that they meet 100% of a job description’s qualifications. We understand that the ideal candidate might not completely meet the criteria listed above or be equally proficient in each area; we especially encourage applicants who are impacted by LSNYC’s work to submit their application anyway. 

Salary Range (Based on years of experience):

• 1-10 years: $74,881 - $98,355

• 11-20 years: $100,605 - $118,773

• 21+ years: $124,254 - $135,637

Last updated on Aug 15, 2024