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Posted by: Lizbeth Lopez - 4/25/2019
Job Expires: 5/25/2019
Staff Attorney, Tenants' Rights Unit
As NYC's Universal Access initiative continues to expand the right to counsel to all low-income New Yorkers facing eviction, NYLAG's Tenants' Rights Unit ('TRU') has at least seven available Staff Attorney positions available to represent clients in Brooklyn, Manhattan or Queens. TRU is an integral part of NYC's Right to Counsel Coalition to ensure low-income New Yorkers who are at risk of eviction have a right to an attorney to represent them in Housing Court and certain administrative proceedings. TRU is looking for many admitted attorneys or recent law school graduates who are passionate about public interest law and social justice and want to protect low-income tenants from eviction and homelessness. TRU, which has an extremely committed, collegial, and hard-working team of nearly 30 staff attorneys, 10 paralegals, and seven supervisors, is a great place to start or build your legal career and gain valuable litigation skills while combatting the threat of eviction and homelessness.

TRU's Successes:

TRU attorneys pride themselves on their zealous advocacy and obtaining excellent results for clients, even clients with very challenging cases. Crains New York Business recently featured a TRU victory at trial in this article. We also recently prevailed in an appeal at the Appellate Term, reversing a Housing Court judge's decision in a chronic non-payment holdover, which would have resulted in our client losing an affordable apartment that she had lived in for over 36 years. In the current fiscal year, we are on track to represent clients in well over 1000 cases in Housing Court in a full representation capacity. Among clients who have attained outcomes in their cases, 85% have been able to remain in their homes. For more information about the successes and impact of Right to Counsel overall, review this excellent report from the Community Service Society.

Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Handle a full caseload of full representation non-payment and holdover proceedings in Housing Court, which involves extensive communication with clients, intense negotiations with opposing counsel, frequent motion practice, discovery and depositions, and significant advocacy with outside agencies on behalf of clients.
  • Handle litigation before administrative agencies as necessary, including NYCHA termination of tenancy proceedings, DHCR matters, and proceedings where clients' Section 8 vouchers are being terminated.
  • Participate in court-based intake and client and community outreach initiatives.

Qualifications:

Requirements
  • Admission to New York Bar or passage of February 2019 NY Bar Exam (graduating 3Ls who will sit for the July 2019 NY Bar Exam will also be considered)
  • Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and social justice
  • Excellent legal research and writing skills
  • Litigation experience

Plus factors

  • At least one year of experience representing tenants in NYC Housing Court
  • Fluency in Spanish, French, Russian, Haitian Creole, Bengali, or another foreign language prevalent in NYC.
 
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