Description:

Queens Legal Services seek staff attorneys to represent low-income clients in government benefits matters.

Program Description:
This office is part of A Non-Profit Organization, the largest provider of free civil legal services for low-income people in the country. We are dedicated to fighting poverty by providing high-quality legal services in areas such as housing, family law, public benefits, employment, consumer, education, immigration, and disability rights, with special units serving particularly vulnerable populations including survivors of domestic violence, people living with HIV, and LGTBQ community members.We are committed to working in partnership with community-based organizations in the low-income communities we serve in order to address the causes of poverty.

The Government Benefits Unit fights to retain, obtain, or increase critical public benefits, including cash public assistance, SNAP/Food Stamps, WIC, and rental subsidies (such as FHEPS and CityFHEPS). We also specialize in health law issues, helping people obtain or retain public health insurance and services such as Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care.

While representing our low-income clients in various public benefits matters, the staff attorney will also work to continue to grow our public benefits practice, provide community education, and engage in public policy advocacy on public benefits issues. The attorney will participate in working groups focused on making institutional changes in agency practice that better serve benefits recipients in our City and collaborate with other A Non-Profit Organization benefits units to initiate and continue systemic positive change. We are looking for a candidate who is excited to work in a fast-paced environment, work daily with our clients and communities, and use creative strategies in the pursuit of justice.

Bronx Legal Services:
Bronx Legal Services is part of A Non-Profit Organization and provides high-quality, innovative representation to address the presenting legal needs of Bronx's diverse, low-income communities. A Non-Profit Organization's mission is to fight poverty and seek racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. A Non-Profit Organization 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. A Non-Profit Organization provides numerous opportunities for growth and professional development.

Experience And Qualifications:

Work in partnership with housing attorneys to prevent evictions, maximize benefits in the household, and eliminate barriers to promote longer-term stability for families and individuals
Assess potential clients for public benefits eligibility by conducting intake and interviewing Queens tenants at Housing Court who are referred to QLS through the right-to-counsel initiative in NYC housing courts
Advocate with administrative agencies to challenge denials, reductions, or terminations of public benefits
Conduct community education and outreach
Engage in case advocacy, including housing subsidy applications, public assistance applications, administrative hearings, and Article 78 proceedings
Direct representation of clients in administrative proceedings, Civil Court, Supreme Court, and Federal Court

Qualifications include:

At least 1 year of experience as a legal services attorney, including public benefits or housing benefits work
Experience and expertise in One-Shot Deals, SNAP, and other public benefits
Demonstrated communication habits that are consistently prompt and highly responsive
Collaborative orientation, capacity to work in a team, and solution-oriented approach
Strong organizational skills
Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Experience working with underserved communities
Strong cultural or personal ties to the communities we serve
J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to the New York Bar