Our Organization
Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) is the largest provider of free civil legal services in the country. Our mission is to advance society’s promise to its most vulnerable members: that they are entitled to equal access to our legal system. For over 50 years, we have provided civil legal services that help our clients meet their essential needs and have challenged the systemic injustices that keep them poor.
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.
Our Housing and Public Benefits Practices
The Right to Counsel law was passed in 2017 after a successful tenant-led campaign by tenant organizers, advocacy groups and legal services organizations. The law provides income-eligible tenants who are sued for eviction in housing court with the right to an attorney to defend their case.
LSNYC’s Right to Counsel staff focus on implementing right to counsel, providing zealous tenant representation to low-income New Yorkers in housing court. Through our community lawyering approach, LSNYC work with clients to defend eviction proceedings, stabilize their housing, and remain in their neighborhoods.
Many of our housing clients facing eviction require public benefits assistance to fully resolve their cases and stabilize their housing long-term. To provide this assistance, LSNYC has public benefits experts that fights to retain, obtain, or increase critical public benefits, including emergency rental arrears assistance, cash public assistance, SNAP/Food Stamps, WIC, HASA benefits, and rent subsidies (such as FHEPS and CityFHEPS).
Our housing and public benefits staff work hand in hand to achieve the greatest results for our clients and provide the highest quality holistic services.
The Opportunity:
The public benefits supervisors will support and oversee public benefits paralegals working with housing attorneys and community partners to prevent evictions, maximize benefits in the household, and eliminate barriers to promote longer-term stability for families and individuals.
The supervisors will shape the direction of the public benefits work in support of the housing unit, develop and strengthen relationships with partner community-based organizations, handle administrative and grant responsibilities and identify systemic benefits-related trends for strategic litigation. The responsibilities will also include handling and supervising administrative proceedings, supervising and training benefits advocates, and handling a caseload focusing on a variety of benefits issues. The supervisor will participate in working groups focused on making institutional changes that better serve benefits recipients in our City and collaborate with other LSNYC benefits advocates to initiate and continue systemic positive change.
We are looking for candidates who want to work in a fast-paced environment and will employ creative strategies and collaborations in the pursuit of justice.
Requirements and Qualifications:
Qualifications include:
- A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with lowincome communities, including communities of color and LGBTQIA+ communities to advance equity;
- A minimum of 3 years of experience providing civil legal services to low-income people or comparable relevant experience;
- At least 2 years of experience in public benefits;
- Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills;
- Strong organizational skills and ability to supervise a diverse, fast-paced, and highvolume caseload;
- Excellent leadership skills;
- An ability to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds;
- Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging issues;
- Strong cultural or personal ties to the communities we serve preferred; and
- Fluency or proficiency in Spanish or another language commonly spoken by our clients is preferred.
How to Apply
Please apply for this position with a cover letter, resume, three references, and a recent writing sample at https://boards.greenhouse.io/legalservicesnyc/jobs/4318676006. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls.
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.
Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, and transgender people, and people over age 40 are all welcomed and encouraged to apply.
Salary Range: $84,409 - $160,000 (based on experience)