Overview

Organization Overview: The Goddard Riverside Community Center (Goddard Riverside) and the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center (Isaacs Center) are well-established Manhattan community-based agencies that support services to approximately 30,000 New Yorkers. We are two of New York City’s leading human services organizations meeting the needs of children, youth and families, homeless individuals, and older adults through-out Manhattan and New York City. We work every day for a fair and just society where all people have the opportunity to make choices that lead to better lives for themselves and their families. The Isaacs Center focuses primarily on the needs of children and low-income families, out-of-school and out-of-work youth, and aging New Yorkers. We operate at community centers located in the neighborhoods of East Harlem and Yorkville, and seek to deliver programs that are impactful, innovative, and intergenerational.

 

Program Description: The Goddard Riverside Law Project provides free legal services and organizing support to low-income individuals, families, and groups of tenants in the west side of Manhattan. Our mission is to empower tenants and preserve affordable housing through advocacy, legal representation, relationship building, and grassroots education. We aim to protect tenants’ rights and hold bad actors accountable while working towards establishing pro-tenant laws and sound housing policy through city and statewide coalition work. To these ends, we integrate tenant voices and collaborate with the community, particularly SRO tenants and marginalized populations.

 

Schedule: Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

 

Salary Range: $56,000- $79,843  (compensation based on experience and Local 2320 union scale)

 

Roles, Responsibilities, and Essential Duties

  • Assist attorneys and organizers in preparing documents for court cases and other advocacy;
  • Assist with and conduct client intake and interviews in office, at community-based organizations, and in court as needed, sometimes in the evenings;
  • Assisting clients in completing relevant applications and forms;
  • Prepare affidavits, legal correspondence and other documents;
  • Investigate facts and laws of cases and searching public records and other resources to prepare cases;
  • Provide advice and counsel to clients under the supervision of an attorney
  • Advocate for clients with various government agencies, including but not limited to, HRA.
  • Representing clients at administrative hearings; 
  • Assist in compiling client data for grant reports and work with Program Director to submit various grant reports;
  • Obtain notary license in order to notarize necessary court documents and pleadings for clients;
  • Interpret for Spanish-speaking clients and translate documents to and from Spanish when necessary.
  • Creating and updating community educations and training materials;
  • Inputting and maintaining records in case management system;
  • Maintain attorney schedule and as necessary call clients, lawyers, witnesses, governmental agencies and court personnel to schedule interviews, hearings, meetings depositions and trials;   
  • Assist with and help conduct community outreach and education and work with staff to organize and coordinate tenant meetings and outreach events;
  • Assist with administrative front desk duties, filing, telephone calls and organizing reference files as back up when needed.
  • Assist in maintaining and organizing client database, files and records;
  • Conduct office tasks as needed included by not limited to photocopying, collating,  answering phones, re-shelving books, and stocking supplies.

 

Qualifications/Educational Requirements

Required

  • College degree in related area;
  • Fluency in spoken and written Spanish required;
  • Highly organized and detail oriented;
  • Excellent database and computer skills (training will be provided for office databases used)

Preferred

  • Familiarity with housing and landlord-tenant issues;
  • Experience and/or demonstrated commitment to social justice work
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse populations;

 

Computer Skills:

  • To perform this job successfully, an individual should be comfortable operating Microsoft Office programs, especially Outlook, Word and Excel;
  • Familiarity with LegalServer, a database for legal services providers; training will be provided.

 

Physical Requirements:

  • Travel between office and court, and clients’ homes will sometimes be required.

 

Work Environment:

  • Office and court settings; especially Manhattan Housing Court
  • Staff may need to visit clients in their homes and conduct tenant meetings in buildings where the tenants reside.

 

How to Apply:

  • Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and complete a brief online application at www.goddard.org/grcc/jobs/. Please address the cover letter to (Ms.) Kseniya Schemo, Director, Goddard Riverside Law Project.
  • The deadline for applications is April 20 2023; however, applicants are encouraged to apply early as applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
  • No telephone calls, please.

 

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of this position and title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position.  Employees may be requested to perform job related task other than those specifically presented in this description. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

 

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