Overview
About NYLAG
Founded in 1990, the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) is a leading not-for-profit civil legal services organization advocating for adults, children, and families that are experiencing poverty or have low income. We tackle the legal challenges and systematic barriers that threaten our clients’ economic stability, well-being, and safety. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and constantly improving how we respond to systemic issues of racism that affect our clients in their pursuit of justice. We address emerging and urgent needs with comprehensive, free civil legal services, direct representation, impact litigation, policy advocacy, financial counseling, medical-legal partnerships, and community education and partnerships. Last year, we affected the lives of 90,800 people.
Mission
The New York Legal Assistance Group uses the power of the law to help New Yorkers in need combat social and economic injustice. We address emerging and urgent legal needs with comprehensive, free civil legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community education.
Values that guide us
- We reduce the effects of poverty by providing high quality, effective civil legal services.
- We partner with our clients to help them transform their lives and strengthen their communities.
- We address our clients’ multiple legal needs by collaborating across our practice areas.
- We are at the forefront of identifying and understanding New Yorkers’ most pressing legal needs, rapidly adapting to meet these needs with innovative programs and partnerships.
- We assess need broadly, recognizing that need is not a function of income alone.
- We collaborate with community organizations and engage pro bono attorneys and volunteers to serve a greater number of people with unmet civil legal needs.
- We achieve systemic change through class actions, impact litigation and by advocating for just laws and policies.
- We work to create a welcoming and inclusive work environment that reflects the communities we serve.
- We teach and train the next generation of legal service professionals.
Job Description:
NYLAG has an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney in the dynamic Consumer Protection Unit (CPU). CPU represents clients in a full range of crucial consumer rights matters by helping low-income individuals fight devastating fraud, predatory lending, and illegal debt collection practices. In addition, NYLAG fights on behalf of clients who face possibly devastating income loss due to civil court judgments; defaulted student loans from predatory for-profit schools; sub-prime loan conditions; and lending scams targeting historically poor, limited English proficient, and/or immigrant communities. We are looking for someone to be a part of the CPU team and help us work, not only to resolve the immediate problem, but also to ensure long-term security for victims and their families. The Staff Attorney will staff an exciting multi-disciplined project serving individuals in the areas of debt negotiation, consumer law, litigation, bankruptcy public benefits and housing/real estate as well as other areas. ATTORNEYS WORKING FULL-TIME ON THIS PROJECT WILL WORK FROM OUR OFFSITE OFFICE IN LONG ISLAND CITY, BETWEEN 3 TO 5 DAYS A WEEK, WITH THE REMAINDER AT OUR DOWNTOWN OFFICE in the financial district, as well as go to court, clinics, and other locations as needed.
The Staff Attorney has the opportunity to be a part of one of our newest projects, assisting taxi medallion owners in working with lenders to resolve or reduce their grueling medallion loan debts. This is a unique chance to work with a dedicated population in desperate need of help, with NYLAG being one of the few agencies addressing medallion loan debt specifically. In addition, the staff attorney will focus on providing litigation and legal advocacy for clients; maintaining a significant client caseload of his/her/their own, and performing legal intakes with clients and potential clients from a range of referral sources. The Staff Attorney is responsible for client data entry and their time may also be spent as needed on a wide range of tasks for CPU, including conducting legal research; investigating new areas of relevant law; and many other tasks which may arise within and outside the unit, in order to best serve our clients.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Conduct thorough legal intakes with clients in need;
- Represent diverse clients in various and dynamic legal areas including consumer law, consumer debt, bankruptcy, foreclosure prevention, public benefits, housing and other financial related areas of law;
- Litigate and conduct trials when necessary;
- Investigate facts through interviews and document collection;
- Advocate zealously on behalf of clients opposite various plaintiffs, lenders, organizations and government agencies;
- Prepare a variety of legal documents for own cases as well as to assist other attorneys;
- Provide oral and written translations for attorneys who represent non-English-speaking clients in various scenarios, including court appearances if necessary;
- Perform legal research;
- Draft and distribute various outreach materials;
- Data entry in client database and other outlets;
- Manage and assign tasks to volunteers as needed;
- Report to supervising attorneys on cases, legal strategies, scheduling and other matters;
- Other responsibilities as assigned
Applicants should demonstrate a strong commitment to, and passion for public service and should have excellent oral, written, and analytic abilities. The successful candidate will have the benefit of working closely and collaborate with NYLAG’s team of experienced attorneys, supervisors and case handlers and will receive both hands-on and formal training.
Qualifications:
NYLAG seeks a highly motivated Staff Attorney with a demonstrated commitment to public interest to join our exceptionally motivated team of consumer law staff. Applicants must have excellent communication, research, and writing skills. Applicants must work well and enjoy collaborating with others; be a team player; have a strong work ethic; and have commitment to and passion for serving vulnerable New Yorkers and immigrant populations of diverse backgrounds; be thorough, organized, have attention to detail; and a desire to learn the relevant law. Applicants should be dedicated to the work, be comfortable taking specific directions and constructive criticism and take initiative. Priority will also be given to those who have worked for New York City legal or social services organizations or have experience with consumer law. Must be admitted in New York.
Preferred Qualifications:
Federal Court Admission
Second languages preferred: Spanish, Mandarin, Punjabi, Bengali, and Haitian-Creole
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Employment type:
☒ Full-time
Professional Level:
☐ Entry Level
☒ Professional
Salary:
Salary is commensurate with experience.
Benefits: Excellent benefits.