Strategic Advocacy Staff Attorney - Albany

Ready to Make a Difference?

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking a Strategic Advocacy Staff Attorney. Legal Aid's mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society that is inclusive and equitable for all. We transform lives, build communities, and empower people by using the law to address individual and systemic wrongs and inequities. Our service area spans sixteen counties, in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position is based out of our Albany Office. For more information about our work, staff, and clients, visit www.lasnny.org.

We are a unionized program with excellent benefits, offering generous time off, excellent health insurance coverage with premiums primarily paid by LASNNY, health and long-term disability insurance, retirement contributions, tuition reimbursement, qualifying moving expenses, and flexible hybrid-remote and alternative work schedules.

About the Role

Attorneys in our Advocacy Department will implement strategies for impactful advocacy for economic and social justice in a broad range of civil legal issues. This requires a systemic approach that addresses deep-seated inequities rather than surface-level issues. The staff attorney will collaborate with other practice areas at LASNNY to identify and challenge systemic civil rights violations and injustices affecting large groups of our clients in various legal fields, such as unequal access to safe housing, employment discrimination, and wrongful denial of public benefits.

The staff attorney will center community and co-create solutions providing community legal education and support to community-led advocacy efforts. In strategic impact cases, the staff attorney will plan, develop, file, or defend law suits whose outcome impact more than one individual and that focus on changing laws or protecting the rights of those impacted. In addition to providing direct representation to clients or client groups, the attorney will also utilize all other available advocacy tools to effectively achieve the client's desired goals - from litigation, coalition collaboration, white paper drafting, participation in the rulemaking process, media campaigns, among others.

Responsibilities

Litigation and Legal Advocacy

• Develop and execute legal strategies in collaboration with the Advocacy Director, other LASNNY staff, and community partners to address systemic issues
• Conduct legal research and provide analysis on complex systemic legal issues
• Identify and work collaboratively with other staff and pro bono co-counsel
• Draft and review pleadings, briefs, motions, memoranda, advocacy letters, and rulemaking comments
• Lead and manage litigation matters from selecting the appropriate plaintiffs/petitioners through trial and/or settlement.
• Mentor and co-chair with other practice staff attorneys; ensure team compliance with all deadlines and case requirements.
• Take, perfect, and argue appeals on a variety of civil legal matters

Community Engagement and Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with LASNNY staff and community-based organizations to identify new advocacy opportunities that address community-identified systemic legal issues and organizational priorities
• Conduct community education, outreach, and build relationships with communities served by LASNNY
• Draft educational materials for media and for the larger community
• Collaborate with the communications team for litigation efforts, client stories, and impact
• And other duties as determined by the Advocacy Director

Skills and Education

• Applicants must have a Juris Doctor and be admitted to the practice of law in the State of New York or be eligible for admission. Admission to the US District Court for the Northern District of New York is a plus.
• Minimum 7 years of post- admission legal experience
• Must be willing and able to travel throughout our service area regularly.

Qualifying Skills Set:

• Strong legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills
• Experience in initiating affirmative litigation in state and/or federal court
• Courtroom experience in civil litigation matters
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income populations, social justice and equity
• Training or experience with community lawyering or community organizing with demonstrated strong listening and relationship-building skills,
• Experience, creativity, and willingness to use varied legal and non-legal advocacy tools to advance community-identified initiatives

Preferred qualifications include work in one or more of LASNNY's practice areas (family/DV law, housing defense, disability rights, public benefits, consumer, worker and other civil rights), appellate practice, legislative experience, fluency in another language other than English; Spanish preferred.

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional law office environment and occasionally may require the carrying of regular office supplies. This role requires the use of standard office equipment and software and remote videoconferencing platforms. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

At LASNNY we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual's race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local laws. We strongly encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQI+ persons, protected veterans, applicants and recipients of public assistance, older adults, and people with disabilities.

If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at LASNNY and we will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.