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National Legal Aid & Defender Association · 2 months ago

Supervising Attorney, Housing and Benefits

Brooklyn, NY

Full-time

Hybrid

Mid, Senior Level

$104K/yr - $112K/yr

4+ years exp

Make the Road New York (MRNY) is focused on empowering immigrant and working-class communities to achieve justice through various services. The Supervising Attorney will oversee the Housing and Benefits practice, providing eviction defense and housing quality enforcement while supporting organizing campaigns and collaborating with community members.

LegalNon Profit

Senior Management

Responsibilities

Oversee the provision of housing-related legal services to low-income tenants and tenant associations in neighborhoods facing strong displacement pressure

Provide exceptional supervision and support to a team of 5-7 housing attorneys and advocates

Collaborate with MRNY organizers to build, support, and represent tenant associations

Work closely with MRNY members and organizers to support MRNY members and organizing campaigns through strategic litigation, legislative advocacy, research, media work, and action support that strengthen MRNY’s tenant organizing

Provide technical legal support for MRNY’s robust housing-related policy and organizing campaigns, including drafting legislation; training other staff and members on the legal aspects of campaigns; writing reports; lobbying visits in support of policy campaigns; drafting materials (for the press, funders, the membership, elected officials, and other advocates) on our key policy campaigns and victories; responding to media inquiries; and representing MRNY at meetings with elected officials and coalition partners

Coordinate community outreach, including tenant association meetings, community education efforts, including through the creation of written materials, popular education workshops, and legal clinics

Maintain a small docket of housing cases, including but not limited to complex holdovers, nonpayment proceedings, HP actions, Article 78 proceedings, and administrative hearings

Participate in team, department meetings; collaborate with external partners; and assist with tracking and highlighting cases as necessary for development and grant reporting

Continuous learning regarding movement lawyering (theory and application) as well as other critical concepts that underscore our organizational approach to building power, such as racialized capitalism

Coordinate with the Legal Grants team and assist with grant reporting for the Housing and Benefits legal team

Participate in the leadership of the Legal Department to advance organizational goals and to develop and maintain strong funding relationships to sustain our housing and benefits work

Qualification

Housing law expertiseHousing litigation experienceSpanish language fluencySupervisionCommunity organizing supportLegal writingMentoringInterpersonal skillsOrganizational skillsCommunication skillsAttention to detail

Required

Eligible to work in the U.S

Admission to practice law in New York State

Spanish language fluency

At least 4 years of housing litigation experience

Commitment to social justice, community building, and housing as a human right

Ability to supervise, mentor and develop staff

Interpersonal and organizational skills of the highest caliber

Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-energy environment

Experience with populations that make up major portions of Make the Road's membership – such as documented and undocumented immigrants, individuals facing domestic violence, members of TGNCIQ communities, those who have experienced the criminal legal system, and youth

Interest in supporting community organizing, campaigns, and policy and advocacy initiatives

Self-starter with strong organizational skills and strong attention to detail

Be highly professional and team oriented with a passion for excellence and eagerness to help the department meet our goals

Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and complete assignments under strict deadlines with minimal supervision in a fast paced environment

Ability to work under pressure

Have a working knowledge of spreadsheets, Microsoft Office suite, and using a database (ideally Salesforce)

Flexible work schedule, some evenings or weekends required

Strong verbal and written communication skills

High level of accountability and initiative; eager to do team work to support the organization as a whole