Managing Attorney, Geneva, NY

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT (December 2020)

MANAGING ATTORNEY, GENEVA, NY

The Geneva office of Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.^® has an immediate opening for its Managing Attorney. Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. ^® is a not-for-profit law firm providing civil legal services to low-income clients in a fourteen county area of western New York, including the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions. LawNY® is committed to equitable inclusion across race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, sex, religion, economic circumstances, ethnicity, national origin, and culture.

The Geneva office directly serves residents of Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates Counties. The Geneva office houses approximately 30 LawNY staff members and operates through a broad spectrum of funding sources. The primary areas of practice of the Geneva office include Housing, Public Benefits, Real Property/Foreclosure, Elder Law, Family Law, services to Victims of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault, and SSI/Social Security.

The managing attorney is charged with overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the office including developing future plans and projects to expand and support the work being done in the service area; ensuring supervision, training, leadership development and other support for staff (including encouraging staff to participate actively in LawNY® work groups); overseeing financial and grants management/reporting; engaging in collaborations with other community agencies, organizations and bar associations; supporting the office’s private attorney involvement efforts; fundraising; ensuring that the office is engaged in program-wide work groups and initiatives, including diversity, equity and inclusion; as well as developing plans and projects to expand and support the work. The managing attorney will also participate as a member of the LawNY management team. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Admission to New York State bar and a minimum of five years of experience as a practicing attorney.
• Demonstrated commitment to helping low-income and marginalized persons overcome institutional barriers to justice. 
• Demonstrated ability to develop and undertake initiatives. 
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with colleagues, community organizations and government agencies. 
• Demonstrated ability to command the trust and respect of staff members, community groups, and the legal community. 
• Dedication to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe.
• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Familiarity with the five-county Geneva Office service area. 
• Experience with grant administration, reporting, and budgeting; the Geneva office presently has a $2.4 million revenue side budget and approximately 31 separate funding streams.
• Prior legal experience with low-income and other oppressed communities and clients.
• Understanding of the principles of race equity analysis and the intersection of racism and poverty and their application to LawNY’s organizational life and to our work. 
• Passion for social justice and commitment to the mission of LawNY^®.
• Ability to work under deadline and manage multiple tasks.
• Excellent use of Google Drive/GSuite, Word, and Excel; database programs a plus.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, time management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to support staff in their pursuit of career advancement and professional development. 

Salary: Salary is dependent on experience and based on a pay scale with annual increments. Salary for a Managing Attorney with ten years of legal services experience is $70,900 as per the LawNY^® salary scale. We also provide an excellent package of fringe benefits including health, disability and life insurance as well as generous leave provisions.

To Apply: Applicants should submit 1) a cover letter describing qualifications, 2) resume, and 3) the name and contact information of three references by January 18, 2021 to ensure full consideration. Applications will be accepted beyond that date until the position is filled. Applications should be sent by email to Executive Director Ken Perri at: kperri@lawny.org. 

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.^® (LawNY^®) is an equal opportunity employer. LawNY^® encourages applications from diverse candidates. LawNY^® welcomes applications regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or any other consideration protected by law. This position is considered Exempt pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act.