Temporary Staff Attorney Posting – Spring 2024

HCC’s Background

Founded in 1972, Housing Conservation Coordinators, Inc. (HCC) is an over 50-year-old community-based, not-for-profit organization located in Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton on Manhattan’s West Side. HCC’s programs promote social and economic justice and fight for the rights of poor, low-income, and working individuals and families. Through our services, we seek to promote a vibrant and diverse community with the power to shape its own future. Today we offer a wide range of legal, advocacy, weatherization, and community organizing services to tenants throughout Manhattan. 

Job Description

HCC seeks a temporary attorney to start as soon as possible and work through May 2025.

HCC’s Legal Component serves clients in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and throughout Manhattan through our community-based intake, Right to Counsel court intake, our older adult program, and our immigration clinic. Staff attorneys (and the temporary attorney would): 

• Represent tenants in nonpayment, holdover, and HP proceedings in Manhattan Housing Court. Staff attorneys also represent tenants in NYS Supreme Court, Appellate Courts, SDNY and at administrative proceedings. 

• Provide brief legal advice and pre-litigation advocacy to tenants and tenant associations.

• Collaborate with HCC’s tenant and community organizers, paralegals, social workers, tenant advocates, and Senior Community Resource Coordinator, as well as with citywide, statewide, and local coalitions of tenants and advocates.

• Conduct workshops for community members, law students, and others related to housing law, immigration law, and older adult issues. 

• While all staff attorneys work on housing matters, staff attorneys may also have the opportunity to work on immigration and older adult matters. 

• Conduct intake, especially in the context of the Right to Counsel intake in Housing Court.

• Participate in HCC’s Monday Night Legal Clinic (temporarily remote).

• Collaborate with and oversee law student interns, volunteers, and pro bono co-counsel.

• Participate in HCC’s Annual West Side Tenants’ Conference. 

Salary and Benefits 

The temporary attorney would earn a minimum of $69,721 (as a law graduate) and a maximum of $115,905 (30 + years) depending on bar admission date and relevant experience, pursuant to the Staff Attorney Salary Scale in HCC’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). 

The temporary worker is being hired to fill a leave of absence, and the duration of employment is subject to funding availability. The temporary attorney shall be entitled to medical and dental benefits after having worked four months or whenever the permanent Employee whom they are replacing is no longer receiving such benefits, whichever comes later. 

Qualifications

HCC is seeking a temporary attorney with the following qualifications:

• A member of the New York State Bar (or who can transfer admission from another jurisdiction) or a law graduate who has passed the NYS Bar Exam and is pending admission. 

• Ideally at least one year of relevant experience (including clinics, internships etc.) in any area of poverty law. Preference will be given to individuals with prior experience in housing law. 

• Oral and written proficiency in another language, with preference for Spanish.

• Excellent litigation, research, writing, and organizational skills, and the ability to develop relationships with a diverse client population. 

• A demonstrated commitment to social justice for underserved populations. 

• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor an employment visa.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should send their resume and cover letter in a single pdf labeled [Last Name, First Name – HCC Application] to legaljobs@hcc-nyc.org.  Please insert “Temporary Attorney Applicant” in the subject heading field of the email. Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

HCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. People of color, transgender and gender non-conforming people, survivors of violence, people with disabilities and individuals of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. HCC does not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, height, weight, national origin, disability, or citizen, marital, veteran, or HIV status. 

The temporary worker is being hired to fill a leave of absence, and the duration of employment is subject to funding availability. The temporary attorney shall be entitled to medical and dental benefits after having worked four months or whenever the permanent Employee whom they are replacing is no longer receiving such benefits, whichever comes later. 

Interested applicants should send their resume and cover letter in a single pdf labeled [Last Name, First Name – HCC Application] to legaljobs@hcc-nyc.org.  Please insert “Temporary Attorney Applicant” in the subject heading field of the email. Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.