Senior Attorney, Consumer Debt & Bankruptcy

Organization Description

Access Justice Brooklyn (AJB) is a nonprofit organization that uses the collective talents of our staff and volunteers to provide high-quality, pro bono legal services and community education to our neighbors in need. We envision an equitable Brooklyn where everyone knows their rights and has access to legal support. To achieve this vision, we partner with compassionate pro bono attorneys and cross industry professionals to provide high-quality civil legal services that help ensure equal access to the legal system. Our dedicated staff and volunteer legal professionals provide direct civil legal services and assistance to low-income Brooklyn residents in areas that contribute to the economic security of Brooklyn households, ensuring that income does not represent a barrier to legal help and financial stability.

Learn more about Access Justice Brooklyn by visiting www.accessjusticebrooklyn.org.

Position Overview

Access Justice Brooklyn has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Attorney to join our consumer debt and bankruptcy practice.

The Senior Attorney will conduct intake and provide advice and brief services to Brooklyn residents who are proceeding pro se in consumer debt cases through the weekly Civil Legal Advice and Resource Office (CLARO) clinics. The Senior Attorney will also manage a caseload of consumer and bankruptcy matters, including limited-scope representations at the Volunteer Lawyer for the Day (VLFD) program as needed. The Senior Attorney will train, mentor and support volunteer attorneys, interns, law students, and staff handling consumer debt and bankruptcy matters. Additionally, the person in the role will serve as an internal resource to staff on consumer law issues and Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.

The position includes leading trainings and workshops, as well as representing Access Justice Brooklyn in practice-related coalitions, task forces, and other advocacy efforts.

The successful candidate will demonstrate adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to grow within the role. This position is currently hybrid with three days a week in the office.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain excellent representation and client service in the provision of legal advice, pro se assistance and representation to Brooklyn residents seeking help related to consumer debt and bankruptcy, including by representing clients through the VLFD program and managing the CLARO clinic in Civil Court, including staffing, training, and supervision of volunteers and law students
• Oversee cases placed with pro bono volunteers for representation, and assist with case screening and assignment in coordination with the Pro Bono team
• Conduct and organize community outreach and “know your rights” presentations, including credit abuse resistance education and financial literacy programs to youth and adult audiences
• Conduct CLE trainings and presentations on consumer debt and bankruptcy
• Prepare program reports, and assist with grant reports and proposals, and other fundraising and marketing collateral as needed
• Ensure milestones and programmatic goals are met
• Participate in special events, including fundraising, cultivation, and volunteer recognition events
• Serve on committees, task forces and panels relating to relevant policy issues and/or legislative reform efforts
• Participate in strategic planning, program assessment, special projects and initiatives, and other organizational work as needed

Qualifications

• Admission to NYS Bar is required with at least five years of relevant experience in work on behalf of consumers, bankruptcy, or both, ideally in a nonprofit organization
• Excellent negotiation, litigation, and oral and written communication skills
• Ability and willingness to travel to deliver neighborhood-based services
• Significant capacity for independent and self-directed work
• Strong interpersonal skills, capable of interacting with individuals from many different cultures and backgrounds
• Ability to work in and value a collaborative team model
• Flexibility, creativity, and a sense of humor
• Proficiency in Spanish is helpful but not required

Compensation

Salary is $100,000 - $110,000 depending on experience. Benefits include medical; dental; vision; employer-paid life, accidental death, and long-term disability insurance; 401K plan with employer discretionary contribution; flexible spending accounts for unreimbursed medical and dependent care; pre-tax transit program; paid NY bar registration fees and bar memberships; and a liberal Paid Time Off policy, encompassing 30 days of PTO per calendar year in addition to office holidays and Summer Fridays (closing early Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day).

Application

Email resume and cover letter to jobs@accessjusticebk.org. Please put Senior Attorney in the subject line. Qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview. No phone calls, please.

Access Justice Brooklyn is an equal opportunity employer. We actively recruit and seek to grow and maintain a diverse staff, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, and national origin; disability; socioeconomic background; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

For more information about our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, please visit https://www.accessjusticebrooklyn.org/about-us/mission-visions-values.

Benefits include medical; dental; vision; employer-paid life, accidental death, and long-term disability insurance; 401K plan with employer discretionary contribution; flexible spending accounts for unreimbursed medical and dependent care; pre-tax transit program; paid NY bar registration fees and bar memberships; and a liberal Paid Time Off policy, encompassing 30 days of PTO per calendar year in addition to office holidays and Summer Fridays (closing early Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day).