Staff Attorney for Disability Advocacy Project

Project Description

Brooklyn Legal Services seeks a staff attorney for our Disability Advocacy Project (DAP or the “Unit”) to provide advocacy and representation for people living with disabilities in need of reasonable accommodations in housing, benefits, and public accommodations. 

Brooklyn Legal Services is part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) and provides high-quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Brooklyn’s diverse low-income population. LSNYC’s mission is to fight poverty and seek racial, social, and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country. Our staff of over 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps more than 110,000 New Yorkers annually. BLS focuses on the problems that have the greatest impact on our clients — preserving affordable and decent housing, maintaining income support, redressing abusive lending and consumer practices, promoting family stability and mitigating the effects of domestic violence, and advocating for older adults and people with disabilities.  

DAP assists clients with obtaining and maintaining Social Security benefits. We also collaborate with other providers and community partners to develop and implement strategies to remove systemic barriers to disability benefits. The Unit works with people with a wide range of disabilities, including home-bound clients, clients with mental illness, and clients with complex treatment schedules. The Unit's highly qualified advocates are experts in assisting clients in obtaining disability benefits. The staff attorney will work to broaden the Unit’s existing advocacy efforts to address systemic barriers facing people with disabilities in need of accommodations.

LSNYC prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts.  As a social justice organization, we are committed to fighting for a workplace that is as diverse, equitable, and inclusive as possible for everyone. Our DEIB committee and numerous affinity groups work to foster collegial relationships among staff and allow staff to explore and advocate for racial justice and anti-oppression growth within our organization and through our legal work.  All employees are expected to learn about, seek to understand, and work to realize our DEIB goals. LSNYC provides numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including funding for continuing education (CLE) hours. 

Roles and Responsibilities

The staff attorney will be responsible for helping to build a litigation and advocacy practice centered on obtaining accommodations and systemic change for people living with disabilities in various settings, including housing, benefits, and public accommodations. The staff attorney will represent clients in a number of courts and administrative fora, primarily federal court, NY Supreme Court, and the Commission on Human Rights. The staff attorney will lead and participate in coalition work with community partners and other advocacy organizations and engage in policy advocacy on issues affecting people with disabilities.  The staff attorney will be responsible for providing training and support to colleagues in other practice areas to recognize and advocate for clients in need of accommodations, and for providing training and support to community partners. 

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• License to practice law in New York with a minimum of three (3) years of practicing law;

• Substantial experience and competency in working respectfully and effectively with low-income people with disabilities;

• Experience litigating in adversarial venues, including federal court;

• Experience litigating discrimination cases;

• Experience providing direct legal services from a trauma-informed perspective; 

• Ability to work and finish tasks independently, and independently set and meet internal deadlines in a variety of cases;

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, juggle multiple deadlines, keep clear records, communicate proactively, and remain accountable to your commitments;

• Ability to work collaboratively; and

• Strong legal research, analysis, writing, and public speaking skills.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Fluency or proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English, preferably Spanish;

LSNYC acknowledges that applicants from groups that have been historically marginalized are less likely to apply for positions unless they feel that they meet 100% of a job description’s qualifications.  We understand that the ideal candidate might not completely meet the criteria listed above or be equally proficient in each area; we especially encourage applicants who are impacted by LSNYC’s work to apply.

All employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless they are unable to for medical or religious reasons.

LSNYC offers a competitive benefits package with: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, Medical and Dependent care FSA, retirement 403(b), First Reliance life insurance, and commuter benefits program, ect.

How to Apply 

Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and two writing samples to bkhiring@lsnyc.org.  Please write “DISABILITY - ATTORNEY” in the subject line of the email.  

Salary and benefits are determined by the LSNYC Collective Bargaining Agreement. Staff members who are not managers are members of the LSSA/NOLSW UAW Local 2320. Additional information about the practice may be found on our website, www.legalservicesnyc.org.

Legal Services NYC is an equal-opportunity employer.  People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and people over the age of 40 are strongly encouraged to apply.  LSNYC acknowledges that applicants from groups that have been historically marginalized are less likely to apply for positions unless they feel that they meet 100% of a job description’s qualifications. We understand that the ideal candidate might not completely meet the criteria listed above or be equally proficient in each area; we especially encourage applicants who are impacted by LSNYC’s work to submit their application anyway.

Job#44_2024; Posted 4.2024

Salary Range (Based on years of experience):

• 1-10 years: $74,881 - $98,355

• 11-20 years: $100,605 - $118,773

• 21+ years: $124,254 - $135,637