Government Benefits Project Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney - Government Benefits Project

Mobilization for Justice (formerly MFY Legal Services), a non-profit legal services organization

that provides a wide range of free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers, is seeking a

staff attorney to join its Government Benefits Project. The attorney will help low-income New

Yorkers with public benefits problems, with a special focus on helping people obtain

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.

MFJ’s mission is to achieve social justice, prioritizing the needs of people who are low-income,

disenfranchised or have disabilities. We do this by providing the highest quality direct civil legal

assistance, conducting community education, building partnerships, engaging in policy

advocacy, and bringing impact litigation. MFJ is a 150+ person staff comprised of attorneys,

paralegals, social workers, and support staff. It is a diverse, unionized, and collegial workplace

where staff share the organization’s mission to achieve social justice.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting SSI and SSDI hearings at the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) and

other administrative hearings.

• Filing Appeals Council (AC) appeals.

• Representing clients on appeals of adverse Social Security decisions in federal court.

• Drafting pre-hearing memos, AC briefs, and federal court briefs.

• Helping clients with a wide range of other government benefit problems, including public

assistance for individuals and families, SNAP, Access-A-Ride, etc.

• Conducting client intakes in person, on the telephone, and at community-based

organizations, sometimes in the evenings.

• Providing clients with advice, brief service, and direct representation.

• Assisting clients in completing relevant applications and forms.

• Advocating for clients with the Social Security Administration, Human Resources

Administration, and other government offices.

• Conducting community outreach, trainings, and education.

• Creating and updating community educational and training materials.

• Identifying systemic problems, with a particular emphasis on disability justice problems,

that MFJ can address through policy, advocacy and/or impact litigation.

• Working in coalition with advocacy groups on policy issues.

• Providing testimony on proposed legislation or other legislative body topics.

• Inputting and maintaining records in our case management system.

Requirements:

1. J.D. and admission to the New York State Bar.

2. At least two years of experience working on government benefits issues, particularly as

related to SSI and SSDI benefits.

3. Well-organized, capable of managing a diverse caseload, and demonstrated ability to

balance multiple competing deadlines.

4. Experience or demonstrated interest in working with people with disabilities.

5. Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, French, or Bangla is a plus.

Salary is pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement with excellent fringe benefits.

Applicants should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to Kevin M. Cremin, Director

of Litigation for Disability and Aging Rights, and transmitted by e-mail to

kcremin@mfjlegal.org with “Government Benefits Project Staff Attorney 2022” in the subject

line. We encourage all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your

background or experience might contribute to the diversity and equity of our office. Please

indicate where you saw this ad. Applications must be received by August 8, 2022. Early

applications encouraged. No telephone calls please.

In compliance with New York City’s directives, MFJ requires all employees to be fully

vaccinated against COVID-19. Accordingly, successful candidates must be fully vaccinated

against COVID-19 and submit proof of vaccination prior to commencement of employment at

MFJ.

For further information about MFJ, please go to www.mobilizationforjustice.org.

MFJ IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. BIPOC, women, people with disabilities,

LGBT+ people are welcome and encouraged to apply.