Disability & Aging Rights Temporary Staff Attorney

TEMPORARY STAFF ATTORNEY

DISABILITY & AGING RIGHTS 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 temporary staff attorney to join its Disability & Aging Rights project for a period of one year. The Disability and Aging Rights Project uses a multi-prong approach to provide legal services and affect reform. The staff attorney will provide a wide range of legal services for people who are aging or have disabilities, including adult home residents, nursing home residents, and paratransit users.

MFJ’s mission is to achieve justice for all. MFJ prioritizes the needs of people who are low income, disenfranchised, or have disabilities as they struggle to overcome the effects of social injustice and systemic racism. We provide the highest-quality free, direct civil legal assistance, conduct community education and build partnerships, engage in policy advocacy, and bring impact litigation. We assist more than 14,000 New Yorkers each year, benefiting over 24,000. MFJ has a staff of more than 165 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 client intakes in person and by telephone.
• Defending and prosecuting cases, including drafting complaints, engaging in motion practice, writing and arguing appeals, and writing amicus briefs.
• Working independently and in teams with other MFJ staff and pro bono counsel to advance clients’ goals.
• Conducting community outreach, training, and education.
• Creating and updating community educational and training materials.
• Identifying systemic problems that MFJ can address through policy, advocacy and/or impact litigation.
• Working in coalition with community groups to address problems.
• Providing testimony on proposed legislation or before city or state agencies.
• Inputting and maintaining records in MFJ’s case management system.

Requirements:

1. Admission to the New York State Bar.
2. At least two years of experience litigating affirmative lawsuits in federal or state courts.
3. Significant experience of living as or working with people who are ageing or have disabilities.
4. Knowledge of and experience practicing civil rights law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.
5. Demonstrated ability to balance working on complex litigation, handling individual casework, and advocating for legislative or policy changes.

Preferred:

1. Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Haitian Creole, French, Bangla, Arabic, or Urdu.

BENEFITS & PERKS:

Work-Life Balance:

Employees have the ability to work flexible hours and are able to work two days a week

from home.

Paid Leave:

Parental Leave: Employees are granted up to 75 days of parental leave and may use sick

and vacation days if they have them.

Summer Fridays: MFJ offices close early every Friday at 2pm starting Memorial Day through

Labor Day.

Bar Study Time: Eligible employees are granted up to five weeks of study time for the bar

and may be reimbursed for bar prep expense up to $3,000.

Employer-Paid Healthcare Premiums:

MFJ provides employees with health, dental, and vision insurance at no cost to the employee.

MFJ also provides additional benefits such as commuter benefits, FSA, HRA, and an

Employee Assistance Program.

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

salary range for this position is $81,370.00 to $137,504.65.

Applicants should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to recruitment@mfjlegal.org,

cc’ing kcremin@mfjlegal.org, with “Disability & Aging Rights Project Temporary Staff

Attorney 2025” in the subject line. We encourage all applicants to include in their cover letter a

statement about how their background or experience might contribute to the diversity and

perspective of our office. Please indicate where you saw this ad. No telephone calls please.

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

MFJ IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. All qualified applicants will receive

consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender, age, religion, national

origin, citizen status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status,

sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other

characteristic protected by law. BIPOC, women, people with disabilities, and LBGTQIA+

candidates are encouraged to apply.