Temporary Staff Attorney, Elder Law Unit

Project Description

Brooklyn Legal Services, part of Legal Services NYC, provides high-quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Brooklyn’s diverse low-income population. 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 the elderly and disabled.

The Elder Law Unit is a general practice unit designed to provide comprehensive legal services to Older Adults residing in Brooklyn. The mission of the Unit is to assist Older Adults to maintain their independence and to be able to live with dignity, and we accomplish our mission through legal representation, affirmative litigation, collaboration with community-based organizations, and education and outreach. The Unit provides assistance in a broad range of civil legal needs, including public assistance and other benefits, social security, healthcare and home care, housing, advance directives and permanency planning, consumer debt, guardianship, and elder abuse.

The Role:

The Department for the Aging has assigned the Elder Law Unit a one-year contract to assist Older Adults in Manhattan. The attorney will be responsible for litigation, representation in administrative fora, advocacy and community outreach and education primarily in lower Manhattan. The attorney will be expected to be a generalist, engaging at least occasionally in most or all of our practice areas. However, the primary focus of this attorney will be to assist our clients with income and health security, including public assistance and other benefits, Social Security, and healthcare and home care. The attorney will also be involved in our work to prevent elder abuse. The attorney will make home, hospital, and nursing home visits to meet with clients when necessary.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

We seek an attorney admitted to the New York State Bar with:

• A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity;
• Experience with, and a commitment to, working with the elderly and demonstrated understanding of the particular legal and social issues that occur in that population;
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills;
• Strong interest in working with clients in crisis;
• Demonstrated capacity to engage in a generalist practice and to be able to handle a caseload with a variety legal issues and problems across multiple practice areas; and
• Strong organizational skills and ability to handle diverse, fast paced, and high-volume case load.

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.

How to Apply

Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and two writing samples to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please write “Temporary EL Atty” in the subject line of the email. Please, no telephone calls.

Salary and benefits are determined by the LS-NYC Collective Bargaining Agreement. LSNYC is an affirmative action, equal-opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and people over the age of 40 are all welcome and 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.

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.

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