Temporary One Year Manhattan Legal Services Seeks a Staff Attorney for its Veterans Justice Project

Project Description:

Manhattan Legal Services (MLS) is seeking a staff attorney for our dynamic Veterans Justice Project (VJP). The Veterans Justice Project provides holistic and comprehensive civil legal services to veterans, service members and their family members. We represent clients in the vital areas such as housing, family law and income maintenance in order to provide veterans and their families with stable housing, resolution of family law issues and an income source. This is a temporary one year position funded with a new grant but with potential to be renewed in the future.

Manhattan Legal Services is part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), the largest provider of free civil legal services for low-income people in the country. The Manhattan program is dedicated to providing high-quality and culturally sensitive legal services in the areas of housing, family law, public benefits, employment, and immigration, and consumer, education, and disability rights. The Manhattan program has designated units serving particularly vulnerable populations including domestic violence survivors, people living with HIV, and people identifying as LGBTQ. We work in close collaboration with community-based partners in the low-income communities we serve.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The VJP staff attorney will be responsible for advocacy, litigation, legislative testimony and community outreach. The attorney will provide direct legal services—advice, brief service and representation—to veterans, service members and their family members. The attorney will also identify areas where systemic change is needed in the systems that impact our veterans and work to address those along with the MLS Director of Litigation. The attorney will be directly supervised by the Director of MLS’s Disability Advocacy Project but will have access to, interface with and collaborate with the skilled Manhattan Legal Services housing, family, disability, immigration, economic justice and public benefits unit staff as necessary. The attorney will also draft and deliver testimony on relevant veteran matters before the appropriate legislative bodies. The attorney will present know-your-rights trainings to community groups and serve as the primary point of contact for community-based groups serving veterans.

Since this VJP position will involve advocacy and litigation on key substantive areas impacting veterans, as well as legislative work and community outreach, VJP is looking for an attorney who has litigation experience in multiple practice areas, such as housing law, social security benefits and family law, is eager to expand their practice areas, and is deeply committed to social justice and community lawyering.

Qualifications Include:

Required:

• At least 2 years’ experience in legal practice;

• Law degree and eligibility for admission or admission to the New York State bar;

• Experience litigating affirmative cases in New York State Supreme Court, federal court, and/or other types of litigation/advocacy to create systemic change;

• Demonstrated commitment to and experience working with and providing culturally sensitive services to vulnerable populations;

• Demonstrated passion for racial, social and economic justice;

• Excellent interviewing, writing, and communication skills;

• Ability to communicate openly and effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds;

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity , inclusion and belonging; and,

• Excellent organizational skills necessary to handle the multi-faceted and high- volume caseload.

Preferred:

• Experience working with veterans;

• Experience with public speaking and working with community groups; and,

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume, writing sample and references by email to [email protected]. The e-mail should include “MLS Veterans Justice Project Attorney” in the subject line.

Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls. Manhattan Legal Services is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons and persons over 40 and veterans are welcome and encouraged 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.

Job#74_2024; Posted: 08.2024

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