Safety Net Project – Supervising Attorney

The Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project (SNP) is seeking applicants for the Supervising Attorney position. SNP’s Supervising Attorneys provide supervision and support to SNP’s Staff Attorneys and Paralegals in its high-volume landlord/tenant practice, while also maintaining a reduced caseload. SNP provides direct legal and social services in the areas of public benefits access, homelessness, and tenant rights. SNP also engages in policy advocacy and community organizing led by impacted community members. SNP is one of NYC’s Right to Counsel providers representing tenants facing eviction and is also active in various grassroots organizing campaigns fighting for systemic change.

Primary Responsibilities

• Directly supervise a small team of staff attorneys and one paralegal
• Provide support to case handlers to analyze legal issues, develop legal strategy, and supervise the implementation of legal strategies, including reviewing written work and providing support in court as needed.
• Mentor staff attorneys and paralegals to ensure a high standard of legal representation and ongoing professional development.
• Maintain a reduced individual caseload, providing representation to tenants in eviction proceedings and some affirmative litigation, including, housing repairs cases and rent strikes.
• Provide Know Your Rights education and technical assistance to tenants and community partners.
• Participate in the staffing of outreach clinics and attend tenants’ association meetings, including during evening hours from time to time.
• Working across disciplines by collaborating with other attorneys, advocates, and social workers to assess and address client needs.
• Ensure compliance with grant reporting and data entry requirements in SNP’s case management system.
• Collaborate with other housing managers to maintain and strengthen SNP program policies, procedures, and protocols.

Qualifications

• Admitted, or eligible for admission, to the New York State Bar
• Minimum 3 years of litigation experience in landlord-tenant law
• Excellent research, analytical, written, and oral communication skills
• Excellent litigation skills and experience litigating individual and group cases
• A commitment to supporting, training, and mentoring staff attorneys and paralegals
• Sound strategic judgment and the drive to originate and implement practice improvements
• Familiarity with, or interest, in movement lawyering approaches to civil legal services work
• Strong anti-oppression and social justice approach, including a demonstrated commitment to racial justice and housing justice, and experience working with diverse communities.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Spanish proficiency is preferred.

Salary and Compensation

A competitive salary based on experience and an excellent benefits package are available, with generous vacation, personal, and sick time, along with industry-leading medical and dental coverage. The annual salary range for this position is from $80,000 to $121,000. Subject to work needs, the Safety Net Project also offers flexible hours and remote work options.

The Safety Net Project is an equal-opportunity employer. SNP encourages applications from people with diverse backgrounds, including women, people of color, immigrants, domestic violence survivors, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ people, people from low-income backgrounds, and people with personal experience with the criminal justice system. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities we serve, of homelessness or housing instability, or of the benefits system.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter by e-mail to SNPhiring@urbanjustice.org. The subject line of the email must include: “Supervising Attorney Position.” We welcome applicants to inform us in their emails if they require any special accommodations to fully participate in the hiring process. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and must be submitted by April 12, 2024. Unfortunately, due to the high volume, we are unable to respond to inquiries and will contact only those candidates selected for consideration.