Staff Attorney, Ithaca, NY

LawNY – Ithaca Job Announcement
POSITION AVAILABLE: FULL TIME STAFF ATTORNEY

The Ithaca office of Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. ® has an immediate opening for a Staff Attorney. This is a new General Practice position that will emphasize one of LawNY’s priority practice areas, but that will broadly include the full range of general practice matters handled by the program at the Administrative, Trial Court and Appellate levels.
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. ® is a not-for-profit law firm providing civil legal services to low-income clients in a fourteen county area of western New York including the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions. The Ithaca office directly serves residents of Tompkins and Tioga Counties.

LawNY® is committed to equitable inclusion across race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, sex, religion, economic circumstances, ethnicity, national origin, and culture. We are striving to transcend the construct of race and be an anti-racist law firm. We encourage staff to bring their whole selves to work each day and pledge to celebrate every aspect of who they are.

Core Duties:
• Maintain a full-time caseload, including representation of eligible clients in various civil matters within one or more LawNY® program priorities.
• Develop specialized knowledge in one or more substantive areas of poverty law.
o Current priorities include Landlord/Tenant, Real Property/Foreclosure, Medicaid/Health Care, SSI/Social Security, Welfare, Unemployment Insurance Benefits, and services to Victims of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault.
• Supervise and train staff paralegals, AmeriCorps members, interns, and volunteers.
• Collaborate with other LawNY® advocates, human services providers, non-profit organizations and community, client or other advocacy groups to address problems of the poor, including providing community legal education.
• Substantial involvement with the Courts, administrative tribunals and the private bar is expected.

Desired Skills:
• Prior legal experience with low-income and other oppressed communities and clients.
• Lived experience with our client communities highly desired.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, time management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work under deadline and manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to empathize and sensitively respond to people in crisis situations.
• Excellent use of Google Drive/GSuite, Word, and Excel; database programs a plus.
• Proficiency in Spanish is an advantage but is not required.
• Understanding of the principles of race equity analysis and the intersection of racism and poverty and their application to LawNY’s organizational life and to our work.
• Passion for social justice and commitment to the mission of LawNY®.

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. ® (LawNY®) is an equal opportunity employer. LawNY® encourages applications from diverse candidates. LawNY® welcomes applications regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or any other consideration protected by law. This position is considered Exempt pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act.