Staff Attorney-Family Law Unit

Neighborhood Legal Services (NLS), the largest provider of civil legal services in Western New York, is seeking a staff attorney for the Family Law Unit. The staff attorney will advocate for individuals in need of representation in the Supreme and Family Courts of Erie County and the surrounding counties in connection with matrimonial, child custody and support, domestic violence, and related family law matters.

The staff attorney will be responsible for caseload management, legal research and writing, client contact, court appearances, trials and hearings, community outreach, and daily engagement with prospective clients and the community partners of NLS.

Essential Responsibilities / Functions:

• Develop a substantive knowledge of the areas of family law.
• Provide a spectrum of legal assistance to those applicants affected by domestic violence and experiencing poverty, from advice and counsel by telephone, brief service assistance, and full representation through trial.
• Identify and address systemic problems that affect the rights of persons within the family law realm and attempt to develop plans to address these challenges through affirmative advocacy, impact litigation, and policy work.
• Collaborate and coordinate with NLS staff and community partners to ensure effective referrals and holistic service delivery.
• Conduct community outreach, education, and training
• Develop relationships and engage in collaborations with a range of public and private community partners, including governmental agencies, courts, and community-based organizations, to ensure integrative services and to address systemic barriers facing our client community.
• Demonstrate cultural competency to work with low-income clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, immigrant status, religious identity, and physical and mental disabilities.
• Meet regularly and communicate effectively with support staff, supervisors, and members of other NLS units to maintain and review efficient case management.

Core Competencies

• Strong personal work ethic and ability to organize time, manage diverse activities, and meet critical deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to be detail-oriented.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic and multi-sector team.
• Cultural humility in working with low-income clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and limited English proficiency; and
• Familiarity with the diverse communities is a plus.

Qualifications

• J.D. and New York State Bar Membership (may be pending)
• Previous experience working with low-income and/or underserved communities preferred
• Second language fluency preferred
• Legal services background, or knowledge of general civil legal work preferred.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Work in a shared office environment, including working at the workstation and attending meetings
• Traveling to meetings and hearings off-site.
• Use of computers and other office machines such as fax, photocopiers, and telephones.

Salary and Benefits

• $60,387 to $98,981 per year salary, dependent upon experience and in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (law graduates pending admission are welcome to apply).
• Full-time position with a 35-hour work week and shorter summer hours.

The company offers a comprehensive benefits package to its employees. This includes health, dental, and vision insurance, 3 weeks of vacation time, 12 paid holidays, and a paid week off between Christmas and New Year's. Additionally, employees have access to sick and personal leave, as well as eligibility for public student loan forgiveness. The company also provides $50,000 life insurance, a pension plan, HRA and Flexible Spending Accounts, and paid memberships.