Staff Attorney for our Public Benefits Unit (Medical-Legal Partnership)
Apply NowCompany: Legal Services NYC
Location: Bronx, NY 10467
Description:
Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.
LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer. Further, LSNYC prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) efforts and aims to create a work environment where everyone can bring their full selves to the work.
BRONX LEGAL SERVICES SEEKS AN EXPERIENCED STAFF ATTORNEY FOR A MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP PROJECT
AS PART OF OUR PUBLIC BENEFITS UNIT
We are seeking an experienced staff attorney to join our Public Benefits Unit as part of our
medical-legal partnership with Urban Health Plan.
Our Organization
Bronx Legal Services, the largest provider of free civil legal services in the borough, is
part of Legal Services NYC's network of local programs throughout New York City. Our
mission is to advance society's promise to its most vulnerable members: that they are
entitled to equal access to our legal system. For over 50 years, we have provided civil legal
services that help our clients meet their essential needs and have challenged the systemic
injustices that keep them poor.
The Public Benefits Unit
Our Public Benefits Unit (PBU) fights to retain, obtain, or increase critical public benefits,
including cash public assistance, SNAP/Food Stamps, WIC, HASA benefits, and rent
subsidies (such as FHEPS and CityFHEPS). We also specialize in health law issues,
helping people obtain or retain public health insurance and services such as Medicare,
Medicaid, and long-term care. Our talented team of advocates includes more than 24
people.
Our PBU's mission is to provide high quality legal assistance to as many people as
possible while challenging and interrupting the institutionalized racism, ableism, and other
pernicious factors that demonize public benefits and the people who need them. Our goal
is to build a team that celebrates and supports each other, and we recognize that the
strongest teams must be diverse. We believe successful advocacy requires creating an
environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to their work.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced attorney to join our PBU as we continue to build our
medical-legal partnership with Urban Health Plan, a federally-qualified community health
center with thirteen different health centers.
Among other responsibilities, the attorney will:
provide direct legal services to Urban Health Plan patients;
identify pressing legal needs of clients and work towards creating policy reform;
conduct intake at an Urban Health Plan location in the Bronx at least twice per
month;
coordinate in-house referrals to other LSNYC teams;
conduct community education and provider trainings for Urban Health Plan patients and staff; and
assist in developing a needs assessment of Urban Health Plan patients to improve our medical-legal partnership to better serve the needs of our jointly-served communities.
Our ideal candidate will:
identify systemic issues and barriers our clients face and lead efforts to raze those obstacles in the pursuit of equal access to justice;
enjoy working in a medical or clinical setting;
employ a client-centered approach to advocacy that raises our clients' voices; and
champion diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We are looking for candidates who want to work in a fast-paced environment and will employ creative strategies and collaborations in the pursuit of justice.
Occasional evening and weekend outreach may be necessary. The staff attorney will be expected to be available for Monday intakes intake at Urban Health Plan locations in the Bronx on a bi-monthly basis.
When conducting off-site intake and outreach, the attorney will be expected to enter and upload relevant data and documents into our case management system and complete conflict checks, whenever possible.
Experience & Qualifications
Qualifications include:
Admission to the New York State Bar;
At least three years of experience in one of the following areas of law most encountered by our medical-legal partnership client population required: public benefits law, health law, or immigration law. We will consider comparable, relevant experience, including: (a) internships or employment during law school or before law school and/or (b) personal advocacy experiences in our public health, benefits, or immigration systems for family, friends, community members, or yourself;
Prior experience working in a multidisciplinary setting that includes social workers, paralegals, and/or case managers strongly preferred;
Prior experience in a medical-legal partnership setting preferred;
A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity;
Prior experience representing litigants at administrative hearings and in City, State, or Federal Courts required;
Fluency or proficiency in Spanish or another language commonly spoken by Bronx residents is strongly preferred;
Ability to speak with people of diverse backgrounds and build trust, be able to treat people with respect, and identify clients' needs quickly and accurately;
Understand the dynamics of intimate partner/domestic violence and trafficking, as well as the effects abuse, crime, and trauma have on individuals and communities;
Aptitude for working with victims of crime, noncitizens, older persons, and people with disabilities;
Good writing skills;
Excellent organizational skills and strong facility with numbers; and
Experience working with low-income people.
Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls.
Bronx Legal Services is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and people over age 40 are all welcomed and encouraged to apply.
Bronx Legal Services 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.
Dependent on work history and experience.
Salary Range
$74,881-$135,637 USD
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.
Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.
LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer. Further, LSNYC prides itself on its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) efforts and aims to create a work environment where everyone can bring their full selves to the work.
BRONX LEGAL SERVICES SEEKS AN EXPERIENCED STAFF ATTORNEY FOR A MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP PROJECT
AS PART OF OUR PUBLIC BENEFITS UNIT
We are seeking an experienced staff attorney to join our Public Benefits Unit as part of our
medical-legal partnership with Urban Health Plan.
Our Organization
Bronx Legal Services, the largest provider of free civil legal services in the borough, is
part of Legal Services NYC's network of local programs throughout New York City. Our
mission is to advance society's promise to its most vulnerable members: that they are
entitled to equal access to our legal system. For over 50 years, we have provided civil legal
services that help our clients meet their essential needs and have challenged the systemic
injustices that keep them poor.
The Public Benefits Unit
Our Public Benefits Unit (PBU) fights to retain, obtain, or increase critical public benefits,
including cash public assistance, SNAP/Food Stamps, WIC, HASA benefits, and rent
subsidies (such as FHEPS and CityFHEPS). We also specialize in health law issues,
helping people obtain or retain public health insurance and services such as Medicare,
Medicaid, and long-term care. Our talented team of advocates includes more than 24
people.
Our PBU's mission is to provide high quality legal assistance to as many people as
possible while challenging and interrupting the institutionalized racism, ableism, and other
pernicious factors that demonize public benefits and the people who need them. Our goal
is to build a team that celebrates and supports each other, and we recognize that the
strongest teams must be diverse. We believe successful advocacy requires creating an
environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to their work.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced attorney to join our PBU as we continue to build our
medical-legal partnership with Urban Health Plan, a federally-qualified community health
center with thirteen different health centers.
Among other responsibilities, the attorney will:
provide direct legal services to Urban Health Plan patients;
identify pressing legal needs of clients and work towards creating policy reform;
conduct intake at an Urban Health Plan location in the Bronx at least twice per
month;
coordinate in-house referrals to other LSNYC teams;
conduct community education and provider trainings for Urban Health Plan patients and staff; and
assist in developing a needs assessment of Urban Health Plan patients to improve our medical-legal partnership to better serve the needs of our jointly-served communities.
Our ideal candidate will:
identify systemic issues and barriers our clients face and lead efforts to raze those obstacles in the pursuit of equal access to justice;
enjoy working in a medical or clinical setting;
employ a client-centered approach to advocacy that raises our clients' voices; and
champion diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We are looking for candidates who want to work in a fast-paced environment and will employ creative strategies and collaborations in the pursuit of justice.
Occasional evening and weekend outreach may be necessary. The staff attorney will be expected to be available for Monday intakes intake at Urban Health Plan locations in the Bronx on a bi-monthly basis.
When conducting off-site intake and outreach, the attorney will be expected to enter and upload relevant data and documents into our case management system and complete conflict checks, whenever possible.
Experience & Qualifications
Qualifications include:
Admission to the New York State Bar;
At least three years of experience in one of the following areas of law most encountered by our medical-legal partnership client population required: public benefits law, health law, or immigration law. We will consider comparable, relevant experience, including: (a) internships or employment during law school or before law school and/or (b) personal advocacy experiences in our public health, benefits, or immigration systems for family, friends, community members, or yourself;
Prior experience working in a multidisciplinary setting that includes social workers, paralegals, and/or case managers strongly preferred;
Prior experience in a medical-legal partnership setting preferred;
A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity;
Prior experience representing litigants at administrative hearings and in City, State, or Federal Courts required;
Fluency or proficiency in Spanish or another language commonly spoken by Bronx residents is strongly preferred;
Ability to speak with people of diverse backgrounds and build trust, be able to treat people with respect, and identify clients' needs quickly and accurately;
Understand the dynamics of intimate partner/domestic violence and trafficking, as well as the effects abuse, crime, and trauma have on individuals and communities;
Aptitude for working with victims of crime, noncitizens, older persons, and people with disabilities;
Good writing skills;
Excellent organizational skills and strong facility with numbers; and
Experience working with low-income people.
Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls.
Bronx Legal Services is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and people over age 40 are all welcomed and encouraged to apply.
Bronx Legal Services 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.
Dependent on work history and experience.
Salary Range
$74,881-$135,637 USD
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.
Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.