Veterans Advocacy Attorney

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.

Housing Unit, Veterans Advocacy Attorney

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (NLS) is seeking to hire an attorney to provide advocacy to veterans challenged by poverty and/or disability in our Western New York (WNY) community. NLS is a not-for-profit law firm that provides free, high-quality civil legal services to low-income Western New Yorkers. The attorney selected for this position will work closely with the WNY veterans advocacy community, and will gain experience and provide representation across multiple practice areas.

As a Neighborhood Legal Services Attorney you will have the opportunity to do the following:

• Gain broad experience and training in a range of civil legal substantive areas and legal strategies including advocacy on behalf of underserved communities;
• Provide a spectrum of legal assistance from advice/counsel by phone to full representation in a wide range of civil legal matters;
• Identify systemic problems that affect our clients’ rights and address these challenges through affirmative advocacy, impact litigation, and policy work;
• Collaborate and coordinate with community partners to assure effective referrals and holistic service delivery;
• Conduct community outreach, education and training; and
• 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 address systemic barriers facing the veteran community.

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 proof‐reading skills, with ability to be detail‐oriented;
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic and multi‐sector team;
• Curious and self‐directed with an ability to anticipate client and healthcare partner needs;
• 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 diverse communities is a plus.

Qualifications:

• J.D. and New York State Bar Membership (may be pending)
• Previous experience working with veteran and/or low-income communities preferred
• Second language fluency preferred

Salary & Benefits:

• Competitive up to $67,000
• Excellent Benefits including health insurance and generous leave time.

Applications: Neighborhood Legal Services is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, persons of color, LGBTQ individuals, veterans, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please send (1) cover letter, (2) resume, (3) references, and (4) writing sample to: HR@nls.org  Be sure to refer to the posting “Veteran Advocacy Attorney” in the title of your email.