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Posted by: City Bar Justice Center - 1/4/2021
Job Expires: 2/4/2021
Veterans Assistance Project - Project Director (Attorney)

Veterans Assistance Project – Project Director (Attorney)

 

Reports to:  Deputy Director

 

The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the New York City Bar Association (City Bar), one of the nation’s largest bar associations.  CBJC partners with New York City’s leading law firms and corporate legal departments and with City Bar committees to advocate for low-income New Yorkers with civil legal problems, including by recruiting, training and matching volunteer attorneys to provide advice and representation and by issuing reports and recommendations. CBJC’s Legal Hotline, the largest operation of its kind in New York, provides referrals and brief advice to 1,000 people per month.  The CBJC’s work is organized into a dozen projects designed to address areas of unmet civil legal need in a variety of fields including immigration, homelessness, veterans, LGBTQ, bankruptcy, small businesses, elder law and estate planning. CBJC, conveniently located in a historic building at 42 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan, is working remotely during the pandemic.

 

The City Bar Justice Center’s Veterans Assistance Project seeks an experienced attorney to direct this pro bono project representing low-income veterans and their families who seek benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.  The attorney will recruit, train, and mentor volunteer attorneys and, in addition, will be encouraged to build a more holistic federal practice regarding the legal rights and well-being of veterans.

 

CBJC’s Veterans Assistance Project (VAP) provides low-income veterans and their family members in New York City with pro bono legal assistance on claims for service-connected disability compensation and other benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Since its inception, VAP has assisted thousands of veterans, recovered over $5 million in retroactive benefits in addition to ongoing disability benefits, and leveraged over $2 million in free legal services for veterans. VAP’s attorney director supervises a project coordinator and advocates for increased veterans legal services by, inter alia, providing technical assistance to other nonprofit legal services providers and collaborating with the profession and funders. 

 

Job Requirements:

 

  • 5 or more years of legal experience;
  • Experience in a law school clinic, nonprofit legal services or advocacy organization, or pro bono experience representing low income clients; federal clerkship, government agency experience or military service a plus;   
  • Well organized and very strong technology skills;
  • Excellent client counseling, oral and written communication, and cultural competency skills;
  • Strong advocacy skills;
  • Commitment to assisting low income clients from diverse backgrounds;
  • Familiarity with military service, administrative law, government benefits and medical records desirable;
  • Experience in federal litigation desirable;
  • Interest in training and supervising volunteer attorneys, fellows, law students and other interns.

 

 

EDUCATION: J.D. required.

 

BAR ADMISSIONS: New York

 

To apply, send a cover letter, resume and short legal writing sample via email to humanresources@nycbar.org and include VAP-CBJC in the subject line.  We offer a generous benefits package.  Competitive public interest salary commensurate with skills, experience, and size of our organization.

 

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. We are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

                             

The City Bar Justice Center is a proud equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We encourage diverse candidates to apply. It is the policy of the organization to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, marital status, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law. With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, the organization will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities.

 
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