About NYLAG:
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. We can provide many services virtually, based on an individual client’s preference. NYLAG’s staff of 350 impacted the lives of nearly 113,000 people last year.
Job description
The Employment Law Project (ELP) provides much needed legal representation to workers who cannot afford private attorneys in cases involving employment discrimination, the Family and Medical Leave Act, paid sick leave, paid family leave, wage theft and unemployment insurance. The team has two experienced attorneys and a paralegal. We are hiring for a Project Director.
The ideal candidate is a highly motived, dynamic attorney who has an interest in maintaining a client caseload, supervising an engaged staff, and (with the support of NYLAG’s supervising VP) creating and implementing a vision for ELP’s work that is responsive to the needs low-wage workers, and in particular immigrant workers and workers of color, in New York City. An interest in how legal services can be leveraged by worker organizations to build collective power is desired. As Project Director, the person in this role will oversee the full scope of NYLAG’s Employment Law Project, including supervision of staff; improving upon and implementing systems and structures to support staff and enable the Project to provide high quality services to our clients; developing and maintaining relationships with partners, pro-bono partners, and funders; and ensuring grant compliance. As a member of organization leadership, they will foster and encourage teamwork, develop skills and knowledge of staff, collaborate with other NYLAG units/projects, and help implement NYLAG’s racial equity plan.
The Project Director reports to one of NYLAG’s Vice Presidents.
Duties and Responsibilities
- With the support of executive leadership, create and implement a strategic vision for ELP.
- Maintain an individual caseload representing clients in State and Federal court proceedings and before administrative agencies on employment law matters.
- Supervise and support ELP attorneys and paralegals, ensuring a high quality of all legal work, client representation, and client service.
- Foster, encourage, and model teamwork and respectful communication.
- Reinforce and maintain staff accountability. Develop and maintain relationships with community-based organizations, advocates, government agencies, elected officials, and the courts.
- Represent ELP/NYLAG at stakeholder meetings, legislative hearings, and policy and lobbying visits, as needed.
- Conduct community education, training, and outreach to promote the work of the project and to address needs in the community.
- Oversee the project’s grants, including data gathering, deliverables, reporting, and audits.
- Assist with writing grant proposals and reports.
Qualifications
- Admission to New York State Bar required; admission to E.D.N.Y and S.D.N.Y preferred.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience in employment law, or comparable experience.
Applicants are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet all the following qualifications:
- Demonstrated interest in social justice, worker’s rights, and building collective worker power.
- Ability to lead and motivate staff and create a respectful, collaborative team culture.
- Experience in federal court proceedings, arbitrations, and mediations.
- · Proficiency in Spanish.
- Demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, internally (as a team leader) and externally (in the courts and on behalf of clients).
- Creative, proactive problem-solving skills and ability to pivot and reprioritize based on immediate need.
- Experience supervising lawyers, paralegals, or other staff in legal work.
- Excellent people and client counseling skills, preferably with experience in a high-volume legal services context.
- Demonstrated patience, empathy, persistence, and openness in delivering client services to diverse populations.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Highly organized and ability to juggle multiple priorities.
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Employment type:
☒ Full-time
Professional Level:
☒ Managerial
Salary Range: The current salary range for this position is between$104,503 - $122,468.
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care. Sick leave and generous paid time off.
Application Instructions: Please submit a cover letter explaining your interest and a resume. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Please save your resume and cover letter as one pdf and submit as one document. This job posting is an update to the job posting from July 2023. Applicants who previously applied will be considered and do not need to apply again.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and interested candidates are encouraged to apply early. The posting will close on November 22 ,2023.
Covid Vaccination Policy:Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.
NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change. |