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Neighborhood Legal Services (NLS), the largest provider of civil legal services in western New York, is seeking an attorney to staff a position in the Public Benefits Unit in its Buffalo office. The staff attorney will advocate to ensure that low-income and underserved residents in our community have sufficient income to maintain the essentials of daily living, and that those in need are served by systems that are just, equitable and responsive.

The staff attorney will advocate for individuals who are having difficulty accessing or maintaining health and income maintenance benefits such as temporary assistance, emergency assistance, temporary housing assistance, SNAP, and Medicaid.

The staff attorney will provide individual representation and will also identify changes needed in the delivery of outcome supports to create requisite systemic change.  The staff attorney will address these challenges through affirmative advocacy, impact litigation, and policy work on behalf of underserved communities including people living with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people experiencing homelessness.

Responsibilities include case management, legal research and writing, drafting of administrative and court documents, representation at administrative hearings and litigation in state and federal courts. The position also will involve community outreach activities and participation in collaborative efforts with agency partners on public benefits matters.

Essential Responsibilities / Functions:

•     Provide a spectrum of legal assistance from advice/counsel by phone to affirmative litigations in a wide range of issues;

•     Identify systemic problems that affect our clients’ rights and address these challenges through affirmative advocacy, impact litigation, and policy work;

•     Collaborate and coordinate with other NLS staff and community partners to assure effective referrals and holistic service delivery;

•     Conduct community outreach, education and training;

•     Ensure that all written work product is grammatically correct, carefully edited, well written, and appropriate for its audience;

•     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 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, physical and mental disabilities, and limited English proficiency;

•     Develop a substantive knowledge of all areas of law that impact our clients;

•     Maintain a current knowledge of developments in law, civil procedure, and civil litigation law and strategies; and

•     Develop a substantive knowledge of the social and economic forces that create poverty and inequality in the United States.

Consistent demonstration of proficient skills, including the following:

•     Communicate with clients (including groups of clients), co-workers, community partners, opposing counsel, judges and court staff effectively;

•     Analyze applicable legal issues, perform legal research skills, plan case strategy;

•     Gather facts, give appropriate advice and referral, draft all necessary documents, negotiate settlements if appropriate;

•     Try cases effectively in city, county, state and/or federal court and administrative hearings;

•     Address issues in a timely manner;

•     Organize and maintain appropriate documentation of activities;

•     Demonstrate a willingness to work as a team, and an overall positive attitude;

•     Engage in progressively more complex litigation and show creativity in advocacy;

•     Maintain contacts with community agencies and local client groups;

•     Speak to community groups and others and prepare materials for presentation;

•     Prioritize and implement NLS policies and procedures appropriately;

•     Follow instructions from a supervisor; and

•     Other appropriate functions when necessary.

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 the diverse communities is a plus.

Qualifications

• J.D. and NYS Bar Admission (considered if bar exam passed and admission pending)
• Previous experience working with low-income and/or underserved communities preferred
• Demonstrated commitment and sensitivity to low-income and underserved communities
• Second language fluency preferred
• Legal services background, or knowledge of general civil legal work;

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

•     Work in an office environment including working at workstation, attending meetings;

•     Traveling to meetings and hearings off-site;

•     Use of computer and other office machines such as fax, photocopiers and telephones; and

•     Ability to work in the evenings and weekends as required to serve clients.

NLS is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply.   Employer recruits without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, ancestry, sex, gender (including identity or expression), sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or protected veteran status and any such candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Neighborhood Legal Services is looking for a highly motivated and bilingual individual to join our team as a receptionist. We are searching for someone with excellent communication skills, great customer service abilities, and the ability to handle multiple tasks at once in a fast-paced environment. This position will require fluency in both English and Spanish.

The primary responsibility of this role is to provide professional front desk services for visitors and callers, ensuring that all inquiries are responded to quickly and accurately. The successful candidate will have exceptional organizational skills, strong attention to detail, be able to multitask effectively, possess good problem-solving abilities, and have a friendly demeanor when interacting with clients or colleagues. If you think you fit the bill – we want you!

Responsibilities

• High Volume Calls in both English and Spanish
• Data entry
• Record keeping
• Filing & copying
• Places calls and provides information over the phone in English and Spanish
• Reception duties,
• Running errands and making deliveries,
• Stocking office supplies
• Other duties as assigned by office administration staff.

*This position does require some heavy lifting

Qualifications:

• Associates Degree
• Knowledge of general office procedure
• Demonstrated reliability and dependability
• Type 40 words per minute
• Strong organizational skills

NEIGHBORHOOD LEGAL SERVICES is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $18.73 – $28.95 per year

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan

Schedule:

• 7-hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Buffalo, NY 14202: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Education:

• Associate (Preferred)

Experience:

• Microsoft Office: 1 year (Required)

Language:

• Spanish (Required)

Work Location: In person

Organization Overview

Neighborhood Legal Services (NLS) is the largest provider of civil legal services in Western New York,
with a central office in Buffalo and offices in Batavia, Lockport, and Niagara Falls. NLS helps
thousands of clients each year in many different areas. We represent clients who are about to be
evicted or need money for food or rent. We represent victims of domestic violence, members of the
LGBTQ+ community, and veterans. We represent people with disabilities who cannot work or are
trying to return to the work world. We help children with profound physical disabilities who need
medical equipment to live day-to-day. We invite you to use your talents and skills to help people
and change systems.

Summary of Responsibilities:

Maintains a caseload serving low-income clients relating to landlord/tenant and housing law,
including evictions, unsafe housing conditions and discrimination. Handles all aspects of legal
representation including client contact, pleading preparation, research, file maintenance, working
with support staff, and hearing and trial work. Implements grant and contract requirements
through casework, fosters pro bono involvement with the private bar, and engages in community
legal education

Essential Responsibilities / Functions:
• Provide a spectrum of legal assistance from advice/counsel by phone to affirmative litigations in
a wide range of issues.
• Identify systemic problems that affect our clients’ rights and address these challenges through
affirmative advocacy, impact litigation, and policy work.
• Collaborate and coordinate with other NLS staff and community partners to assure effective
referrals and holistic service delivery.
• Conduct community outreach, education and training.
• Ensure that all written work product is grammatically correct, carefully edited, well written, and
appropriate for its audience.
• 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 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, physical and mental disabilities, and limited English
proficiency.
• Develop a substantive knowledge of all areas of law that impact our clients.
• Maintain a current knowledge of developments in law, civil procedure, and civil litigation law
and strategies; and
• Develop a substantive knowledge of the social and economic forces that create poverty and
inequality in the United States.
Consistent demonstration of proficient skills, including the following:
• Communicate with clients (including groups of clients), co-workers, community partners,
opposing counsel, judges and court staff effectively.
• Analyze applicable legal issues, perform legal research skills, plan case strategy.
• Gather facts, give appropriate advice and referral, draft all necessary documents, negotiate
settlements if appropriate.
• Try cases effectively in city, county, state and/or federal court and administrative hearings.
• Address issues in a timely manner.
• Organize and maintain appropriate documentation of activities.
• Show commitment to bringing justice to low-income WNY residents.
• Use computers as needed, including word processing and email.
• Demonstrate good judgment, ability to handle stress, and initiative on a consistent basis,
• Demonstrate a willingness to work as a team, and an overall positive attitude.
• Engage in progressively more complex litigation and show creativity in advocacy.
• Maintain contacts with community agencies and local client groups.
• Speak to community groups and others and prepare materials for presentation.
• Prioritize and implement NLS policies and procedures appropriately.
• Follow instructions from a supervisor; and
• Other appropriate functions when necessary.

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 the diverse communities is a plus.

Benefits

•Full-time position with a 35-hour work week and shorter summer hours.
•Excellent benefits including health, dental and vision insurance, 3 weeks of vacation, 12 paid
holidays plus paid week off between Christmas and New Year’s, sick and personal leave, eligibility
for public student loan forgiveness, paid $50,000 life insurance, pension plan, HRA and Flexible
Spending Accounts, and paid memberships.

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.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
• Work in an office environment including working at workstation, attending meetings.
• Traveling to meetings and hearings off-site.
• Use of computer and other office machines such as fax, photocopiers and telephones; and
• Ability to work in the evenings and weekends as required to serve clients.

Salary $61,000-$106,000

NLS 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 affectedby 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 diversecommunities 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.

NLS is seeking an experienced attorney with a passion for innovation and a commitment to increasing access to legal services for low-income Western New Yorkers to join its dedicated team of managers, staff attorneys, paralegals, and support staff as an Assistant Supervising Attorney of the Housing Unit. 

The Assistant Supervising Attorney will be responsible for assisting with the direct supervision of Housing Unit staff. Direct supervision will include substantive supervision of staff caseloads, regular case reviews, and ensuring compliance with office wide policies and Legal Services Corporation regulations. The responsibilities will also include maintaining a caseload commensurate with supervisory duties and the supervision of the representation of individuals facing eviction and related housing issues. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with the Senior Supervising Attorney of the Housing Unit to shape the direction of the Unit, and to work with the NLS Advocacy Director to identify systemic housing-related issues and develop affirmative impact litigation on behalf of tenants with the goal of removing barriers to safe, fair, and affordable housing. The Assistant Supervising Attorney will also work with the Senior Supervising Attorney to handle administrative and grant responsibilities and to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders in the legal, court, and service communities. 

Essential Functions: 

• Reporting to the Housing Unit’s Senior Supervising Attorney, the Assistant Supervising Attorney will assist with the management of the day-to-day operations of the unit. The successful applicant will be located primarily in Buffalo but will assist with the supervision of attorneys and staff in the Niagara County offices and will be called upon to consult with attorneys across the organization, including our Batavia office, serving Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. 

• Responsible for the regular review of the work performed, development of necessary training and unit litigation strategies. 

• Assist with administrative duties, including developing and implementing policies and procedures for the Unit, assuring that these policies and procedures are integrated with and conform to those of the organization. 

• Ensure that staff maintain case and client records as required in our computerized case management program. 

• Develop and implement a community outreach and education plan to reach NLS’ service area. 

• Review applications for service and make eligibility determinations in accordance with grant and funding requirements and assist with work assignments. 

• Work closely with members of NLS’ management team, including finance, grants compliance, and HR staff in ensuring compliance with the organization’s fiscal and personnel policies and procedures. 

• 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 our client community. 

• Committed to leading by example, high professional integrity, and maintaining civility in all interactions with staff, legal opponents, and community-at-large, and capable of addressing client and staff concerns in a sympathetic and confident manner. 

Required Qualifications and Core Competencies: 

• Law degree (JD) & active New York license. 
• Minimum of four (4) years’ experience in a private practice or legal services setting, or the equivalent. 
• Prior management experience in a legal setting preferred, but not required. 
• Experience working at a legal services nonprofit preferred. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic and multi‐sector team. 
• Excellent writing and editing skills and a demonstrated ability to ensure that all written work product is grammatically correct, carefully edited, well written, and appropriate for its audience. 
• Demonstrated cultural competency 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. 
• Commitment to addressing systemic poverty, race, and justice issues, as well as to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion in a diverse workplace. 

Compensation & Benefits: 

Salary range is $110,000-$115,000 and is based on experience. Full-time position with a 35-hour work week and shorter summer hours. Excellent benefits including health, dental and vision insurance, 15 vacation days; 12 paid holidays plus paid week off between Christmas and New Year’s; sick and personal leave; eligibility for public student loan forgiveness; paid $50,000 life insurance, pension plan, HRA, and Flexible Spending Accounts, and paid professional legal memberships. 

NLS VOLUNTEER ATTORNEY PROGRAM (VAP) offers attorneys a chance to volunteer their time and expertise.  No experience in the particular field is necessary and we will train you in the area you volunteer.

You can volunteer to assist with individual clients on an as-needed basis or with one of our Attorney of the Morning Programs (AMP). NLS staffs AMPs at Buffalo City Court (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) and Niagara Falls City Court (dates vary) to assist low-income tenants facing eviction.

Volunteers must be attorneys licensed to practice law in New York State, and in good standing with the Office of Court Administration (OCA).   Volunteers must immediately notify NLS of any changes in their status. Attorneys who register with NLS and are in good standing with OCA are covered under the NLS malpractice insurance policy for the NLS cases they accept.

In order to participate with NLS, you agree to:

• Represent clients referred by NLS and in accordance with the New York State Rules of Professional Conduct;
• Respond to periodic requests for updates by NLS;
• Complete all required NLS forms;
• Notify NLS upon completion of a matter, including the amount of time spent and the tasks completed;
• Notify NLS of any changes to the attorney’s contact information or areas of interest.

If interested, please contact [email protected]

NLS accepts student volunteers throughout the year in our various offices and areas of practice.  Undergraduate students and law students are encouraged to apply.  NLS also participates in externship programs and pro bono scholarship programs (such as the Buffalo Public Interest Law Program at UB Law School).

REQUIREMENTS  NLS requires students to treat their internship/externship/volunteer opportunity like a job.  Students must be punctual, professionally dressed and reliable.  Students must act in a professional manner with staff, clients and court personnel.

STUDENT PRACTICE ORDERS  NLS generally applies for student practice orders for law students who have completed at least two (2) semesters of law school and are volunteering for a semester or the summer.  The student practice order allows the students to appear in court under the supervision of an NLS attorney.

50 HOUR PRO BONO REQUIREMENT  NLS accepts law student volunteers who wish to complete their fifty (50) hour pro bono requirement to be admitted in New York State.

If interested, please email [email protected]