Staff Attorney, Worker Justice Project - New York, NY

The Worker Justice Project in the Criminal Defense Practice of The Legal Aid Society is seeking one Staff Attorney to serve as an Employment Specialist. The attorney will work collaboratively with existing Employment Specialists to enhance legal services to current and former clients of the Criminal Defense Practice with issues concerning access to employment.

The Worker Justice Project combats discrimination faced by workers with arrest or conviction records living in New York City. Everyday employers and licensing agencies unfairly deny qualified individuals the opportunity to work because of pending charges, past convictions, and even sealed or dismissed cases. This discrimination prevents countless New Yorkers from maintaining financial stability and supporting their families-and further disenfranchises people of color already subjected to discriminatory employment practices and the racist administration of criminal justice.

The Worker Justice Project fights this discrimination through a bold and comprehensive approach. The Project advises Criminal Defense Practice staff on the employment consequences of criminal case dispositions in order to minimize harm to clients' job opportunities and empowers workers with records to defend their rights. The Project also enforces the rights of workers who are unlawfully denied jobs or licenses because of arrest or conviction records by representing workers in administrative proceedings, pre-litigation advocacy, and affirmative litigation. Finally, the Project challenges government policies that create barriers to employment and advocates for legislative solutions to effect systemic change.

Worker Justice Project staff attorneys provide advice directly to Criminal Defense Practice attorneys, while also maintaining a large, separate caseload of employment discrimination/direct representation matters and engaging in policy work. In FY2024, the Worker Justice Project provided advice on approximately 1,200 criminal cases and provided legal services directly to Worker Justice Project clients in approximately 420 employment discrimination matters. Through the Worker Justice Project's direct services to clients in FY2024, we helped clients obtain or restore approximately 200 jobs or licenses, and we obtained almost $500,000 in compensation for clients who were subjected to unlawful discrimination.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Advise Criminal Defense Practice attorneys on the employment consequences of their clients criminal cases and criminal case dispositions, and draft written materials on these consequences for Criminal Defense Practice attorneys
• Provide advice and brief services to current and former Criminal Defense Practice clients who are being denied access to employment based on their criminal record
• Represent current and former Criminal Defense Practice clients who have been denied access to employment based on their criminal record in administrative proceedings, pre-litigation advocacy, and affirmative litigation. Enforce clients' antidiscrimination rights, including under the New York City Fair Chance Act
• Write complaints, motions, and briefs
• Conduct outreach and training on the rights of workers with criminal records
• Engage in policy advocacy at the legislative and administrative agency levels
• Act as a spokesperson for Legal Aid on issues within areas of expertise
• Other duties as assigned
  

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Admission to the New York State Bar (or ability to waive into New York State from another jurisdiction)
• Substantial knowledge of employment protections for workers with criminal records, including under the New York City and New York State Human Rights Laws, or the demonstrated aptitude and willingness to acquire such knowledge and to maintain expertise
• Ability to maintain a substantial caseload of challenging, varied, and complex cases
• Prior experience representing clients in employment-related criminal record discrimination matters is preferred
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a citywide team
• Excellent legal research, writing, analytical, oral advocacy, and organizational skills

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Writing Sample (including a substantial amount of your own original legal writing)
  

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $83,844 - $ 147,907

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if an offer is made.

Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice.To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.