About CELJ:
Center for Elder Law & Justice (CELJ) is a civil legal services organization fighting for justice, primarily for low-income older adults, in 10 counties in Western New York. Our attorneys stop illegal evictions, save clients homes from foreclosure, put a stop to elder domestic violence, fight for public benefits, work with our local immigrant & refugee populations, and represent grandparents and other kinship care relatives in custody and neglect petitions in family court. We also advocate for systems-wide policy changes, commenting frequently on changes to regulations and working with local elected leaders on legislation that will impact the poor and vulnerable older adults in our area. We believe that independence and dignity are the hallmarks of justice.
Job Description:
Reporting to the Supervising Attorney, the Attorney will be responsible for assisting their department to ensure that the firm represents clients in a holistic manner to achieve clients’ goals through aggressive advocacy. Such advocacy will include impact litigation, with the goal of bringing change to communities, in addition to individual client representation. The Attorney will work closely with the paralegals and support staff to assist older adults in managing their financial affairs and aid in planning and maintaining long-term financial security.
Essential Functions:
· Determine acceptance of new cases, course of action, and further legal proceedings if appropriate
· Carry a caseload with paralegal supervision
· Work on policy and procedure development for a new Elder Money Management Project with LifeSpan of Rochester
· Provide representation in court & hearings (local, State, and Federal agencies)
· Identify and evaluate potential cases that can have a significant impact on social justice issues.
· Bringing affirmative litigation, including class action lawsuits, to achieve positive outcomes for large populations within our community, in addition to individual client representation.
· Advocate at the local, state, and national level to bring system-level change to our client base.
· Collaborate with community partners, clients and stakeholders to build effective litigation strategies.
· Engage in community trainings, outreach and educational initiatives to raise awareness about key issues affecting the populations we serve.
· Handle consumer and other legal issues that arise from clients of the Elder Money Management Project, such as consumer complaints, scams, debt collection litigation, medical debt disputes, planning documents and others.
· Be available to meet directly with clients to help with money management and bill paying if other staff are unavailable.
· Represents clients in full range of consumer rights matter by helping low-income individuals fight fraud, predatory lending, and illegal debt collection practices.
· Represent the civil practice and legal aid in the community
· Promote the work of the office and civil practice
· Know or learn eligibility requirements and application processes of benefits and programs applicable to clients, including but not limited to SSI and Medicaid, VA, Medicare.
· Advocate for clients who face possibly devastating income loss due to civil court judgments; unlawful medical debt; defaulted student loans from predatory for- profit schools; sub-prime loan conditions; and lending scams targeting poor and immigrant communities.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Significant travel will be required (5 different counties in WNY)
- In-home client visits, as needed
Education & Experience:
- Juris Doctor (JD) Degree
- Admitted to practice law in the State of NY
- Ideal Candidate will have at least 2-5 years of experience
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Analytical abilities and problem-solving skills
- Litigation experience
- Alternative dispute resolution experience
- Comfortable working in a fast paced and collaborative environment.
- Ability to work efficiently and accurately while exhibiting patience and diplomacy
CELJ offers a competitive benefits and compensation package, including:
- Generous vacation and sick time
- Employer covered health, dental & vision
- Fourteen holidays a year, plus two half-day holidays
- Summer hours between Memorial Day and Labor Day
- Payment of license fees and association dues
- Encouragement of professional development
- Eligible for Federal Loan Forgiveness
Salary range of 65k – 90k, based on experience and alignment with steps in union scale.
To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to HR Manager, Chandler Jones, Cjones@elderjusticeny.org
CELJ is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Employer recruits without regard to sex, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and any such candidates are strongly encouraged to apply |
