Foreclosure Prevention Project Staff Attorney

Ready to Make a Difference?

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking a Foreclosure Prevention Attorney. The attorney will provide legal assistance to homeowners threatened with foreclosure in Cliton, Essex, Franklin, and Hamilton Counties served from the Plattsburgh office. Our service area spans sixteen counties, in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position is based out of our Plattsburgh Office. For more information about our work, our staff, and our clients, visit www.lasnny.org

We are a unionized program with excellent benefits, offering generous time off, excellent health insurance coverage with premiums primarily paid by LASNNY, health and long-term disability insurance, retirement contributions, tuition reimbursement, qualifying moving expenses, and flexible hybrid-remote and alternative work schedules.

We seek an attorney who will be dedicated to our mission and will seek justice and fairness for individuals in our community. We are skilled, creative, and compassionate advocates combining a passion to serve with the skills and will to address both individual and systemic injustice.

Minimum Requirements

• Must be licensed to practice law in NYS or be eligible for admission. Law Graduates will be considered if they have taken the bar exam.
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest law and providing high-quality legal services to clients in civil matters.
• Must be able to communicate effectively and work independently and efficiently.
• Sensitive to the needs of the low and moderate-income households in crisis.
• Good computer and administrative skills including accurate and quick data entry.
• Ability to handle high volume caseload, work off-site, and collaboratively with community partner agency staff.
• Must have a car and a valid New York driver's license.
• Prior experience in foreclosure representation, real estate, or housing law-related experience is preferred.
• The ability to speak Spanish is a plus.

Staff Attorney Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Responsible for providing advice, brief service, negotiation, and full representation in foreclosure proceedings, settlement conferences, and other foreclosure-related cases to homeowners at risk of mortgage or tax foreclosure.

• Engage in non-litigation advocacy with mortgage servicers, tax districts, and other local and state agencies.
• Provide counsel and, when necessary, assistance to homeowners in accessing/applying for available funds to prevent foreclosure.
• Responsible for related detailed grant reporting and must work closely with other staff at LASNNY, project partners, and housing counseling agencies.
• Expected to conduct outreach to prospective clients and routinely be out of the office at court, community partner agencies, or other off-site locations, attend meetings of the HomeSave Coalition and other local community meetings and participate in clinics, community legal education, or other outreach events.
• Provide free legal assistance to eligible households in a variety of legal matters to meet their clients' essential needs, such as housing and subsistence income, including housing-related bankruptcy, housing post-foreclosure, or other homeownership-related issues.
• Expected to represent clients in multiple forums, in varied areas of law, and types of actions and proceedings.
• Provide advice, brief service, and full representation to eligible clients, Responsibilities will include data collection, grant reporting, case file, and case management system maintenance.

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional law office environment and occasionally may require the carrying of regular office supplies. This role requires using standard office equipment and software and remote videoconferencing platforms. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

At LASNNY we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual's race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state or local laws. In furtherance of our culture, we strongly encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQI+ persons, protected veterans, applicants and recipients of public assistance, older adults, and people with disabilities.

If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at LASNNY. We will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.