Senior Legal Services Staff Attorney - Albany

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking a Staff Attorney for our Capital Region Senior Legal Services Program and the City of Albany Simple Wills Project. The Attorney will primarily be responsible for advice, assistance, and community legal education on wills and advance directives, elder abuse prevention, and other issues of concern to older adults in the Capital District. Our service area spans sixteen counties, in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position is based out of our Albany Office. Albany, NY is the state capital, and a lively family friendly city with a reasonable cost of living, excellent quality of life, and easy access to major metropolitan areas as well as year-round outdoor opportunities. For more information about our work, our staff, and our clients, visit www.lasnny.org.

Senior Legal Services Program: The attorney will provide legal advice, assistance, outreach, and community legal education to older adults residing in the capital region of New York State. Priority issues include income/benefits, health care, long term care, nutrition, housing, utilities, protective services, advance directives /defense of guardianship, abuse, neglect, and age discrimination.

City of Albany Simple Wills Project: The attorney will assist low-income homeowners over the age of 60 with wills and estate matters and complete outreach and community legal education on wills, advance directives, and estate matters.

Our mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society which is inclusive and equitable for all. We transform lives, build community and empower people by using the law to address individual and systemic wrongs and inequities.

We seek an attorney who will be dedicated to our mission and will seek justice and fairness for seniors 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.
• Demonstrated commitment to providing high-quality legal services to clients in a variety of civil matters.
• Must be willing to make a two-year commitment to the Legal Aid Society.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with clients and staff, and work independently and efficiently.
• Strong computer skills including accurate and quick data entry.
• Must have a car and a valid driver's license.

Preferred Experience

• Prior relevant legal experience with preparation of wills and advance planning documents as well as with elder abuse prevention and community legal education presentations.
• Multi-lingual, Spanish preferred.

Staff Attorney Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsibilities include legal advice and brief services to clients with opportunities for representation in court and administrative proceedings;
• Outreach, community legal education, and in-service training to human service providers on legal issues;
• Case reporting and outcome reporting to grant funders.
• Possesses curiosity about the law and is interested in or possesses substantive law knowledge of many areas of law.
• Competent in and enjoys researching new legal issues.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with clients and staff and work independently and efficiently.
• Ability to handle and advise on a wide variety and high volume of civil legal matters.
• Demonstrated understanding of the needs of the aging population, and excellent listening, communication and organization skills.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional law office environment and occasionally may require the carrying of items of up to 20 pounds. This role requires the use of standard office equipment and software and remote videoconferencing platforms. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

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.

At LASNNY we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we 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 basis protected by federal, state or local laws. 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 and we will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.