The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) seeks an experienced and multi-skilled attorney committed to expanding access to justice to join us as Director of CBJC’s Homeowner Stability Project (HSP). This position reports principally to CBJC’s Executive Director, and to the Director of Legal Services on an ad hoc basis.

HSP is a growing and innovative, tight-knit public interest law practice that assists New Yorkers of low to moderate means in foreclosure defense, deed theft and other scam litigation, heirship and title correction, and general housing stability matters, with a goal of keeping individuals and families in place and neighborhoods and communities intact while addressing the inequities of discriminatory historic and current lending and property law practices.

CBJC provides high-quality, free civil legal services benefiting over 25,000 New Yorkers each year who lack the resources to hire private counsel. With a staff of about 40, CBJC also relies on expansive partnerships with law firms, corporate legal departments, the courts, the City Bar, and other stakeholders. In FY22-23, more than 1,800 pro bono attorneys donated services to support legal services clinics and client matter work drawn from CBJC’s dozen civil legal services projects.

PRINCIPAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

• Provide overall strategic direction to this project assisting homeowners throughout NYC who face housing instability, with a particular focus on homeowners who identify as Black, of color, seniors, or LGBTQ+, and others struggling with poverty and other systemic socioeconomic barriers.
• Manage HSP’s docket – which ranges from brief legal advice to full representation in both litigation and transactional matters – by setting goals for and supervising case screening and intake and deciding which matters to represent directly or refer out to pro bono partners or other providers.
• Mentor and supervise a 2.75 FTE-equivalent legal team, pro bono volunteers, and occasional interns.
• Supervise and ensure the quality of HSP’s data tracking and reporting, and collaborate with CBJC management on grant writing, reporting, and administration.
• Exercise strategic vision to manage HSP’s policy advocacy and outreach, including close collaboration with the City Bar, other legal services and community organizations, elected officials and the courts, as well as growing partnerships with law enforcement to address deed theft, scams and related issues.
• Serve as a collaborative member of CBJC’s larger legal services team, including by contributing to CBJC-wide strategic initiatives and supporting CBJC policy innovation and compliance practices.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be admitted to practice law in New York with a minimum of five years’ relevant practice experience, preferably a mix of foreclosure prevention/defense, real estate transaction, negotiation, and litigation experience, and/or experience in public interest law with a focus on housing/homeowner legal issues.
• We encourage applications from candidates who have experience with limited-means homeowner legal issues that intersect areas such as public benefits, housing/homeowner aid, consumer bankruptcy, or Surrogate’s Court; and/or those experienced in delivering high-volume client/clinical services.
• Detail-oriented self-starter with superb legal judgment and a capacity to multi-task who is creative, thoughtful, and tech savvy; has experience building a program and/or leading teams; can support CBJC’s and the City Bar’s institutional commitments to policy advocacy and community education; and can demonstrate a commitment to building and nurturing pro bono partnerships with the private bar, serving those who struggle with a lack of resources, and advancing racial equity and DEIB values.
• Excellent writing, oral communication, organizational, and people and counseling skills; ability to work both independently and with others, and to effectively and collegially collaborate with and/or mentor and supervise other attorneys, legal assistants and interns, and pro bono volunteers.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office 365 and ability to effectively use case management and other platforms.
• Spanish language skills are a plus.

The City Bar Justice Center has a hybrid work environment, and candidates for this position will be expected to work out of our main offices located in the City Bar building in midtown Manhattan roughly 50% of the time and remotely for the balance of time, and also will be expected to travel locally in the course of representing clients. Opportunity to occasionally travel statewide and nationally for conferences and advocacy and policy opportunities.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. We are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

Salary for this position is in the $100,000-$125,000 range (annualized) depending on depth and diversity of skills and years of professional and practice experience. The New York City Bar Association provides a competitive benefits package, including generous paid time off, choice of medical plans, dental, vision, 401K, life insurance, commuter benefits, Employee Assistance Program, short-term/long-term disability insurance, complimentary New York City Bar Association membership, many free City Bar CLEs and employee discounts, among others.

To apply: Please submit (1) a cover letter explaining your interest, (2) a resume, and (3) three professional business references to: https://newyorkcitybarassociation.applytojob.com/apply/lelbCUqQ9J/Project-Director-HomeownerStability-Project-NonProfit

Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The City Bar Justice Center is a proud equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, and we particularly encourage applications from candidates belonging to communities historically under-represented in the legal profession. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, maritalstatus, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law. With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, the organization will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons due to their religious beliefs, disability, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition or because the individual was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.