Housing Rights Staff Attorney

The Housing Rights team at TakeRoot Justice is seeking a staff attorney to join us!

About TakeRoot Justice’s Housing Rights Team

We are a team of attorneys and advocates working with community organizers, tenant associations, and coalitions across New York City to help tenants fight harassment, obtain repairs, and resist the pressures of gentrification and displacement.

We are a diverse team committed to our mission of dismantling racial, economic, and social oppression. TakeRoot Justice encourages applications from people with diverse backgrounds including women, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, people from low-income backgrounds, and people with personal experience with the criminal justice system. We strongly encourage applications from people with lived experiences in the communities we serve.

About the Position

The staff attorney will be responsible for collaborating directly with community organizers and tenant associations to build power within the NYC housing movement. Our attorneys challenge landlords, lenders, and government agencies by providing legal representation, research, and training to tenant organizations and their members.

• Our legal strategies typically center affirmative litigation on behalf of tenant associations (e.g. rent strikes, 7A and HP proceedings, intervention in bankruptcy and foreclosure cases, and rent overcharge claims). We also defend tenants against eviction and attacks on their right to organize.
• Our non-litigation strategies include developing campaign strategies in collaboration with community organizers, training organizers and community leaders on tenants’ rights issues, drafting legislation and policy proposals, lobbying elected officials, participating in tenant meetings, and conducting legal clinics.

In order to meet our clients where they are, the job requires regular evening and some weekend meetings.

The ideal candidate will be:

• Committed to economic and racial justice and the housing justice movement in New York City.
• Passionate about working in partnership with community organizers and about developing creative lawyering strategies to support tenant organizing.
• Eager to work with a diverse client base on individual and group litigation.
• Personally connected to the work.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Professional or personal experience with New York City housing law and the housing justice movement.
• Must have a JD and be admitted (or pending admission) to the New York State Bar.
• Three or more years of litigation experience
• Experience with community organizing or working in support of organizing campaigns.
• Professional or personal experience working with diverse communities and across lines of difference.
• Professional competency in a second language commonly spoken by NYC tenants, including Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Arabic, or Bangla.

Not sure you meet 100% of our criteria? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to apply only if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Expected salary range: $78,290 to $91,350, depending on experience and qualifications.

TakeRoot Justice is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, religion/creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, victim of domestic violence status, or marital status.