Staff Attorney - Warren J. Sinsheimer Children’s Rights Program (Special Education

Mobilization for Justice, Inc. (MFJ), a non-profit legal services organization that provides a wide range of free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers, is seeking a staff attorney in its Special Education project. The attorney will provide counsel and legal representation to low-income parents of students with disabilities seeking appropriate special education services and programming from the New York City Public Schools and will engage in a wide range of advocacy and lawyering including, but not limited to, client intake, Individualized Education Program meetings, case preparation, and litigation of impartial hearings. This position will be in our Manhattan office.

MFJ’s mission is to achieve justice for all. MFJ prioritizes the needs of people who are low-income, disenfranchised, or have disabilities as they struggle to overcome the effects of social injustice and systemic racism. We provide the highest quality free, direct civil legal assistance, conduct community education, build partnerships, engage in policy advocacy, and bring impact litigation. MFJ also promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace, and understands the need to eliminate all racial disparities to achieve justice for all. We assist more than 14,000 New Yorkers each year, benefitting over 24,000. MFJ has a staff of more than 165 attorneys, paralegals, social workers, and support staff. It is a diverse, unionized and collegial workplace where staff share the organization’s mission to achieve social justice.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Conduct client intakes;
• Provide intake callers and clients with advice, brief service, and/or direct representation;
• Input and maintain records in a case management system.
• Research, write, and litigate all phases of cases including pleadings, disclosures, briefs, and impartial hearings, as well as negotiating settlements;
• Participate in Individualized Education Program and other school meetings;
• Represent clients in disciplinary hearings and at Manifestation Determination Reviews, as necessary and appropriate;
• Maintain and build MFJ’s medical legal partnerships with New York City hospitals;
• Coordinate with other MFJ staff and projects to help address clients’ other legal needs;
• Conduct community outreach and trainings;
• Foster and build community and other partnerships;
• Work in coalition with special education advocacy groups and community-based organizations in New York City, e.

Requirements:

• Admission to the New York State bar.
• Demonstrated interest in working directly with or on behalf of individuals with disabilities and/or special education law.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage a diverse caseload and diverse range of advocacy while balancing competing deadlines and priorities.
• Ability to work collaboratively yet independently.
• Willingness to conduct presentations and trainings with community and advocacy partners.

Preferred:

• Three years’ or more experience in disability and/or special education law.
• Experience working with diverse and multi-cultural populations.
• Fluency in Spanish, a Chinese dialect, or another language considered a top home language in New York City.
• Willingness to participate in and create opportunities for inter-organizational policy initiatives and advocacy.

Salary is pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement with excellent fringe benefits. The salary range for this position is $88,196.21 - $100,984.11.

How to Apply:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and a list of three references by email to recruitment@mfjlegal.org, copying Todd Silverblatt, Supervising Attorney at tsilverblatt@mfjlegal.org, with the subject line “WSCRP STAFF ATTORNEY APPLICATION.” No telephone inquiries please.

Additionally:

• Applicants’ transmitting email and cover letter may be addressed to Todd Silverblatt, Supervising Attorney.
• Body text of transmitting email should indicate how applicant learned of the position.
• Body text of transmitting email should clearly identify for each reference: contact information, relationship, preferred method of contact, and any limitations on availability.
• Applicants are encouraged to highlight in their cover letter any professional or personal experience demonstrating a commitment to special education and/or disability rights, working with low-income populations, and/or serving New York City communities.
• Applicants are encouraged to include in their cover letter a statement about how their background and/or experience would contribute to the diversity and perspective of MFJ.
• Resumes should clearly identify any language skills and corresponding levels of proficiency.
• Please limit writing samples to a maximum of 10 pages. If the writing sample is an excerpt, please indicate that clearly on the first page of the sample. Please do not submit co-written writing samples.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Applicants selected for consideration will be scheduled for an interview. At this time, interviews will likely be conducted via video- or tele-conference.

MFJ 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, marital status, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. BIPOC, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ applicants are encouraged to apply.