SENIOR ATTORNEY - HOUSING UNIT

Greater Boston Legal Services is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity / Accessible Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) seeks an experienced attorney to join its Housing Unit as a Senior Attorney, focusing on eviction defense and litigation. This role is ideal for candidates with at least seven (7) years of litigation experience who are committed to housing justice.

About the Housing Unit: The Housing Unit consists of 30-40 advocates with varying levels of experience and expertise. The team works to preserve tenancies, increase access to affordable, stable, and healthy housing, and represent individuals facing eviction, termination of housing benefits, and other housing-related legal issues. The unit also collaborates with community organizations to expand affordable housing resources and minimize housing loss.

Responsibilities: The Senior Attorney will supervise and mentor staff attorneys and paralegals, with an emphasis on building trial skills and case management—including conducting interviews, factual investigations, legal research, drafting legal arguments, negotiating with opposing counsel, and handling evidentiary hearings and trials. The senior attorney will also use individual cases to advance systemic changes and will help in creating training and educational materials for the use of Housing Unit’s advocates.

The position may also include some of the full range of activities of the Housing Unit, including collaboration with community groups to advocate for policy changes that support affordable housing; support for tenants who live in public and subsidized housing, helping tenant organizations preserve affordable housing, shelter advocacy, legislative and administrative advocacy projects, impact litigation, and any other work of the Housing Unit. Should funding for this position change, the attorney may be required to assume work in a different area of law within GBLS.

Qualifications: Licensed to practice law in Massachusetts; at least seven (7) years of experience in legal services or similar advocacy settings; commitment to legal services work, community lawyering, and capacity-building within diverse client communities; experience handling systemic cases or projects, including legislative or administrative advocacy; strong leadership, team management, and mentoring skills; prior supervisory and housing law experience preferred; fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, or other languages spoken by GBLS clients preferred; Candidates with lived experience of displacement or gentrification are strongly encouraged to apply.

Compensation and Benefits: Salary based on experience, starting at $89,000 annually for a senior attorney with seven years of legal practice; comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, generous paid time off, and a 403(b) retirement plan.

Application: Applicants should submit the following in PDF format: (1) Resume, (2) Letter of interest, (3) Brief writing sample. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications should be sent via email to jobs@gbls.org with the subject line: Job Code: HU-SR-ATTY. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after March 11, 2025.

GBLS values diversity and encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.