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Job Openings at MFY
Fellowship Opportunities | Staff AttorneysMFY Legal Services, Inc., a civil legal services provider with a 46-year tradition of providing community-based legal services in New York City, is seeking to sponsor applicants for post-graduate fellowships such as Equal Justice Works and Skadden in our Consumer Rights Project and our Kinship Caregiver Law Project. In addition to providing advice, counsel and full representation to individuals and groups, MFY conducts regular community-based legal trainings, engages in policy and legislative advocacy and initiates law reform litigation. Please visit www.mfy.org for detailed information on each of our practice areas.
LEGAL SERVICES FOR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS
MFYıs Kinship Caregiver Law Project provides representation to grandparents and other family members who are taking care of related
children, generally outside of the formal foster care system. Approximately 300,000 children in New York City are being cared by relatives,
primarily grandparents.
The goal of the project is to help stabilize families, promote childrenıs security and prevent children from entering the foster care system. In addition to providing direct representation and advice to kinship caregivers, the project recruits, trains and mentors attorneys from large New York City law firms to provide legal representation to kinship caregivers with custody, guardianship and private placement adoption matters.
The fellow will provide direct services to kinship caregivers and will provide a leadership role in improving the services available to kinship caregrives and awareness of their needs and concerns by utilizing a three pronged approach in conjunction with other members of the project: (1) expanding pro bono network, including to areas in New York State beyond New York City,: (2) promoting policy reform on both the city and state levels and: (3) provide legal advocacy to kinship caregivers in the areas of private placement adoptions, guardianship, custody matters and emerging legal needs.
LEGAL SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS
MFYıs Consumer Rights Project was formed to meet the growing needs of low-income, elderly, disabled and immigrant New York
consumers by providing advice, counsel, education and representation on a range of consumer issues, including credit card and other
types of debt, identity theft, credit reporting, student loans and unfair and deceptive practices. The Consumer Rights Project is an
established and essential resource for low-income New Yorkers, and a leader among the handful of New York City legal services
advocates who have pioneered efforts to reform this area of the law.
The fellowship applicant will work collaboratively with the Consumer Rights Project to develop a proposal addressing one or more of the
following areas:
1. improving access to justice for pro se litigants in the New York City Civil Courts in consumer credit lawsuits;
2. implementation and enforcement of new and current consumer protection legislation at the city and state level;
3. legislative advocacy on the city and state level;
4. development of impact litigation to address large-scale unfair and deceptive practices by the debt buying industry on New York consumers; and
5. community outreach and education regarding consumersı rights and access to financial justice.
Interested applicants should send a cover
Staff Attorney Positions
MFY Legal Services Inc., a 30-attorney public interest law practice, periodically has openings for staff attorneys. We are a diverse, unionized, and innovative workforce. We represent poor and working poor clients and our assistance is not limited or restricted by the requirements of federal LSC funding. MFYıs work balances direct services to individuals and groups with law reform. Attorneys develop excellent litigation skills in a supportive and pleasant work environment with opportunities to help low income, disabled, immigrant and working poor clients achieve social and economic justice.
MFY represents clients in the following areas: housing, public benefits, consumer law, family law, disability and workers rights. Case dockets include both defensive work and affirmative cases in the New York City Civil Court and Housing Court, New York State Supreme Court, federal court and at state and federal administrative agencies. Community outreach and education are an integral part of staff attorneysı work. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: client intake, case planning, research and writing, all phases of litigation including motions, trials and appeals, and administrative tasks. Spanish and Chinese language skills are a plus.
Salaries are is pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement depending on year of graduation, with excellent fringe benefits.
Requirements:
1. Interest in issues affecting low-income and disabled community.
2. Admission to NYS Bar.
3. 1-2 years civil litigation experience.
4. Well organized and capable of managing a substantial litigation docket
Applicants meeting the specific requirements should email cover letter and resume to eperez@mfy.org. The letter should be addressed to:
Jeanette Zelhof, Interim Executive Director
MFY Legal Services, Inc.
299 Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10007
MFY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER