Deputy Director, Housing Unit
Brooklyn Legal Services seeks a Deputy Director for its Housing Law Unit. The Housing Law Unit preserves affordable housing for Brooklyn’s low-income communities through representation of low-income tenants in eviction proceedings, collaboration with community based organizations, and affirmative litigation to challenge abusive and discriminatory behaviors that displace low-income families and eliminate affordable housing. Housing Unit attorneys use creative strategies and collaborations with community organizations and tenant groups to fight displacement and to pursue justice for Brooklyn tenants and communities. Recent affirmative cases and community projects include a Fair Housing case against a landlord with a record of harassing Black tenants, a SEQRA challenge to an out of scale development that will accelerate the gentrification of Flatbush, and a coordinated litigation campaign to protect rent regulated tenants in buildings in foreclosure.
Brooklyn Legal Services, part of Legal Services NYC, provides high-quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Brooklyn’s diverse low-income population. BLS focuses on the problems that have the greatest impact on our clients — preserving affordable and decent housing, maintaining income support, redressing abusive lending and consumer practices, promoting family stability and mitigating the effects of domestic violence, and advocating for the disabled.
The Deputy Director will work closely with the Housing Unit Director and Deputy Director to provide supervision to 20 attorneys and paralegals, strengthen relationships with community partners, address systemic housing issues that perpetuate poverty, and handle administrative and grant responsibilities. The Deputy will be responsible for helping to develop and implement a strategic vision for the Unit’s work and supervising attorneys on a range of litigation including individual and group representation in Housing Court, administrative proceedings, and affirmative litigation in State and Federal Court. Other duties include intake review, community education and outreach, strengthening partnerships with community groups and elected officials, and policy advocacy. In addition to the qualifications below, the ideal candidate will be a highly motivated individual with a demonstrated ability to jump-start litigation or community-based campaigns and to collaborate with other staff to see such initiatives through to fruition. The Deputy will be located at our office in Bedford-Stuyvesant and will be expected to work collaboratively with and provide leadership for LSNYC’s city-wide housing practice.
Experience and Qualifications
We seek an attorney admitted to the New York State Bar with:
A demonstrated passion for social justice and a commitment to working with low-income communities and communities of color to advance equity;
Excellent analytical, written, and communication skills;
Strong interpersonal and organizational skills and the ability to provide supportive and consistent supervision to attorneys, paralegals, and support staff in a fast paced and high-volume practice;
Minimum of 5 years of litigation experience;
Fluency or strong proficiency in Spanish, Russian, Haitian-Creole, Mandarin, or Cantonese (preferred);
Background in organizing or strong ties to Brooklyn’s low-income communities (preferred); and
Demonstrated expertise in housing law and policy, or experience with complex litigation.
Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and two writing samples to bkhiring@sbls.org. Please write “Housing Deputy Director” in the subject line of the email.
Please, no telephone calls.
BLS offers a generous benefits package. Salary is commensurate with experience. Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.