Staff Attorney - Housing Justice

Position Summary

The Staff Attorney, Housing Justice provides comprehensive legal services, direct representation, community engagement, and systemic advocacy to prevent displacement and preserve housing stability. This includes both tenant rights (evictions, unsafe housing, subsidy issues) and homeownership preservation (foreclosure, tangled title, and estate-related housing issues).

Role-Based Duties and Responsibilities

• Client-related

  • Handle all aspects of client representation, including, but not limited to:
  • Screening and interviewing walk-in and/or emergency clients
  • Conducting client interviews by telephone or in person to give legal opinion or recommend a case is accepted for further services
  • Filing necessary court documents timely
  • Analyzing facts to prepare appropriate case strategies
  • Preparing for all court appearances
  • Assessing holistic legal needs of clients and make referrals internally and externally
  • Providing technical assistance to staff and volunteer attorneys
  • Retriving, transcribing, and performing prescreen data entry in the case management system as needed
  • Preparing and mailing retainers and letters
  • Drafting court documents
  • Communicating with clients or third parties via telephone, email, text message or other by other means
  • Preparing case files for hearing/trial
  • Maintaining case files and case management database
  • Conducting home visits to frail or homebound clients
  • Handling other case or client related tasks as necessary
  • Utilize Language line or other interpretation services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) older adults.
  • Providing information and referrals to older tenants, linking them to other resources and supportive services, including emergency financial assistance, support groups, health services, and other resources.

• Community Outreach and Education

  • Represent SeniorLAW Center at professional committees/coalitions related to housing to advocate for better services and access to justice for older tenants and homeowners
  • Develop and present legal education workshops
  • Aid in the development of educational materials and resources for older tenants, homeowners and “best practices” resources for professionals.
  • Aid in planning, organizing, and attending community outreach and tabling events
  • Assist with community clinics focused on housing related issues
  • Assist with housing focused client council

• Additional Responsibilities

  • Participate in scheduled project-related meetings
  • Participate in staff and Legal team meetings
  • Provide support to other colleagues agency wide as needed
  • Assist with on-boarding staff as needed
  • Become knowledgeable of and follow all SeniorLAW Center’s personnel and legal policies and procedures
  • Demonstrate and model commitment to SeniorLAW Center’s mission and values
  • Participate in SeniorLAW Center’s culture of philanthropy and events to support the organization
  • Assist with quality control and case management data collection and reporting, as necessary.

• Project-Based Duties and Responsibilities

  • Client-related
  • Provide civil legal assistance to older tenants and homeowners including, but not limited to:
  • Represent tenants in eviction, ejectment, and illegal lockout matters
  • Filing preliminary injunctions or other pleadings challenging illegal lockouts
  • Representation in administrative hearings for public or subsidized housing tenants
  • Representation in complaints before the Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission
  • Filing of and representing older tenants in other civil legal matters as assigned by Project Director
  • Homeownership Preservation
  • Represent homeowners in mortgage foreclosure diversion and litigation
  • Resolve tangled title issues through probate, estate administration, and deed preparation
  • Draft wills and planning documents to stabilize housing ownership
  • Provide advice and brief services on home-ownership-related legal issues
  • Provide advocacy and referrals to SeniorLAW Center clients with the primary focus on older tenants and homeowners
  • Assist with housing focused community clinics
  • Assist with housing focused client council
  • Systemic Advocacy
  • Identify systemic problems affecting older tenants and homeowners and work with our local, statewide, and national partners to develop creative solutions.

  • Other Duties

    Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

  Required Education and Experience

  • Juris Doctor
  • Active member of the Pennsylvania Bar in good standing
  • Courtroom experience

  Preferred Education and Experience

  • Experience in housing law (tenant or homeownership)
  • Experience with foreclosure, title, estate, or subsidy-related matters
  • Experience working with older adults or vulnerable populations
  • Second language proficiency

  Core Competencies

  • Strong litigation, advocacy, and negotiation skills
  • Excellent writing, communication, and organizational abilities
  • Cultural competence and client-centered approach
  • Self-starter with flexibility and sound judgment
  • Ability to manage a diverse, high-volume caseload

  Work Conditions

  This job operates in a professional office environment

  This role routinely uses standard office equipment

  Physical Demands

  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without accommodation.

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
  • The employee is occasionally required to sit;
  • Climb or balance;
  • stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl;
  • talk or hear.

  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move objects up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.