Staff Attorney (Civil Services)

The Staff Attorney (Civil Services) supports the Legal Department at GMHC in providing comprehensive civil legal services to low-income people living with HIV within New York City. The legal department support spans a wide range of civil matters, including housing, benefits, discrimination, family law, and advance planning. Services are designed to help clients maintain access to care, assert their legal rights, and address barriers that impact health and family stability. A particular focus is placed on assisting families with decisions related to future care and custody planning for minor children.

The Staff Attorney is part of a fully integrated model of care that centers client autonomy, encourages cross-departmental collaboration, and affirms the dignity and rights of individuals living with or affected by HIV.

Essential Job Functions

The Staff Attorney is responsible for the following:

Client Legal Services

• Conduct comprehensive legal needs assessments at intake and reassess clients regularly to identify evolving needs.
• Provide legal counsel and representation in civil legal matters including housing, public benefits, healthcare access, consumer finance, discrimination, domestic violence, HIV confidentiality, and individual rights.
• Prepare advance planning documents such as wills, health care proxies, and living wills.
• Deliver family law services, with a focus on future care and custody planning, guardianship (including standby guardianship), adoption, and foster care.
• Support transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming clients with documentation and legal issues impacting access to care and services.

Education, Outreach, and Technical Assistance

• Educate clients about their legal rights, available protections, and relevant services.
• Conduct outreach and provide technical assistance and training to community-based service providers, improving referral pathways for clients living with or affected by HIV.

Program Administration and Compliance

• Maintain accurate and timely records of client services, legal outcomes, and progress using internal databases and dashboards.
• Ensure all client documentation meets funder and audit requirements and support internal data quality and validation efforts.
• Assist with preparing monthly and ad hoc reports to meet program deliverables and track outcomes.
• Participate in funder site visits, audits, and program evaluations.

Team Collaboration

• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including case managers, housing staff, and support service providers to support coordinated client care and stability planning.

Requirements:

Special Skills and Knowledge

Required:

• At least two years of experience (or equivalent) in a minimum of three relevant legal practice areas, such as housing, public benefits, discrimination, family law, or advance planning.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with clients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
• Cultural competency to work respectfully and effectively with LGBTQI+ communities, low-income individuals, people of color, immigrants, and individuals living with disabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage a dynamic caseload.

Preferred:

• Fluency in a language other than English, especially Spanish or another language frequently spoken by clients.
• Prior experience in HIV-related legal services, public health law, or trauma-informed legal practice.
• Familiarity with service models that integrate legal, medical, and social services.

Education and Certification

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school. - Required
• Admission to practice law in New York State, or admission pending at time of hire.
• Admitted or eligible for admission to the U.S. District Court for the Southern and/or Eastern District of New York.
• Active registration with the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA).
• Ongoing compliance with New York State Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements and maintenance of good standing with the NYS Bar.

Technical Skills

The ideal candidate should have the following technical competencies to effectively manage case documentation, reporting, and legal service delivery:

Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including:

• Data tracking and analysis for case management and program reporting.
• Creating and managing spreadsheets to monitor client progress and deliverables.
• Using formulas, pivot tables, and data validation to ensure documentation accuracy.

Basic Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including:

• Outlook (email communication, scheduling, and coordination with service providers).
• Word (legal documentation, reporting, and official correspondence).
• PowerPoint (preparing presentations for outreach or training purposes).

Experience with electronic case management and data tracking systems, such as:

• CLIO, TREAT, AWARDS, AIRS, eCOMPAS, or similar platforms for documentation and reporting.
• Accurate data entry and tracking to ensure contract deliverables and service metrics are met.

Familiarity with public benefits law and related legal advocacy areas, including:

• Legal issues involving Medicaid, Social Security benefits, SNAP, and public housing programs.
• Ability to advise and represent clients in benefits-related disputes, denials, appeals, and overpayment matters.

Strong documentation and compliance skills, ensuring:

• Detailed and accurate legal records, case notes, and service plans in compliance with HIPAA and applicable funder standards.
• Ongoing confidentiality and adherence to legal and regulatory standards in all documentation and interactions.

Work Environment & Schedule

This is a hybrid position requiring a mix of:

• In-office responsibilities for client appointments, court appearances, team collaboration, and case conferencing.
• Remote legal work and documentation, based on supervisor discretion and program needs.
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings or adjusted hours to meet client needs or program deadlines.
• Participation in the annual AIDS Walk New York event is mandatory for all GMHC staff.

Physical Demands

While carrying out the responsibilities of this role:

• The position is primarily office-based and sedentary, involving extended periods of computer use, phone communication, and video conferencing.
• Must be able to navigate a standard office environment and attend in-person meetings or off-site events as needed.
• The role involves direct interaction with clients who may be medically or emotionally vulnerable, requiring a high degree of empathy, patience, and emotional resilience in order to provide compassionate and effective support.

GMHC supports a racial and gender-diverse environment which contributes to a positive and inclusive atmosphere. Working at GMHC requires a demonstrated awareness of and commitment to the concerns of the breadth of the communities that we serve.

GMHC is committed to fostering an inclusive, racially, and gender-diverse workplace and seeks candidates who are dedicated to promoting equity and social justice within our community.