Staff Attorney - Housing Unit (Shelter)

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) 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 has an opening for a staff attorney with 3 years of experience preferred to work in the Housing Unit, focusing on enforcing and expanding the rights of homeless families to shelter.  

Homelessness threatens the wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable families in our community, many of whom include parents or children with disabilities. This position will involve representing clients in individual cases regarding accessing shelter benefits, termination of shelter benefits, and with seeking accommodation of disability-related needs or other rights.  Familiarity with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and its application is helpful.  The attorney, working as part of the GBLS Shelter team, will use individual cases to promote systemic change. While shelter work will be the primary focus, the attorney also may represent tenants in eviction cases where the family would not be eligible for shelter if evicted, homeless families seeking permanent affordable housing, and families denied or facing loss of housing subsidies. 

The position involves responsibility for client cases including interviews, factual investigation, research and analysis of law, development of written and oral legal arguments, negotiation with agency officials and staff, preparation for and handling of administrative, and court hearings. The position may also include legislative advocacy, policy advocacy, and supervising law students and volunteer interns.    

Qualifications:  

Qualifications include 3 years of experience preferred. Experience in representing homeless families, housing law and/or negotiation experience preferred.  Written and oral fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole or another language spoken by GBLS’s clients is helpful, but not required.  Admission to the Massachusetts Bar is required. 

Salary is based on a union scale, with a starting annual salary of $60,000 depending on experience. Potential salary increase in the future will be determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. GBLS offers a generous benefits package and paid time off policy. A hybrid work schedule is possible.  

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