Staff Attorney - Kinship

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Posted: March 2026

To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to Chandler Jones, HR Manager: cjones@elderjusticeny.org

Location: Buffalo, NY or Lockport, NY office

Department:Kinship Unit

Salary Range: Salary starts at $72,294 based on experience and alignment with steps in union scale.

Center for Elder Law & Justice is looking to fill a full-time Attorney position to work within our Kinship Unit.

About CELJ:

Center for Elder Law & Justice (CELJ) is a civil legal services organization fighting for justice, primarily for low-income older adults, in 10 counties in Western New York. Our attorneys stop illegal evictions, save clients homes from foreclosure, put a stop to elder domestic violence, fight for public benefits, work with our local immigrant & refugee populations, and represent grandparents and other kinship care relatives in custody and neglect petitions in family court. We also advocate for systems-wide policy changes, commenting frequently on changes to regulations and working with local elected leaders on legislation that will impact the poor and vulnerable older adults in our area. We believe that independence and dignity are the hallmarks of justice.

Job Description:

Reporting to the Supervising Attorney, the Attorney will be responsible for assisting their department to ensure that the firm represents clients in a holistic manner to achieve clients’ goals through aggressive advocacy.

Essential Functions:

  • Manage a caseload of custody and adoption cases in Erie & Niagara Counties

  • Daily court appearances including trials, pretrial conferences, reviews, permanency hearings, and adoptions

  • Draft court documents such as petitions, orders, stipulated agreements, motions, affidavits and subpoenas

  • Provide training, community outreach, and education to individuals and local community-based organizations, and other advocates

  • Represent the civil practice and legal aid in the community

  • Promote the work of the office and civil practice

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Travel between Buffalo and Lockport locations

  • In-home client visits, as needed

Education & Experience:

  • Juris Doctor (JD) Degree

  • Admitted to practice law in the State of NY

  • Will entertain 3rd year law school candidates

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

  • Strong written and oral communication skills

  • Analytical abilities and problem-solving skills

  • Comfortable working in a fast paced and collaborative environment.

  •  Ability to work efficiently and accurately while exhibiting patience and diplomacy

CELJ offers a competitive benefits and compensation package, including:

  • Extremely generous PTO

  • 90% employer covered health, dental & vision

  • Fourteen holidays a year, plus two half-day holidays. Including a week off between Christmas Day to New Years Day

  • Summer hours between Memorial Day and Labor Day

  • Payment of license fees and association dues

  • Encouragement of professional development

  • Eligible for Federal Loan Forgiveness