THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEFENDER SERVICE is a community-based, client-centered, holistic public defense office in Detroit, Michigan and we are expanding our services We invite you to join our team as we expand our Housing Defense Practice, where our goal is to decrease housing insecurity and safeguard our clients’ right to secure and/or maintain stable housing while combating the destabilization and disintegration of Detroit’s diverse communities. Building on 30 years of experience of providing high quality legal representation, we are expanding our efforts to bring the same caliber of representation to the residents of the City of Detroit. We are seeking a highly organized, self-driven, and resilient individual dedicated to our mission.
NDS Detroit adheres to a client-centered approach to representation that emphasizes a heightened responsiveness to clients’ while a case is pending and after the case concludes. NDS Detroit is committed to addressing the comprehensive legal and social service needs of clients while treating each client with dignity and respect.
The ideal Housing Defense Attorney is an experienced attorney who demonstrates a commitment to serving marginalized persons and communities, preferably with experience in a public defender office or fast-paced legal services organization. The Housing Defense Attorney will help shape our present and future—contributing to a collaborative environment and culture of excellence in alignment with our values. At NDS Detroit, how we represent our clients is as important as individual case outcomes, and our ideal Housing Defense Attorney approaches the cultivation of a positive office culture and the representation of indigent clients with equal rigor and commitment.
The ideal candidate will bring:
SALARY RANGE BASED ON TRANSFERABLE EXPERIENCE
1-5 Years
$78,794.69– 85,511.20
6-10 Years
$89,615.27– 98,806.58
11 – 15 Years
$101,104.41– 105,859.64
16 Years +
$105,997.93(about $1k for each additional year)
The salary, benefits, and employment policies relevant to this position are governed by the CBA between NDS and the NDS Union, part of ALAA UAW 2325.
How to Apply:
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample with their application as one document, preferably PDF. For more information about NDS, please visit our website at http://www.ndsdetroit.org.
The Neighborhood Defender Service is committed to creating a diverse environment that reflects the community we serve. NDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. NDS encourages people with incarcerated loved ones, formerly incarcerated people, people of color, women, queer, transgender, gender non-confirming , and gender fluid people to apply.
USD $78,794.69/Yr.
USD $122,912.49/Yr.
Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) is known nationally and internationally for its innovative, community-based, holistic public defense practice. Our dedicated staff is committed to providing unparalleled legal representation.
Since we opened our doors in Harlem in 1990, we have pioneered the holistic model as a way to address problems plaguing public defense. In contrast to a traditional public defense practice, NDS clients have an entire team fighting on their behalf, including criminal and civil attorneys, family defense attorneys, advocates, social workers, investigators, paralegals, law school and social work interns, and pro bono attorneys. NDS deploys all of these resources on behalf of our clients, addressing the underlying issues that bring them into contact with the criminal legal system. NDS staff use their engagement with a client as an opportunity to disentangle them from the system completely.
This approach allows defense to extend well beyond the courtroom, with robust social services and comprehensive teams meant to protect our clients from the damages of criminal legal proceedings. When clients face consequences with employment, schooling, immigration or in family or housing court, NDS works alongside them to resolve these issues.
NDS fights for our clients both by working their cases and by advocating for policy changes that provide a measure of justice to their communities. NDS is an active member of these communities, establishing meaningful relationships with clients and their families. NDS hosts frequent education and outreach events to support its neighbors and participate in local events.
NDS has been a part of the Harlem community for nearly 30 years and opened a second office in Detroit in 2019, providing the same world-class service to the people of Wayne County.
