Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS) seeks individuals with a demonstrated commitment to making a difference in the lives of indigent people and their communities for an attorney position in its New Philadelphia office which serves Tuscarawas, Guernsey, Coshocton and Holmes counties. Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS) which serves low income and senior citizens in 30 counties in southeastern and central Ohio, is one part of Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA) which fights poverty and its impact through its field programs, SEOLS and The Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and its statewide advocacy program, the Ohio Poverty Law Center. The attorney would focus a majority of his/her time holistically helping and advocating for victims of domestic violence with their remaining time time focused on general poverty law representation and advocacy.
OSLSA attorneys are encouraged and supported in being creative, effective advocates federal, state, and local judicial, administrative, and legislative advocacy and forums. Additional information about OSLSA is available at: :www.seols.org; www. columbuslegalaid.org; and www.ohiopovertylawcenter.org.
In addition to aggressive direct client representation in areas of family, housing, consumer, benefits, health, utility law and individual rights, OSLSA and its staff have:
1. Established the right to counsel for indigents in Ohio’s juvenile Custody proceedings
and are pursuing the right for parents defending against involuntary adoptions.
2. Established due process rights for indigents in their dealing with utilities, rights of tenants not to be evicted extrajudicially by landlords shutting off their utilities, women not to be denied service due to ex-spouse’s unpaid bills, tenants’ rights to service in their own name, etc.
3. Organized law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, medical providers and shelters into domestic violence councils and successfully pursued federal litigation to ensure effective enforcement of Ohio's domestic violence laws.
4. Gone to federal court to get Ohio Department of Medicaid to comply with federal law and due process resulting in 180,000 low income Ohioans having their medical coverage reinstate.
5. Played a leading role in successful efforts to pass Ohio's Domestic Violence Act and to restrict payday lenders' abuses in Ohio.
Demonstrated interest in the area of poverty law and working with poor people. Applicants must be admitted to the Ohio Bar or awaiting results from the latest bar exam. practice of law in Ohio,
If interested, submit resume, cover letter, writing sample and references to James Daniels, Director, SEOLS, [email protected]
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