Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. (Legal Action) is seeking a full-time Managing Attorney to be responsible for the overall management of the Green Bay Area Office. The Managing Attorney is expected to carry a caseload and engage in impact advocacy. The position is available February 1, 2018.
LEGAL ACTION OF WISCONSIN, INC.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is a non-profit organization funded by the Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, and other sources. Legal Action provides civil legal services to low-income persons in the southern 39 counties of Wisconsin. To serve its eligible client population, Legal Action maintains full-time offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Oshkosh, Green Bay, and La Crosse. In addition, Legal Action operates a statewide farmworkers’ project. Legal Action attorneys have expertise in a range of substantive areas, but the majority of direct representation is in the areas of housing, income maintenance, family law, consumer, and barriers to employment. Staff attorneys are expected to maintain a direct service caseload on behalf of individual and group clients, as well as to engage in law reform litigation and other impact work. Attorneys are expected to specialize in specific areas of poverty law.
GREEN BAY AREA OFFICE
The Green Bay Area Office staff consists of 5 attorneys, 2 paralegals and 1 secretary. Our Green Bay office staff provides services to low-income residents of Brown, Calumet, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and Outagamie Counties.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Managing Attorney is responsible for the overall management of the basic field office, which includes the supervision of the attorneys, paralegals and secretarial staff assigned to the basic field office; development and management of service delivery systems; maintaining relationships with the community groups and legal organizations; and other activities to insure provision of quality legal services in the Green Bay Area Office. The Managing Attorney works closely with the firm=s Chief Financial Officer on office space and other facility issues. The Managing Attorney is expected to carry a caseload and engage in impact advocacy. The Managing Attorney=s supervisor is the firm=s Executive Director.
Legal Action attorneys are responsible for providing quality and aggressive representation of clients in service cases and in impact work, and for performing all duties associated with such representation. Attorneys must keep up with the law as it changes and develops, particularly in their area of specialization. Attorneys are expected to share responsibility for the development and maintenance of good working relationships with community groups, as well as with state and local bar associations.
Attorneys will be called upon to provide training and other assistance to members of Legal Action's Volunteer Lawyer Project. Each attorney is responsible for serving on at least one Priority Committee.
OTHER DUTIES
The Managing Attorney may be assigned other duties as needed.
Prior legal services or equivalent legal experience is required and prior supervisory or administrative experience is preferred. Experience and knowledge of the court systems in Legal Action’s service area is preferred. Admission to the Wisconsin Bar is required, either by diploma privilege or passage of the first available bar exam.
Legal Action has an affirmative action plan for the hiring of members of minority groups and women. Academic training and performance, writing ability, and the nature and extent of prior legal experience in elder law, public benefits law, domestic violence, housing, and in legal services are important. We also consider the applicant’s knowledge and understanding of legal problems and the needs of the elderly and the poor, commitment to providing legal services to the elderly and the poor, prior legal work in the client community or in other programs to aid the elderly and the poor, an ability to communicate with persons in the client community who speak a language other than English as their principal language (e.g.: Spanish), and cultural affinity with the client community.
Legal Action requires a personal commitment to legal services work and a high commitment to providing quality and aggressive representation in service cases and in impact work. Attorneys must be knowledgeable in state and federal law and procedure. Attorneys must meet high standards of written and courtroom advocacy. Attorneys must be able to communicate both orally and in writing in a clear and concise manner and work harmoniously with others. Ability to handle and prioritize many pressing matters in various locations is needed. Ability to travel throughout Legal Action’s service area for each office to meet with clients and to attend court hearings is required.
Email applications are preferred and strongly encouraged. When using email, use PDF for all documents.
Interested applicants should send 1/ a cover letter that indicates the name of this position, 2/ resume, 3/ the names of and contact information for three references,
4/ recent writing sample(s), 5/ law school transcript to: [email protected].
If necessary, hard copies may be sent to:
Green Bay Managing Attorney Hiring Committee
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc.
230 West Wells Street, Room 800
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203.
DEADLINE
This position will be open until filled but we will review applicants on a rolling basis. To assure early consideration, please submit application materials as soon as possible.