Legal Action of Wisconsin (Legal Action) is hiring an attorney on a part time basis for the position of Clinic Director and Qualified Tax Expert (QTE) of the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC). LITC provides free assistance to eligible low-income taxpayers with a range of IRS tax controversy matters. The Clinic Director/QTE will manage part-time paid and volunteer staff. The Clinic Director/QTE is located in Legal Action’s Milwaukee office. The position is open immediately. The LITC is supported by a grant from the Internal Revenue Service and can serve persons throughout Wisconsin.
LEGAL ACTION OF WISCONSIN
Legal Action of Wisconsin is a non-profit organization funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, and other sources. Legal Action provides free legal aid to about 13,500 low-income persons annually in the southern 39 counties of Wisconsin with 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 our work is in the areas of housing, public benefits, removing barriers to employment, and family law. Legal Action currently has a staff of 120 employees.
MILWAUKEE AREA OFFICE The Milwaukee Area Office staff of 31 attorneys, 13 paralegals, and 13 support staff provides representation to residents of Milwaukee and Waukesha County. Intake is done on a walk-in basis at the office or at neighborhood outstations in Milwaukee and Waukesha. Some telephone intake is also done. The Milwaukee Area Office also houses the Legal Action administrative staff, the SeniorLAW Project, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, and the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. Two attorneys are located at the Center for Driver=s License Recovery & Employability at the Milwaukee Area Technical College.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The LITC Clinic Director/Qualified Tax Expert will work closely with paid and volunteer LITC staff and with Legal Action’s Volunteer Lawyer Project who provide pro bono services to eligible taxpayers. Duties include:
1. Clinic Supervision: Coordinate all aspects and day-to-day operations of LITC, maintain open communication with the managing attorney of LAW’s Milwaukee office, and work closely with Legal Action of Wisconsin’s VLP staff.
2. Intake: Screen potential clients for eligibility for the LITC program, establish a process for promptly assigning cases to LEGAL ACTION LITC staff or for referral to VLP, and assist with intake duties when necessary.
3. Caseload: Maintain a limited caseload, and manage the clinic caseload.
4. Volunteer Recruitment: Build and maintain a roster of volunteers to serve eligible taxpayers, participate in training of volunteer attorneys, and answer questions from volunteers.
5. Case Supervision: Stay abreast of all aspects of individual case management and significant case developments, be a resource for LITC staff, maintain orderly client files, have proficiency in use of the LAW database and other electronic tools, support volunteer attorney and client needs, establish a process for obtaining account transcripts and other information from the IRS, and be responsible for resolving client complaints or grievances.
6. Coordination of services: develop and coordinate relationships with other LITC programs in WI, and engage with other LITC clinics around the country.
7. Community relations: Support taxpayer education including offering presentations and workshops for English as a Second Language (ESL) taxpayers, establish an outreach plan to insure that the services of LITC are effectively publicized to low income, underserved, and ESL taxpayers.
8. Administrative: Assure compliance with grant requirements, and participate in the administration of grants including reporting and preparation of applications for future grants.
9. Relationships: Maintain a productive and collegial working relationship the IRS, LITC’s national office, the United States Tax Court, WIDOR, other organizations in the community, and attend required conferences.
10. Other duties as assigned.
Required: Admission to Wisconsin State Bar, admission to the US Tax Court, authorization to practice before the IRS, prior experience working in the field of tax law and with tax controversies.
Preferred: Prior work within civil legal services, with volunteers, producing training events, or other relevant experience is helpful.
Legal Action has an affirmative action plan for the hiring of members of minority groups and women. While academic training and performance, as well as the nature and extent of prior legal experience are important considerations, review of the applications will also consider the applicant's knowledge and understanding of the legal problems and needs of low-income persons, commitment to providing legal services to such persons, prior legal work in the client community or in other programs to aid the poor, ability to communicate with persons in the client community who speak a language other than English as their principal language (eg: Spanish), and cultural affinity with the client community.
We encourage persons who are bi-lingual in Spanish/English to apply.
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.
Applicants must be able to communicate both orally and in writing in a clear and concise manner and work harmoniously with others. Applicants must be proficient in the use of software, especially email, word processing and spreadsheets.
Email applications are preferred and strongly encouraged. When using email, use PDF for all attachments.
Interested applicants should submit the following to [email protected]
1. A cover letter expressing interest in the position
2. Full resume describing past experience, qualifications, education and abilities
3. Names of and contact information for at least three professional references
4. Recent writing sample
5. Law school transcript
If necessary, hard copies may be sent to:
Ms. Roberta Rieck
Milwaukee Office Managing Attorney
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc.
230 West Wells Street, Room 800
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203
Deadline to Apply: 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 and no later than Midnight on Sunday, March 18, 2018.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer