For more than 50 years LAF has provided people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago with comprehensive free legal services to resolve non-criminal issues, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, and unfair evictions.
Position: LAF’s Volunteer Services Unit (VSU) is seeking a full-time staff attorney to primarily work with our community legal clinics. LAF currently has three monthly community legal clinics (Woodlawn, Humboldt Park, and Uptown) and is planning to launch a fourth one later this year (West Side). The clinics are each sponsored by a private law firm, and are staffed by volunteer attorneys and LAF staff.
Responsibilities without limitation:
• Attend and manage several clinics in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. Clinics operate during evening hours.
• Maintain, strengthen, and develop relationships with law firm and corporate partners to ensure smooth operations of the clinic and sufficient volunteer participation
• Engage and manage volunteers at the community legal clinics
• Recruit and manage volunteers to work onsite at LAF to assist with client screening and referrals to the clinics
• Have or gain competency in LAF’s priority practice areas and provide legal advice, brief legal services, perform basic legal research, and litigate a limited number of cases as backup or co-counsel to volunteer attorneys, with support from LAF’s Practice Group attorneys
• Collaborate on other projects within VSU and with LAF’s other Practice and Work Groups, which could involve shared outreach or legal casework, or developing new strategies for serving our clients
• Assist in development and possible management of new pro bono projects
• Support LAF attorneys and volunteers when they work together
• Track data related to pro bono work and assist on related reporting
• Design and deliver effective training to pro bono partners
Qualifications: Applicants must have a J.D. degree and be a member of the Illinois Bar or be registered for the July Bar Exam. The ideal candidate will have at least two years’ practice experience in one or more of LAF’s priority practice areas. The successful applicant will be collegial, well-organized, and demonstrate a commitment to working with our clients and volunteers. Availability during evening hours on days when clinics are held is required. Fluency in Spanish and a demonstrated connection to our client communities is preferred.
Salary: Depends on experience. Generous fringe benefits.
To Apply: Send cover letter, resume, law school transcript (unofficial ok) writing sample, and the names of two professional references by July 12, 2018 to [email protected].
LAF values diversity, is an Equal Opportunity Employer, does not discriminate on the basis of disability, and encourages candidates with experience working with our client population to apply.