Organization: LAF (Legal Assistance Foundation)
Fellowship: Equal Justice Works Veterans Legal Corps
Located in: Chicago, IL
About LAF
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.
Each year LAF’s more than 80 full-time attorneys and staff help resolve civil legal problems, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, unfair evictions and improper benefit denials and terminations. Our work impacts more than 30,000 people each year.
Fellowship Summary
LAF is hosting a one-year Fellowship to provide essential legal services to our nation’s veterans, active military service members, and their families. The selected candidate will be a part of a corps of legal Fellows serving in the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Veterans Legal Corps Program and will encounter hands-on experience providing direct legal representation to the veteran community. The Fellow’s role combines elements of direct legal representation and community outreach and advocacy. The attorney selected for this Fellowship will be housed at LAF’s office in Chicago, IL. Per Equal Justice Works/AmeriCorps guidelines, the selected Fellow’s term of service must begin prior to October 1, 2018 and last for one year.
Fellowship Description
The Equal Justice Works Veterans Legal Corps (VLC) Fellow will:
1. Provide high quality direct legal representation to financially eligible veterans and their families. This will likely involve conducting intake, assembling evidence, conducting interviews, and researching relevant law.
2. Represent clients in administrative proceedings with state and federal agencies, primarily in the areas of veterans’ benefits and other public benefits.
3. Work with a team of three attorneys and one VISTA Outreach Coordinator, advise and represent veterans and family members of veterans regarding civil legal issues.
4. Work with the LAF Veterans Task Force on outreach and training for entities serving veterans and referral sources for veteran clients.
5. Organize and operate LAF’s civil legal clinic for veterans.
6. Submit regular reports to Equal Justice Works about the clients served and positive outcomes.
7. Participate in a national corps of attorneys committed to providing legal representation to the veteran community.
8. Have access to a substantive and skills-based training curriculum and ongoing support, including participation in Equal Justice Works’ annual Leadership Development Training in Washington, D.C.
9. Position is a one-year Fellowship.
Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications
The ideal Fellow will possess a demonstrated commitment to public interest work and a strong desire to assist indigent clients. Further, the ideal candidate will have the following:
• Excellent writing, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills;
• Strong oral and negotiation skills, and the ability to work as a team member;
• Prior experience in managing independent projects or assignments;
• Diverse economic, social and cultural experiences and a second language are preferred;
• Law school clinic, externship, summer, or other relevant practice experience;
• Knowledge of veterans’ benefits law and/or experience with veterans and military families; Military service or related-military background, including status as a military dependent are encouraged to apply.
Required Qualifications
• Ability to undergo and pass AmeriCorps-mandated criminal background checks (only convictions for murder and/or presence on sex offender registry are automatic bars to service; other criminal convictions are allowable pursuant to Equal Justice Works review and approval);
• Ability to begin the fellowship no later than October 1, 2018 and attend Equal Justice Works’ annual Leadership Development Training in Washington, D.C. from November 6 – 8, 2018.
• Illinois state bar membership or eligibility to practice in Illinois under limited permission rule (the latter is available as a result of bar membership in another state).
Compensation Package
The Fellow will receive an annual living allowance, as well as financial support for housing, student loan repayment, and other permissible reimbursable living expenses. Additionally, Fellows receive an education award, health insurance, and other benefits. Questions regarding the compensation package should be directed to the LAF at [email protected], with “Veterans Fellow” in the subject line.
Other Benefits Provided by LAF:
• Position related travel reimbursement
• Opportunities to participate in national substantive training on veterans law issues and in a variety of local and regional skills-based and substantive trainings
Other Benefits and Professional Opportunities offered by AmeriCorps:
• Student loan forbearance and interest accrual payment upon successful completion of service;
• Opportunity to attend national trainings focused on leadership, networking, and project development sponsored by Equal Justice Works;
• Childcare assistance (if income-eligible).
Application Instructions
Send a cover letter, resume, copy of law school transcript, writing sample, and the names of two professional references by close of business on Sept. 7, 2018 to: [email protected]. Please type “Veterans Fellow” in the email subject line.
Application Deadline
September 7, 2018, but candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
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.