The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia seeks a Staff Attorney for its Consumer Law Unit, focusing primarily on consumer debt collection matters. Legal Aid was formed in 1932 to “provide legal aid and counsel to indigent persons in civil law matters and to encourage measures by which the law may better protect and serve their needs.” Legal Aid is the oldest and largest general civil legal services program in the District of Columbia. The largest part of our work is composed of direct representation in housing, family/domestic violence, public benefits, and consumer law, although we also work on immigration matters and help individuals with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic reform litigation. For more information about Legal Aid please visit our website, www.LegalAidDC.org, and our blog, www.MakingJusticeReal.org.
Tasks and Duties
Legal Aid has a broad and energetic consumer law practice. We give priority to cases in which our lawyers can assist clients to preserve their limited assets, most commonly by working to avoid foreclosure and/or preserve homeownership or guarding against abusive debt collection practices. In addition to maintaining an active litigation docket, we engage in significant efforts to address issues of public policy. At full capacity, our unit is staffed by one supervising attorney, one senior staff attorney, four staff attorneys, one volunteer staff attorney, and a legal assistant.
Consumer law attorneys work out of Legal Aid’s central office, its community office in Southeast DC, and its court-based offices in DC Superior Court. The Staff Attorney will be expected to conduct initial client interviews, maintain a caseload of consumer law cases, and engage in community outreach, policy advocacy and systemic reform efforts. Among other things, the Staff Attorney would be expected to staff the Consumer Court-Based Legal Services Project focusing on debt collection actions, which provides low-income litigants with access to temporary, same-day legal representation in consumer law matters being heard in DC Superior Court.
Salary and Benefits
The attorney will be paid in accordance with Legal Aid’s attorney salary scale. Legal Aid also offers a competitive benefits package.
The ideal candidate will have the following:
• Experience in legal services, preferably with a background in consumer law;
• Strong litigation, organizational, communication, and leadership skills;
• The ability to work collaboratively;
• A demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice; and
• Spanish language fluency strongly preferred.
Membership or eligibility for membership in the DC bar is required.
Legal Aid values an inclusive, diverse workplace and encourages applications from interested persons from diverse backgrounds of any race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other legally protected status. We strongly encourage applications from people with personal experience with the criminal justice system and/or with lived experiences in the communities we serve. Interested persons are encouraged to apply immediately and should submit a letter of interest and resume using the following link: https://legalaiddc.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=23. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. Position remains open until filled.