Legal Action of Wisconsin (Legal Action) has an immediate opening for an attorney for the position of Clinic Director and Qualified Tax Expert (QTE) for the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC). We expect this position will be 30 to 40 hours per week (.75 to 1.0 FTE) and eligible for fringe benefits. LITC provides free assistance to 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 in Legal Action’s Milwaukee office. The LITC is supported by a grant from the Internal Revenue Service and can serve persons throughout Wisconsin.
LEGAL ACTION OF WISCONSIN
We are a large and vibrant non-profit law firm funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Victim of Crime Act funding, the Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund, and many other sources. Each year, we provide free legal aid to about 11,000 – 14,000 low-income persons in Wisconsin’s southern 39 counties. In addition, the firm operates a statewide farmworker project and a statewide legal aid to human trafficking victims project. Most of our work is in the areas of housing, public benefits, removing barriers to employment, consumer, family law, and victim rights. Legal Action attorneys specialize in specific areas of law, though they may be called upon to work in multiple areas. They provide high-quality and aggressive representation, maintain a direct service caseload of individual clients, and contribute to the firm’s work to engage in law reform litigation and other impact work.
During the pandemic, most Legal Action attorneys are working remotely, and all attorneys are allowed flexibility in their work schedules. New hires will work remotely until Legal Action returns to the physical offices and will work with their supervisors if flexible scheduling (outside of regular business hours) is needed. When it is safe to do so, new hires will be required to work from a physical Legal Action office but may request remote/telework and flexible scheduling. New hires may receive some training in the physical office and may receive some in-office time now. We require face masks and social distancing in all Legal Action offices.
Legal Action believes that equal justice under law can only be achieved through the collaboration of a diverse staff. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and people with life experiences or educational backgrounds that add to the firm’s diversity and our capacity to provide high-quality legal aid.
OFFICE LOCATION
The Milwaukee Area Office staff is housed at 633 W. Wisconsin Ave. and is comprised of 41 attorneys, 19 paralegals, and 18 other administrative, professional and technical staff. Intake is done by telephone, on a walk-in basis, or at neighborhood outstations in Milwaukee and Waukesha. The Milwaukee Area Office also houses the Legal Action administrative staff, the SeniorLAW Project, the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic and a Volunteer Lawyers Project. Two attorneys are located at the Center for Driver’s License Recovery & Employment at Milwaukee Area Technical College and one attorney and one paralegal are housed at the Student Legal Aid Project at 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:
• 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.
• Intake: Screen potential clients for eligibility for the LITC program, establish a process for promptly assigning cases to LITC staff or for referral to VLP, and assist with intake duties when necessary.
• Caseload: Maintain a limited caseload and manage the clinic caseload.
• Volunteer Recruitment: Build and maintain a roster of volunteers to serve eligible taxpayers, participate in training of volunteer attorneys, and answer questions from volunteers.
• 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.
• Coordination of services: develop and maintain a relationship with the other LITC program in Wisconsin and engage with other LITC clinics around the country.
• Community relations: Support taxpayer education including offering presentations and workshops for English as a Second Language (ESL) taxpayers, establish an outreach plan to ensure that the services of LITC are effectively publicized to low income, underserved, and ESL taxpayers.
• Administrative: Assure compliance with grant requirements and participate in the administration of grants including reporting and preparation of applications for future grants.
• Relationships: Maintain a productive and collegial working relationship with the IRS, the LITC’s program office, the United States Tax Court, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, other organizations in the community, and attend required conferences.
• Other duties as assigned.
SALARY
Starting salary depends upon experience and qualifications, with a minimum starting salary of $45,727 per year for full-time (40 hours per week/1.0 FTE) attorneys with 0 – 1 year of experience. Starting salary increases with years of legal experience. A full-time attorney with 5 years of experience practicing law would earn a salary of $52,347. A full-time attorney with 10 years of experience would earn a salary of $58,967. In addition, the position generally receives an annual step increase, subject to approval of the Board of Directors.
FRINGE BENEFITS
Legal Action provides a generous fringe benefits package, including employer-paid health and dental insurance for employees and eligible dependents. Some employees are required to contribute to the health insurance premium for their spouse, if the spouse has group health insurance provided by their employer. Legal Action also provides life and long-term disability insurance, a profit-sharing retirement plan, salary deferral options for retirement planning, low-cost employee-paid vision coverage, three weeks of vacation per year, four days of personal leave, a generous sick leave benefit, and four weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD
This position is subject to a probationary period of up to one year.
GOVERNANCE
This position is supervised by the Milwaukee office Managing Attorney. The position is governed by the Legal Action of Wisconsin Personnel Policies and these policies are subject to unilateral change by the Legal Action Board of Directors. As with any Legal Action position, there is no guaranteed period of employment and employment is at will, subject to termination at any time.
• Admission to the Wisconsin Bar, admission to the US tax Court, and authorization to practice before the IRS
• Prior experience working in the field of tax law and with tax controversies
• Prior work within civil legal services, with volunteers, producing training events, or other relevant experience is desired, though not required.
• Demonstrated ability to speak and write clearly and persuasively.
• Enthusiasm for representing clients in court as well as through motions and other written work.
• Self-motivated, diligent, and able to meet strict deadlines while under pressure.
• Ability to travel throughout Legal Action’s service area to meet with clients and to attend court hearings in person when once again safe to do so.
• Cultural competence and respect for differences in race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstances.
• Ability to work harmoniously with others.
• Fluency in Spanish and cultural affinity for the client community that speaks Spanish is desired, though not required.
• Legal Action will provide training and support, as needed.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
This position involves sedentary work, including sitting at a desk on a computer for an extended period. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular basis to lift, carry, push or otherwise move objects. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and/or laptop keyboard and use a telephone. Drives a motor vehicle while seated for extended periods of time daily. Occasional reaching, bending, kneeling and stooping involved to retrieve various items and materials. This position works in an environmentally-controlled office environment with moderate noise from phones, printers and light office traffic in the Legal Action office.
Applicants must submit the following application materials via Legal Action of Wisconsin’s online applicant portal: https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/7988.careers?ApplyToJob=352497283
• Cover letter
• Resume
• Legal writing sample
• Names and contact information for three professional references
• Law school transcript (only required for applicants who graduated 2018 or later)
Please submit and upload all the documents required. If the required documents are not submitted on or before the deadline, your application will be considered incomplete and we will not be able to consider you for this position.
Molly Gena, Managing Attorney of the Milwaukee office, is the hiring manager for this position with assistance from current LITC staff.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
This position will be open until filled. We will review applicants on a rolling basis. To assure early consideration, please submit application materials by Friday, April 30, 2021. Interviews will be conducted remotely.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer