Staff Attorney Housing Law

STAFF ATTORNEY
HOUSING LAW

MILWAUKEE OFFICE

July 28, 2023

Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is seeking a full-time staff attorney in its Milwaukee Office to provide representation in eviction defense to low-income persons. This position will be primarily funded by the Eviction Free MKE project.

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 with offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Oshkosh, Green Bay, and La Crosse. 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.
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 Avenue and is comprised of 42 attorneys, 17 paralegals, and 17 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
Legal Action is seeking a full-time attorney to provide legal representation on eviction defense cases. The attorney will be trained to handle eviction cases in Milwaukee County. Staff attorneys may be reassigned to other legal practice areas and duties as the staffing needs of the firm change. Responsibilities will include:

• Advice and representation in eviction cases;
• Advice and representation in both court and administrative hearings;
• Representation of clients with a termination notice or eviction from public or subsidized housing (including housing with a Section Eight rent assistance voucher);
• Representation of tenants involved with certain problem landlords;
• Representation of tenants whose landlords are in foreclosure;
• Representation of tenants in motions to seal their eviction cases;
• Representation of clients in appeals;
• Performance of intake duties and, where necessary, make appropriate referrals to other community agencies.
• Rigorous and high-quality representation in all direct service cases;
• Work effectively with clients from a wide range of backgrounds;
• Develop expertise in the areas of law that affect housing and homelessness, including state and federal constitutional law, basic housing law, fair housing, and eviction defense;
• Collaboration with staff and volunteer attorneys to provide representation at the Eviction Defense Project in Milwaukee County;
• Participation in at least one of Legal Action’s firm-wide Priority Committees; and
• Staff attorneys may supervise interns or paralegals in addition to other duties that may be assigned from time to time;
• Identify and help develop impact litigation in coordination with the Housing Priority Committee, the Assistant Director of Litigation, and other attorneys;
• Conduct community education sessions, become familiar with community needs, attend job fairs, update housing and eviction training materials, and assist in training volunteer attorneys working with the Eviction Defense Project.

SALARY
The salary for the position is determined by the candidate’s years of relevant experience in practicing law and by the candidate’s placement on our attorney tier salary ladders.

The Tier 1 Staff Attorney salary ladder for full-time employment is as follows:

STAFF ATTORNEY ANNUAL SALARIES – TIER 1
Starting $55,000 Step 10 $83,500 Step 20 $102.000
Step 1 $57.000 Step 11 $86,000 Step 21 $103,000
Step 2 $60,000 Step 12 $88,500 Step 22 $104,000
Step 3 $62,500 Step 13 $90,500 Step 23 $105,000
Step 4 $65,500 Step 14 $92,500 Step 24 $106,000
Step 5 $68,500 Step 15 $94,500 Step 25 $107,000
Step 6 $71,500 Step 16 $96,000 Step 26 $108,000
Step 7 $74,500 Step 17 $97,500 Step 27 $109,000
Step 8 $77.500 Step 18 $99,000 Step 28 $110,000
Step 9 $80,500 Step 19 $100,500 Step 29 $111,000
Step 30 $112,700

The Tier 2 Staff Attorney salary ladder for full-time employment is as follows:
STAFF ATTORNEY ANNUAL SALARIES – TIER 2
Starting $58,750 Step 10 $89,388 Step 20 $109,275
Step 1 $61,438 Step 11 $92,075 Step 21 $110,350
Step 2 $64,125 Step 12 $94,763 Step 22 $111,425
Step 3 $66,813 Step 13 $96,913 Step 23 $112,500
Step 4 $70,038 Step 14 $99,063 Step 24 $113,575
Step 5 $73,263 Step 15 $101,213 Step 25 $114,650
Step 6 $76,488 Step 16 $102, 825 Step 26 $115,725
Step 7 $79,713 Step 17 $104,438 Step 27 $116,800
Step 8 $82,938 Step 18 $106,050 Step 28 $117,875
Step 9 $86,163 Step 19 $107,663 Step 29 $118,950
Step 30 $120,025

Attorneys become eligible for the Tier 2 salary ladder after 3 years of relevant work experience and by meeting other criteria.

Generally, Staff Attorneys advance a step on their assigned Tier salary ladder on their anniversary date. Legal Action’s salary plan provides for an annual step increases, as long as the attorney is meeting performance expectations.

SPANISH OR HMONG LANGUAGE FLUENCY PREMIUM
Legal Action has an additional salary differential of either $2,400 or $4,800 annually (dependent on duties) for employees who are fluent in Spanish or Hmong and who utilize their language skills in performing their work.

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 six months.

GOVERNANCE
This position is supervised by the Milwaukee Housing Unit Supervisor. 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.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Enter information into a computer accurately. Answer numerous emails, phone calls, and other electronic and electronic communications throughout the day. Occasionally move objects, usually about 10 – 20 pounds. Retrieve documents from printers and copiers and similar office equipment and file or distribute to others as needed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
This role is mostly sedentary, with most of the duties performed on a computer, phone, table, or reception desk. Desk and workspaces will accommodate a wheelchair or other assistive devices. This position may require occasional short-distance or long-distance travel.