Disability Rights In Criminal Legal Systems: Civil Rights Staff Attorney
Equip for Equality’s Civil Rights Team is hiring a staff attorney to work on civil rights litigation and advocacy to address the disparate harm of criminal systems and incarceration to people with disabilities in Illinois. The staff attorney’s work will include litigation of civil rights cases as well as monitoring, investigating and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities in jails, prisons and other criminal systems. The staff attorney will use a range of strategies in their cases, including providing more informal legal assistance and advice, negotiations, and litigation. Equip for Equality is a statewide organization with multiple locations available for dedicated offices. This position is eligible for Remote work.
Responsibilities:
· Work with the Criminal Legal Systems practice group on EFE’s Civil Rights Team to advance the rights of people with disabilities impacted by criminal systems through individual and systemic civil rights advocacy.
· Advocate for incarcerated or institutionalized clients and develop civil rights litigation.
· Manage a significant workload with a wide range of responsibilities, including client interviews; legal advice and informal advocacy; formal investigations and negotiations; and litigation.
· Work in a timely and efficient manner to conduct client interviews, case assessments, and to provide meaningful client legal services.
· Travel throughout Illinois, with a particular focus on the Southern and Central regions, to conduct jail and prison monitoring investigations and to engage with clients and other stakeholders.
· Demonstrate dedication, passion, and hard work to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities and to reform systems that have over-incarcerated people with disabilities.
· Utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills to address individual and systemic rights violations in order to find solutions through advocacy, litigation or negotiation.
· Develop professional skills and subject matter expertise within the practice areas in order to exercise independence and judgment in performing case work within the agencies’ established protocols.
· Ensure that people with disabilities, whether incarcerated or in the community, have basic rights and freedoms, such as being free from neglect and abuse, having access to disability accommodations and healthcare, and being able to exercise constitutional rights.
• Law degree
• Minimum of three to five years of legal experience is preferred.
• Comfortable entering jails, prisons and other institutions for investigations and engaging with people with disabilities within those institutions.
• Geographic location in Central or Southern Illinois is preferred.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving approaches.
• Ability to work collaboratively on a team as well as to self-direct.
• Demonstrated commitment to civil rights and understanding of criminal legal systems is preferred.
• Experience with and/or commitment to working with diverse client populations and incarcerated people is preferred.
• Personal or professional experience with people with disabilities is preferred.
• Bilingual Spanish proficiency is valued.
Application Deadline, How to Apply, Compensation and Benefits
Applications will be accepted until October 30, 2023. Please include salary expectations in the cover letter. Salary is commensurate with experience and EFE offers excellent benefits.
Resumes without cover letters will not be considered.
Apply at www.equipforequality.org - Staff Attorney - Disability Rights