Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS) seeks individuals with a demonstrated commitment to making a difference in the lives of indigent people and their communities for two attorney positions in its Athens office which serves Athens, Gallia, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Vinton, and Washington counties. SEOLS, serving 30 counties in southeastern and central Ohio, is one part of Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA) which fights poverty and its impact through its field programs, SEOLS and The Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and its statewide advocacy program, the Ohio Poverty Law Center. Our attorneys are encouraged and supported in being creative, effective advocates in federal, state, and local judicial, administrative, and legislative advocacy and community forums. For additional information about OSLSA:www.seols.org; www. columbuslegalaid.org; and www.ohiopovertylawcenter.org.
In addition to aggressive direct client representation in areas of family, housing, consumer, benefits, health, utility law and individual rights, OSLSA and its staff have:
1. Established the right to counsel for indigents in Ohio’s juvenile Custody proceedings
and are pursuing the right for parents defending against involuntary adoptions.
2. Established due process rights for indigents in their dealing with utilities, rights of tenants not to be evicted extrajudicially by landlords shutting off their utilities, women not to be denied service due to ex-spouse’s unpaid bills, tenants’ rights to service in their own name, etc.
3. Played a leading role in successful efforts to pass Ohio’s Domestic Violence Act and to restrict payday lenders’ abuses in Ohio.
4. Gone to federal court to get Ohio Department of Medicaid to comply with federal law and due process resulting in 180,000 low income Ohioans having their medical coverage reinstate.
5. Been awarded funding to work with the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development and its 17-member community action agencies to empower and assist low income parents to overcome and remove barriers to education, employment, safe, affordable housing and healthcare.
OSLSA provides excellent ongoing training including its New Attorney Training Protocol, CLE-approved one and multiple day trainings on substantive poverty law and trial advocacy skills, including preparation and presentation of a mock jury trial, programwide retreats, and encouragement/opportunities to participate in statewide task forces and advocacy efforts.
Must be admitted to the Ohio Bar or willing to take next bar exam. Have an interest in poverty law.
If interested, submit resume, cover letter, writing sample, and references to James Daniels, Director, SEOLS, [email protected].