POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
POSITION: Staff Attorney - Abilene
CLOSING DATE: Position Immediately Available and Closed When Filled
LOCATION: Abilene, Texas
OVERVIEW: Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT) seeks a dynamic, self-starting attorney who has vision, initiative, and a demonstrated commitment to public interest law to fill a staff attorney position in its Abilene Office. In addition to providing daily representation in civil legal matters, the successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to identifying and taking advantage of opportunities for strategic advocacy and to engaging in outreach to and collaboration with low-income persons, including community groups that are made up of or serve the indigent.
DESCRIPTION: LANWT is a non-profit public interest law firm that provides high-quality free civil legal services to low-income persons from 15 offices in North and West Texas. Located in Abilene, Texas, the Abilene office delivers civil legal services to the poor within the city and in several neighboring rural counties.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: A staff attorney must be able to gather evidence, advise clients about their rights, draft legal documents, and conduct civil lawsuits. A staff attorney must interview clients and witnesses with cultural competence, as well as handle other tasks in representing clients. A staff attorney represents clients in court and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies of government. The staff attorney also interprets laws, rulings, and regulations for clients and the client community. The staff attorney will provide legal assistance in areas of general civil and family law including, but not limited to, divorce, custody, protective orders, housing and foreclosure prevention, landlord-tenant, consumer, special education, probate and public benefits.
The staff attorney also designs and carries out outreach and community legal education and works closely with the community and low-income community groups to further LANWT’s mission of reducing poverty by providing equitable access to the civil justice system. The staff attorney may supervise and coordinate activities of legal, clerical, volunteer, or student workers. In short, the staff attorney is expected to handle a caseload involving substantial litigation and other justice-related advocacy, periodically attend evening legal clinics, and devise and participate in community legal education programs and outreach offered by LANWT.
In fulfilling this mission, the attorney will provide high-quality representation to indigent clients in accordance with LANWT’s policies and procedures and with an attorney’s responsibilities under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, the Texas Lawyer’s Creed, and the American Bar Association’s Standards for Providers of Civil Legal Services to the Poor.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Licensed to practice in Texas, eligible for admission to the Texas bar by reciprocity, or willing to take the next available bar examination. A newly licensed attorney will be given enormous litigation and outreach responsibility from day one, but always under the close guidance of the seasoned staff in the branch office and LANWT’s Director of Litigation.
• Prior legal services, public interest, or volunteer experience serving low-income persons preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) ability preferred.
SALARY: Current entry-level salary for a new law school graduate, is $55,000 per year. The salary for the successful applicant may be significantly higher, based on applicant’s years of experience.
BENEFITS: Excellent benefits package that includes paid vacation and holidays; a retirement plan; health, dental, and life insurance.
All interested applicants should apply on our Careers page:
For applicants outside of Legal Aid, please use this Internet link:
http://www.lanwt.org (click on “Careers” tab)
Please submit a cover letter expressing interest, a resume, and a list of professional references during the application process.
LEGAL AID OF NORTHWEST TEXAS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER VETERANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY
All interested applicants should apply on our Careers page:
For applicants outside of Legal Aid, please use this Internet link:
http://www.lanwt.org (click on “Careers” tab)
Please submit a cover letter expressing interest, a resume, and a list of professional references during the application process.