Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. (Legal Action) is seeking multiple full-time Staff Attorneys to provide representation to low-income persons primarily in family law matters. One position is available in the Madison Office, and at least two positions are available in the Racine Office. The Madison Office serves Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Rock, and Sauk Counties. The Racine Office serves Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth Counties. The positions are all available immediately.
LEGAL ACTION OF WISCONSIN, INC.
Legal Action is a large, vibrant non-profit law firm funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, and other sources. Legal Action provides free legal aid to about 13,500 low-income persons annually in the southern 39 counties of Wisconsin with offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Oshkosh, Green Bay, and La Crosse. In addition, LAW operates a statewide farmworker project, and several other statewide projects serving crime victims, including victims of sex and labor trafficking. LAW attorneys have expertise in a range of substantive areas, but the majority of our work is in the areas of housing, public benefits, removing barriers to employment, consumer law, and family law. Legal Action Attorneys specialize in specific areas of legal aid work and provide high-quality and aggressive representation and maintain a direct service caseload on behalf of individual clients and 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 LOCATIONS:
MADISON AREA OFFICE
The Madison office is located at 744 Williamson Street, Suite 200, Madison, WI, 53703. The Madison Office staff currently consists of a Managing Attorney, 15 Staff Attorneys, 3 Paralegals, 1 Legal Secretary, and 1 Office Manager.
RACINE AREA OFFICE
The Racine office is located at 4900 Spring Street, Suite 100, Racine, WI, 53406. The Racine Office currently consists of a Managing Attorney, 7 Staff Attorneys, and 3 Paralegals.
Many of Legal Action’s operations and services continue to be delivered remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 warrant some in-office time. We require face masks and social distancing in all Legal Action offices.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Legal Action Staff Attorneys are responsible for providing quality and aggressive representation of clients in individual service cases and to undertake impact work (that which has impact on groups of low-income persons or the systems that have the most effect on the low-income community) and for performing all duties associated with such representation.
• Staff Attorneys must stay current with the areas of law that pertain to the low-income community as they change and develop, particularly in their area of specialization.
• Staff Attorneys are expected to share responsibility for the development and maintenance of good working relationships with community groups and with state and local bar associations and others.
• Staff Attorneys will be called upon to provide training and other assistance to volunteers who participate in Legal Action's Volunteer Lawyer Project.
• All Staff Attorneys perform intake duties and, where necessary, make appropriate referrals to other community agencies.
• All Staff Attorneys are responsible for serving on at least one of our Priority Committees: Housing; Employment; Consumer; Public Benefits; and Family. These priority committees are comprised of Legal Action staff practicing in those areas of law. They meet quarterly to discuss trends in the law and practicing in that area of law and to strategize the firm’s work on particular matters and issues.
• The Staff Attorneys may be assigned additional duties from time to time.
SALARY
The salary for these positions is determined by Legal Action’s attorney salary scale. (In our Madison office, the salary is determined by a collective bargaining agreement.) Under our attorney salary scale, an attorney with 0 – 1 years of experience would receive an annual salary of $45,727 for a 100% full-time position. An attorney with 5 years of experience practicing law would earn a salary of $52,347. An attorney with 10 years of experience would earn a salary of $58,967. Salaries are not negotiable and will follow this scale. 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 per year, generous sick leave, and four weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees.
SUPERVISION
The position is subject to a probationary period of up to one year. This position reports to the Managing Attorney of the physical office where the Staff Attorney is located.
The Madison position is governed by the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement between Legal Action and the United Legal Workers. Legal Action’s personnel policies will govern where no provision is covered by the collective bargaining agreement, and the personnel policies are subject to unilateral change by the Legal Action Board of Directors.
The Racine position is governed by the Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. Personnel Policies which are subject to unilateral change by the Legal Action Board of Directors. There is no guaranteed period of employment and employment is at will, subject to termination at any time.
QUALIFICATIONS
• Juris Doctorate Degree.
• Admission to the Wisconsin Bar is required either upon hire or no more than six months from the date of hire.
• Legal Action requires a personal commitment to civil legal aid and to providing quality and aggressive representation to low-income people and crime victims. Attorneys must be knowledgeable in state and federal law and procedure. Attorneys must meet high standards of written and courtroom advocacy.
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing in a clear and concise manner and work harmoniously with others.
• Handle and prioritize many pressing matters in various locations.
• Ability to travel throughout Legal Action’s service area to meet with clients and to attend court hearings is required.
• Prior experience in civil legal aid or other relevant experience is preferred.
• Experience and knowledge of the court systems in each office’s and Legal Action’s service area is preferred.
• Ability to communicate with persons in the client community who speak a language other than English as their principal language (e.g., Spanish or Hmong), and cultural affinity with the client community is preferred.
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 LAW office.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants must submit the following application materials via Legal Action of Wisconsin’s online applicant portal by using this link: https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/7988.careers?ApplyToJob=369258954
- Cover letter summarizing qualifications and interest in the position. In the cover letter, please rank your preference for the office openings. If you have no preference, and wish to be considered for all positions, please state this in your cover letter.
- Resume
- Law school transcript (only required for applicants who graduated in 2018 or later)
- A legal writing sample.
- Names and contact information for three professional references
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.
Stacia Conneely, Managing Attorney - Madison is the hiring manager for the Madison Staff Attorney position.
Robert Held, Managing Attorney - Racine is the hiring manager for the Racine Staff Attorney positions.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
The positions will be open until filled. To ensure early consideration, please submit application materials no later than close of business by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. Interviews will be conducted remotely.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
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