Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is seeking a full-time staff attorney to work at the Milwaukee Office as the Eviction Free MKE Supervising Attorney. The Eviction Free MKE Supervising Attorney will provide representation in eviction defense to low-income persons and provide supervision to other staff attorneys providing eviction defense under the Eviction Free MKE project. These positions 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.
Due to the pandemic, we require face masks and social distancing in the Milwaukee Office.
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 41 attorneys, 19 paralegals, and 18 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
The Eviction Free Milwaukee Supervising Attorney is responsible for the supervision of Legal Action’s Eviction Free MKE project attorneys. The unit is currently comprised of 2.0 FTE attorneys, but expected to grow to 4.0 FTE attorneys, 1 FTE paralegal, and this Supervising Attorney position. This position includes supervision, management, and provision of direct client services and other services relating to the legal needs of the eligible client population; development, implementation, and monitoring of project grant requirements; supervision, training, and evaluation of attorney and support staff, and communications with client, partner, and governmental organizations dealing with the legal needs of people living in property. Legal Action employees may be reassigned to other legal practice areas and duties as the staffing and funding needs of the firm change. Responsibilities will include:
• Coordinate and supervise Eviction Free MKE paralegal and attorney staff
• Train Eviction Free MKE paralegal and attorney staff, as needed
• Liaise and communicate with Eviction Free MKE project partners
• Prepare reports, data, and other information required by Eviction Free MKE grants and project partners
• Conduct regular case reviews to answer questions and provide feedback on the quality of legal work done by staff
• Be available for consultation between case reviews
• Review closed cases for both quality of legal work and compliance with funding regulations
• Set agendas and lead LAW Eviction Free MKE meetings
• 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
• Attend and participate in the Housing Law priority committee
• Attend and participate in the Milwaukee Housing Unit meetings and Teams discourse
• Stay abreast of the law as it develops and changes
• Provide quality client representation in direct service cases and perform all duties associated with such representation, including, but not limited to, advice and representation in all aspects of eviction defense including 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cause hearings, appeals, and post-judgment practice
• Litigate high-impact cases on a range of housing issues in trial and appellate courts in state and federal courts
• Engage in public speaking to educate community partners and train attorneys, other professionals
• Travel for training, litigation, conferences, speaking engagements, and client development
• Work effectively with clients from a wide range of backgrounds
• Work collaboratively with LAW staff, the Milwaukee Housing Group, and the Housing Law priority committee
• Supervise interns as needed.
• Other duties that may be assigned from time to time.
The Eviction Free MKE Supervising Attorney will report to the Milwaukee Housing Unit Supervisor.
SALARY
The salary for this position is determined by the attorney candidate’s number of years of relevant experience in practicing law as set forth in Legal Action’s 2021 – 2022 salary administration plan. As one example, a candidate with the required five years of relevant legal practice experience who joins the firm on January 1, 2022, would earn a salary of $52,347 and an annual management stipend of at least $3,500. In addition, our 2021-2022 salary administration plan includes additional pay for those employees who are fluent in Spanish or Hmong and utilize their language skills in performing their work. Legal Action is developing the structure for the language differential now. Salaries, management stipends, and language differential are not negotiable.
Our 2021 – 2022 salary administration plan also includes a salary increase to take effect on June 1, 2022 for all unrepresented attorneys and a percentage-based management stipend (added on to base salary), with that salary increase and the percentage-based management stipend taking effect on June 1, 2022. On June 1, 2022, a Tier 2 (Senior) Attorney with the five years of required experience would earn a base salary of $68,263 plus a management stipend of 2% - 5% added to base salary.
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, 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 up to one year.
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.
At least five years of experience practicing law is required (litigation experience desired);
• Juris Doctorate Degree;
• Admission to the Wisconsin Bar;
• Familiarity with courtroom procedure, both federal and state
• Ability to coordinate, motivate, and collaborate with co-workers and supervisees
• Superior skills in case analysis, research, and writing
• Demonstrated ability to speak and write clearly, persuasively, and concisely
• Enthusiasm for civil legal aid and equal justice and for service to our clients.
• Commitment to providing the highest quality legal service;
• Ability to understand our clients’ situation and problem-solve to find realistic solutions to civil legal problems;
• Prior work within civil legal services and/or low-income clientele is desired, though not required;
• Strong communication and leadership skills;
• Enthusiasm for arguing motions and representing clients at trial;
• Ability to prioritize and organize resources while maintaining quality and attention to detail;
• Self-motivation, diligence, and ability to manage a large and robust caseload and to meet strict deadlines while under pressure;
• Ability to travel throughout Legal Action’s service area to meet with clients and to attend court hearings in person when once again safe to do so;
• Cultural competence and respect for differences in race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstances.
• Willingness to receive direction and supervision and to implement feedback;
• Ability to work harmoniously and cooperatively with others;
• Comfort with using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Teams, etc.) and an electronic database
• Must possess a valid driver's license and maintain it throughout employment
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
This position involves sedentary work, 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. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision requirements due to computer work. 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 Milwaukee Office.
Applicants must submit the following application materials via Legal Action of Wisconsin’s online applicant portal: https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/7988.careers?ApplyToJob=419568651
• Cover letter
• Resume
• Legal writing sample
• Names and contact information for three professional references
• Law school transcript (only required for applicants who graduated 2018 or later)
Raphael Ramos, the Eviction Defense Project Director and Milwaukee Housing Unit Supervisor, is the hiring manager for this position and will lead a panel of Legal Action staff to interview applicants remotely.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
This position will be open until filled. We encourage applicants to apply before Friday, January 14, 2022.
Effective December 11, 2021, Legal Action requires all employees to have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations and provide proof of vaccination or have submitted a completed religious or medical exemption and accommodation request.
Any individual offered a position with Legal Action must comply with firm’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate policy. New hires will be required to provide proof of completion of the COVID-19 vaccination(s) and booster, within 28 days of their first day of employment. Legal Action will grant religious or medical exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Religious or medical exemption and accommodation request must be submitted and approved within 28 days of the new hires’ first day of employment.
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