Up to 6 positions:
1 in Madison office
1 in La Crosse office
(This attorney may work in housing law in addition
to consumer and barriers to employment law.)
1 in Oshkosh office or Green Bay office
1 in Milwaukee office
2 in Racine office
(These attorneys may work in housing law in addition
to consumer and barriers to employment law.)
Application Due Date: We will review applicants on a rolling basis.
To assure early consideration, please submit application materials
before midnight on 3/31/22. Final application deadline is midnight on 4/15/22.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. (Legal Action) is seeking to fill up to 6 full-time staff attorney positions. These attorneys will help low-income clients in eligible census tracts recovery equitably from the COVID-19 pandemic by solving civil legal problems. We expect that the attorneys will focus on consumer law and barriers to employment law problems. (The Racine and La Crosse office attorneys may work in housing law as well.)
OFFICE LOCATIONS
One attorney will be assigned to our Madison office. That attorney will be represented for collective bargaining by the United Legal Workers, a unit of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO. The Madison office attorney will serve clients in consumer law and barriers to employment law throughout central Wisconsin.
One attorney will be assigned to our Milwaukee office to serve southeast Wisconsin (except Racine); one attorney will be assigned to either our Green Bay or our Oshkosh office; and two attorneys will be assigned to our Racine office to serve Racine. We expect that all these attorneys will serve clients in consumer and barriers to employment law. In addition, we expect that the Racine and La Crosse attorneys may serve clients in housing law matters as well.
Applicants should clearly state their preferences for office assignment in their cover letter.
FLEX WORK
Legal Action will consider requests for flex work (remote work, compressed scheduling, or a combination.) However, these attorney positions will be required to be in the physical office for at least half of the work week. The incumbent will work with their Managing Attorney on their flex work needs and requests.
AVAILABILITY OF POSITIONS: Immediate.
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 9,000 – 12,000 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 believes that equal justice under the Legal Action can only be achieved through 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.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Legal Action staff attorneys are responsible for providing quality and aggressive representation of clients in individual service cases and to undertake impact litigation and/or other advocacy (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.
2. 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 (consumer and barriers to employment, with potential for housing law as well.)
3. 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.
4. Attorneys will be called upon to provide training and other assistance to volunteers who participate in Legal Action's Volunteer Lawyer Project.
5. Attorneys may perform some intake duties and, where necessary, make appropriate referrals to other community agencies.
6. All staff attorneys are responsible for serving on at least one of Legal Action’s 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. These attorneys will participate in the Consumer, Barriers to Employment, or Housing Law Priority Committee.
7. Staff attorneys will be assigned additional duties, including participation and training in race equity alignment and anti-racism; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and effects of trauma and trauma-informed care.
COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY
At Legal Action of Wisconsin, health and safety is a top priority. We require all new, unrepresented employees and interns, law clerks, volunteers, and contractors from employment agencies or consulting firms to have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations and booster and to provide medical proof from Wisconsin’s Immunization Registry or from a medical provider of their fully vaccinated status as a condition of employment with Legal Action of Wisconsin within 28 days of their first day of employment. Individuals may request a medical or religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Exemption requests must be completed and approved on or before the first day of employment.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
This position involves sedentary work, including sitting at a desk using a computer for an extended period. It also requires 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 a telephone. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision computer work. This position also involves driving a motor vehicle while seated for extended periods of time occasionally. Occasional reaching, bending, kneeling, and stooping involved to retrieve items and materials is also required. If working at a Legal Action office, the paralegal will work in an environmentally-controlled office with moderate noise from phones, printers, and light office traffic.
SALARY
Milwaukee, Racine, La Crosse, Green Bay, and Oshkosh Office Staff Attorneys: As set forth in Legal Action’s Salary Administration Plan, from hire until 5/31/22, staff attorneys in the Milwaukee, Racine, Green Bay, La Crosse, and Oshkosh offices with 0 – 1 years of relevant work experience would earn a salary of $45,727. A staff attorney with 5 years of relevant work experience would earn a salary of $52,347 from hire until 5/31/22. A staff attorney with 10 years of relevant work experience would earn a salary of $58,967 from hire until 5/31/22. Salaries are not negotiable and will follow this scale.
Beginning on 6/1/22, Legal Action’s Salary Administration Plan will increase salaries for staff attorneys and create Tier 1 Staff Attorney and Tier 2 Staff Attorney salary ladders. After 6/1/22, a Tier 1 staff attorney with 0 – 1 years of relevant work experience in these offices will earn a salary of $50,000. A Tier 1 staff attorney with 4 - 5 years of relevant work experience in the Milwaukee or Racine office will earn a salary of $60,500. A Tier 1 staff attorney with 9 – 10 years of relevant work experience will earn a salary of $75,500. (Tier 1 and Tier 2 duties and qualifications are not yet determined.) Legal Action’s salary plan provides for annual step increases as long as the attorney is meeting performance expectations. Salaries are not negotiable and will follow this scale.
Madison Office Staff Attorney: As set forth by the collective bargaining agreement with the United Legal Workers, a unit of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW), UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO, the Madison office staff attorney, an attorney with 0 – 1 years of relevant experience would receive an annual salary of $45,727. An attorney with 5 years of experience relevant experience 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. The collective bargaining agreement expires on 4/30/22 and Legal Action and ULW will be bargaining a new agreement.
SPANISH OR HMONG LANGUAGE FLUENCY PREMIUM
In addition, Legal Action’s 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 currently developing the structure for the language differential pay.
FRINGE BENEFITS
Legal Action provides a generous fringe benefits package for this position, including employer-paid health and dental insurance for employees and eligible dependents with no premium contribution by the employee (Employees are required to contribute $200/month to the health insurance premium if the spouse has group health insurance available from the spouse’s employer and the employee elects to cover the spouse on the Legal Action health plan.) 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, four weeks of annual leave per year, four days of personal leave, generous sick leave accrual, and four weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD
New hires in these positions are subject to a probationary period of 12 months. Newly hired attorneys are eligible to accrue and use their leave and other benefits during their probationary period. Legal Action may extend this probationary period.
GOVERNANCE
The Madison office staff attorney position will be represented for collective bargaining by ULW. 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.
Legal Action’s personnel policies govern the attorneys in the other offices. All personnel policies and salaries and benefits (for unrepresented employees) are subject to change by Legal Action’s Board of Directors.
SUPERVISION
A Managing Attorney will supervise these attorney positions.
REIMBURSEMENT FOR RELOCATION EXPENSES: Reimbursement for some relocation expenses may be available.
1. Juris Doctorate degree is required.
2. Admission to the Wisconsin Bar at hire is desired.
3. A personal commitment to civil legal aid and to providing quality and aggressive representation to low-income people is required.
4. Knowledge of state law and procedure is required.
5. Knowledge of federal law and procedure is desired.
6. Strong commitment to meeting quality standards of written and courtroom advocacy is required. Demonstrated ability to meeting quality standards of written and courtroom advocacy is desired.
7. Demonstrated ability to communicate both orally and in writing in a clear and concise manner is required.
8. Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with others is required.
9. Demonstrated ability to handle and prioritize many pressing matters in various locations is required.
10. Ability to travel throughout Legal Action’s service area to meet with clients and to attend court hearings is required.
11. Prior experience in civil legal aid or other relevant experience is desired.
12. Experience and knowledge of the court systems in the office’s service area is desired.
13. Written and oral fluency in Spanish or Hmong is highly desired.
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=436379137
1. Cover letter summarizing qualifications, interest in the position, and office preference.
2. Resume
3. Law school transcript (only required for applicants who graduated in 2018 or later)
4. Writing sample
5. Names and contact information for three professional references (for external applicants only)
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 may not be able to consider it.
Deedee Peterson, Executive Director, is the hiring manager for these positions, with assistance from other managers. A panel will interview applicants and make hiring recommendations. Interviews will likely be held remotely.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
We will review applicants on a rolling basis. To assure early consideration, please submit application materials before midnight on Thursday, March 31, 2022. Final application deadline is midnight on Friday, April 15, 2022.
NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG
