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National Legal Aid & Defender Association · 2 days ago

Staff Attorney, Litigation- Detroit, MI

Los Angeles, CA

Full-time

Hybrid

Lead/Staff

National Legal Aid & Defender Association is seeking a dedicated lawyer to advocate and litigate on behalf of low-income and senior clients. The Staff Attorney will provide civil legal services through representation in various courts and engage in community lawyering while maintaining professional relationships with clients and coworkers.

LegalNon Profit

Senior Management

Responsibilities

Provide timely civil legal services to low-income and senior clients and client groups through representation in trial courts, appellate courts and other forums, through litigation, advice, negotiation, drafting and review of legal documents, referrals and administrative advocacy

Serve the clients in a holistic and client centered manner and engage in community lawyering through a racial justice lens

Update manuals and resource materials

Develop an expertise in one or more areas of law, if required

Promote and maintain civil and professional relationships with coworkers, clients, members of the judicial system, and members of the public with whom they have contact, treating all with dignity and respect

Train or mentor other staff in areas of experience. Adopted January 3, 2022

Assist other staff

Maintain currency of legal developments in poverty law

Assist in identifying substantial poverty problems affecting individual clients or the client communities

Understand and utilize office equipment and technology as required. Understand and use software programs necessary to generate required documents and reports. Ability to learn and use new or updated equipment and software as required

Follow Lakeshore Legal Aid policies particularly as they relate to file maintenance, case handling, document production, storage, report preparation, and time keeping

Communicate and establish contacts with court, community agencies, local and state bar associations, and local client groups as appropriate. Act as a resource to such groups when appropriate

Comply with funding requirements in the employee’s own work

Participate in groups, taskforces, or associations whose activities substantially affect Lakeshore Legal Aid’s work and the legal rights of low-income persons

Create and/or deliver presentations to community groups on legal services related topics

Timely complete and submit all work-related forms and reports required by a supervisor

Participate in training as appropriate and required by a supervisor

Participate in office-defined or program-defined impact projects

Develop continuing expertise to handle increasingly complex litigation or other projects

Perform other work-related duties as assigned by the supervising attorney, a director, CEO, or a CEO designee

Qualification

LitigationAdvocacyDrafting legal documentsMichigan Bar admissionSpanish language skillsEmpathyTechnology proficiencyCommunication skillsOrganizational skills

Required

Graduated from an accredited law school

Admitted to practice law in the State of Michigan, or an application at the first opportunity for admission by reciprocity, or by taking the first available bar exam

Demonstrated interest in the area of poverty law and working with low-income individuals. Able to be empathetic and understand the diverse clients of the poverty community

Ability to deal effectively with all people under difficult circumstances

Demonstrable skills in litigation, advocacy, interviewing, and drafting legal documents

Understand and comply with the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct

Dependable transportation for travel to intake sites, hearings, meetings and trainings

Experience or aptitude working with appropriate office technology, including telephone systems, copiers, word processing, report generation software, internet research, client database, etc

Demonstrated ability to plan and organize multiple tasks

Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing