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    Elder Rights Project Supervising Attorney – Legal Action of Wisconsin

    Legal Action now seeks a full-time supervising attorney for its Elder Rights Project (ERP) to oversee the legal work and professional development of two (2) staff attorneys, a paralegal, and a victim advocate while maintaining a caseload of their own. The supervising attorney will work at the Milwaukee Office of Legal Action of Wisconsin. ERP’s mission is to solve the civil legal problems that arise from incidents of financial, physical, and emotional abuse against clients sixty years old and older. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, ERP strives to secure and stabilize the lives of vulnerable elder victims of abuse. ERP focuses on removing abusers from homes, recovering stolen assets and money, protecting elders’ income and benefits, and combatting unconscionable consumer fraud and scams. ERP works as a team of attorneys and advocates in every Legal Action office and is funded by grants from Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and Office of Violence Against Women (OVW).

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, currently, this position is partially remote.

    The Milwaukee Area Office staff of 30 attorneys, 14 paralegals, and 22 other administrative, professional and technical staff provides representation to residents of Milwaukee and Waukesha County. 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, and a Volunteer Lawyers Project. Two attorneys are located at the Center for Driver's License Recovery & Employment at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

    LEGAL ACTION OF WISCONSIN, INC.

    Since 1968, Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc., has provided civil legal aid to those who would otherwise be denied justice. Whether it’s securing FoodShare for a family in need, obtaining a domestic abuse restraining order for a mother, preventing homelessness, or disputing predatory loans, Legal Action delivers high quality, personalized representation to every client, emphasizing the legal work that can create systemic change. Legal Action fights tirelessly in the southern 39 counties of Wisconsin to ensure equal access to justice regardless of income or age. In addition, Legal Action operates a statewide farmworkers project. With funding from the federal Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, and various other sources, this non-profit law firm represents low-income and elderly individuals at no cost to the client. Attorneys in Legal Action’s six offices focus their work primarily on housing, public benefits, family law, consumer issues, and removing barriers to employment.

    Legal Action of Wisconsin (LAW) values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ and people with disabilities to apply. LAW invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experience might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

    KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
    • 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 staff meetings when the project director is not available
    • Develop expertise and training curriculum in areas that affect victims of abuse specifically, such as eviction, restraining orders, divorce, identity theft, consumer fraud, and civil theft
    • Attend and participate in at least one priority committee
    • Work collaboratively with colleagues and agency partners to resolve obstacles and/or conflicts
    • Provide quality client representation in direct service cases and perform all duties associated with such representation
    • Litigate high-impact cases on a range of civil legal issues in trial and appellate courts in state and federal courts
    • Serve clients from a wide range of backgrounds and with different abilities
    • Engage in public speaking to educate community partners, attorneys, and other professionals
    • Travel for training, litigation, conferences, speaking engagements, and client development. This includes travel to visit with clients at their homes since some elderly clients may be unable to travel.
    • Perform intake and assign or refer cases appropriately
    • Train and supervise paralegal staff and other advocacy staff, as needed
    • Perform other duties which may be assigned from time to time

    QUALIFICATIONS
    • At least five years of experience practicing law is required.
    • Admission to the Wisconsin Bar, by diploma privilege or by passage of the first available bar exam
    • Prior legal aid or other relevant supervision experience is preferred
    • Familiarity with courtroom procedure, both federal and state
    • Superior skills in case analysis, research, and writing
    • Demonstrated ability to speak clearly and persuasively
    • Enthusiasm for arguing motions and representing at trial
    • Self-motivated, diligent, and able to meet strict deadlines while under pressure
    • Commitment to serving the elderly, the poor, and victims of abuse
    • Cultural competence and respect for differences in race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance
    • Ability to speak another language and cultural affinity for the client community that speaks that language is preferred.

    Legal Action values a diverse staff and work environment. LAW strongly encourages applications from women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, and people with life experiences or education that add to the firm’s diversity and our capacity to provide high-quality legal aid. LAW encourages applicants to include a statement about the ways that their unique background and personal, professional, and life experiences contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of the firm’s staff and our law firm’s mission along with their other application materials.

    PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
    The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

    SALARY AND BENEFITS
    The salary for this position is determined by Legal Action’s attorney salary scale, as set forth in the firm’s salary administration plan. For example, under Legal Action’s attorney salary scale, an attorney with zero (0) to one (1) years of experience practicing law would earn a starting salary of $45,727 for a 100% full-time position. An attorney with five (5) years of experience practicing law would earn a salary of $52,347. This position is eligible for a supervisory stipend of $3,500.

    The attorney salary scale and the salary administration plan are determined by Legal Action’s Board of Directors. The position may receive an annual increase if the Board of Directors approves it.

    Legal Action a generous fringe benefit package, including employer-paid health and dental 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 401K retirement plan, a profit-sharing plan; and four weeks of vacation leave, four days of personal leave per year and twelve (12) days of sick leave per year. New employees receive a pro-rated allotment of annual (vacation), personal and sick leave upon hire. The firm also provides four (4) weeks of paid parental leave to eligible employees.

    PROBATIONARY PERIOD
    The position is subject to a probationary period of up to one (1) year.

    GOVERNANCE
    The 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. As with any Legal Action position, there is no guaranteed period of employment and employment is at will, subject to termination at any time.

    HOW TO APPLY
    Lauren Hamvas, Elder Rights Project (ERP) Director is the hiring manager for this position. Applicants must submit the following items in a PDF file to elderabuse@legalaction.org:
    • A cover letter;
    • Resumé;
    • A recent legal writing sample;
    • The names and contact information for three professional references;
    • Law school transcript which is required for applicants who graduated in 2017 or later;
    • Optional (but highly encouraged): A statement about the ways your unique background, and personal, professional and life experiences contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality and perspective of our staff and our law firm’s mission and this position.

    Email applications are preferred and strongly encouraged. If necessary, application materials may be mailed to:
    Attorney Lauren Hamvas
    Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc.
    744 Williamson St., Suite 200
    Madison, WI 53703

    APPLICATION DEADLINE
    The position will be open and application materials will be reviewed until filled. To ensure early consideration, please submit application materials no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 26, 2020.

    Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

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    Location = Milwaukee
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