Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. (Legal Action) is seeking to fill one full-time staff attorney position to work in the Elder Rights Project (ERP) at its Milwaukee office. The position is available immediately. The attorney will provide representation to elderly individuals who have been the victim of a crime with civil legal matters to help stabilize the individual following the victimization. This position offers significant litigation opportunities. ERP staff handle a variety of case types including: small and large claims actions to recover from financial exploitation, restraining orders, and other housing, family, and consumer issues.
LEGAL ACTION OF WISCONSIN, INC.
This position will be based in the Milwaukee office which is moving to 633 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 2000, Milwaukee, WI, 53203. The Milwaukee office consists of 30 attorneys, 14 paralegals, and 22 other administrative, professional, and technical staff. The Elder Rights Project-Milwaukee staff consists of three attorneys, one paralegal, and one victim advocate. The office provides direct services to clients in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.
Due to COVID-19, Legal Action is limiting in-office and on-site work as much as possible; we prioritize staff and client safety by offering telecommuting options, flexible work hours, and remote access to job responsibilities.
Equal justice under law can only be achieved through the collaboration of a diverse staff. When we utilize our differences, we effect positive change for the communities we serve. We are committed to equitable inclusion across gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, sex, religion, economic circumstances, ethnicity, national origin, and culture. We are striving to be an antic-racist law firm. We encourage staff to bring their whole selves to work each day and pledge to celebrate every aspect of who they are.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Provide quality and aggressive representation of clients in individual service cases.
• Undertake impact work (that which has impact on our client population or the systems that have the most effect on the clients’ communities).
• Develop and maintain expertise in areas of law that pertain to our client population.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with community groups, state and local bar associations, and others.
• Provide training and other assistance to volunteer attorneys who participate in Legal Action’s Volunteer Lawyer Project.
• Conduct regular outreach and education throughout our service area. This may include participation in local task forces or committees and occasional public speaking engagements to the community.
• Perform intake duties and, where necessary, make appropriate referrals to other community agencies.
• Participate in at least one of the firm’s Priority Committees: Housing, Employment, Consumer, Public Benefits, and Family Law. These priority committees meet regularly to discuss trends in the law to strategize the firm’s work.
• Other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
QUALIFICATIONS
• J.D. required, licensed to practice in Wisconsin or able to be licensed within 3 months of hire.
• 1 to 3 years of civil litigation experience is preferred.
• Prior experience in civil legal aid or other relevant experience is preferred.
• Ability communicate both orally and in writing in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to prioritize and organize resources while maintaining quality and attention to detail.
• Ability to work harmoniously with others.
• Knowledgeable in state and federal law and procedure.
• Meet high standards of written and courtroom advocacy.
• Ability to 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.
Legal Action values a diverse staff and work environment. We strongly encourage 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. Legal Action 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
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. 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 LAW office.
SALARY
Starting salary depends upon experience and qualifications, with a minimum starting salary of $45,727; $52,347 for a candidate with five years of legal experience; $58, 967 for a candidate with ten years of legal experience for a 100% full-time position. Salaries are not negotiable and will follow this scale. Each year, Legal Action’s Board of Directors determines the amount of salary increase for attorneys. Though not guaranteed, for many years the Legal Action Board has provided an annual $2,000 step increase.
FRINGE BENEFITS
Legal Action attorneys receive a full fringe benefit package which currently includes employer-paid health, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance; a retirement plan contribution; and four weeks of vacation leave, four days of personal leave per year, and generous sick leave. Legal Action also offers flexible schedules including telecommuting for experienced staff. We also provide four weeks of paid parental leave to eligible employees.
GOVERNANCE
The position is subject to a probationary period of up to one year. 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
Applicants must submit the following application materials via Legal Action of Wisconsin’s online applicant portal by using this link: Staff Attorney – Elder Rights Project (ERP)
• Cover letter
• Resumé
• Writing sample
• Provide the names and contact information for three professional references (current LAW staff members are not required to include references)
• Law school transcript (only required for applicants who graduated 2015 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
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.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
The position will be open until filled. We encourage applicants to apply before Friday, October 30, 2020.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employee
