Staff Attorney- Medical Legal Partnership - Native American Program

Taos Pueblo Partnership Staff Attorney - Native American Program

Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

New Mexico Legal Aid (NMLA) provides civil legal services to low-income New Mexicans to promote family and economic stability, helping clients access food, shelter, security, and to preserve their unique cultural heritages. NMLA has locations throughout the state, including Santa Ana Pueblo, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Gallup, Roswell, Silver City, and Taos.

NMLA's Native American Program (NAP) provides free legal services - both civil and criminal - to eligible low-income Native Americans living on or near the 19 Pueblos and the Mescalero Apache tribe in New Mexico. In addition to cases promoting family and economic stability, NAP prioritizes cases arising because of someone's status as a Native American, including tribal and Indian law, estate planning involving tribal property, racial discrimination, and tribal criminal court cases. Much of NAP's caseload is comprised of cases in Pueblo courts, but the program handles poverty law issues coming up in other fora as well.

NAP does creative, challenging, and complex work in diverse client communities. We are looking for highly motivated candidates who are passionate and strongly committed to helping serve Native American communities, including developing effective team strategies to handle complex advocacy. The attorney shall be active in relevant bar and community activities. All NMLA staff attorney positions fall under a collective bargaining agreement. This position is primarily based onsite at Taos Pueblo, although the attorney should expect to do some travel in northern New Mexico.

The Taos Pueblo Partnership Staff Attorney will be dedicated to serving Taos Pueblo members and other Native Americans in the broader Taos Pueblo community. The attorney will provide advice, brief services, and occasional representation on legal issues impacting public health, such as matters related to health and safety, income and asset preservation, and other social determinants of health. Cases may be within the Taos Pueblo Tribal Court, other tribal courts, state court, or federal court. Beyond individual client services, the attorney will provide regular community education presentations and assist in the creation of pro se materials. The current term of the position is through December 2025, but NMLA and Taos Pueblo are hopeful to extend the project with future funding.

The Taos Pueblo Partnership Staff Attorney will receive the same mentorship, supervision, and office equipment as any other NAP Staff Attorney and will participate in weekly case staffing meetings with the rest of the NAP. The attorney will be able to connect applicants for services falling outside the scope or capacity of their work to other resources at the NAP, NMLA, and the larger legal community.

Duties: the Taos Pueblo Partnership Staff Attorney is responsible for the following tasks, under the supervision and direction of the NAP Litigation Managing Attorney and Director:

• Provides legal services, from advice to full representation, to eligible clients within NAP's priorities.
• Completes intakes for walk-in applicants.
• Develops community education presentations responsive to the needs of Taos Pueblo community members.
• Develops pro se materials responsive to the needs of Taos Pueblo community members.
• Hosts clinics at various Taos Pueblo locations.
• Analyzes applicants' needs to highlight areas where systemic solutions or more dedicated focus would prove valuable.
• Collaborates with NAP staff to resource or serve applicants outside the Taos Pueblo community.

Qualifications:

• Understanding of tribal law and federal and state Indian law, particularly in areas handled by NAP case workers, including court procedures;
• Experience - lived or professional - in low-income Native communities, preferably Pueblo communities, is preferred;
• Experience as an attorney, including experience in tribal courts, on matters concerning the unique status of Native persons;
• Admission to practice in New Mexico required; or ability to become licensed to practice in New Mexico within three months of hire and admission to practice in another state's jurisdiction;
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse team, including adjusting communication for a variety of cultural backgrounds and learning styles;
• Ability to take initiative to identify questions or barriers faced in their work, design and propose solutions, and proactively communicate with colleagues and supervisors who are working out of different offices;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Ability to effectively use computer technology and remote communications systems, including shared on-line workspaces and web meeting and videoconferencing software, to effectively work with staff located in multiple offices;
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, manage a caseload, and build collaborative relationships across different NMLA offices.

The position is part of a collective bargaining agreement. Pay is determined by years of experience and set by a union scale; click here to view the salary scale. NMLA provides comprehensive benefits, holiday and leave packages. For information about NMLA's generous benefits, and what it is like to work at NMLA click here

Applicants must submit a current resume and a cover letter in order to be considered. Your cover letter should include the ways in which you satisfy the skills and qualifications specified above and explain your interest in this position and the mission of NMLA. Your application will not be considered unless we receive both of these documents by clicking here to apply. As an alternative you can email the applicant packet to jobs@nmlegalaid.org.

Salary: DOE, NMLA is an EEO Employer. Application Deadline: until filled. Resumes reviewed on a rolling basis.

Applicants will be subject to a background check. Please do not let this deter you from applying. NMLA is committed to a strong workforce and recognizes that persons with marks on their record may still be able to perform admirably.