Staff Attorney Family Unit One Safe Place Hybrid/Remote

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

POSITION:              Staff Attorney – Family Unit 

CLOSING DATE:    Position Immediately Available and Closed When Filled

LOCATION:            Hybrid/Remote – One Safe Place Fort Worth, Texas

OVERVIEW: Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT) seeks a dynamic, self-starting attorney who has vision, initiative, and a demonstrated commitment and passion for public interest to fill a staff attorney position in Fort Worth. The staff attorney would office with a community partner organization within the Fort Worth service area. The community partner is a family justice center that has a longstanding partnership with LANWT in the provision of civil legal services to survivors of abuse. In addition to providing daily representation in family civil legal matters including divorce, custody and protective orders, the successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to strategic advocacy by engaging in outreach and collaboration with low-income survivors and other community partners that serve the indigent community. LANWT particularly seeks an attorney with a commitment to working with domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse or neglect survivors.

DESCRIPTION: LANWT is a non-profit public interest law firm that provides high-quality free civil legal services to low-income people in 114 counties in North and West Texas.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: A staff attorney must be able to gather evidence, advise clients about their rights, draft legal documents, and conduct civil lawsuits. A staff attorney must interview clients and witnesses with cultural competence, as well as handle other tasks in representing clients. A staff attorney represents clients in court and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies of government. The staff attorney also interprets laws, rulings, and regulations for clients and the client community. The staff attorney will provide legal assistance in areas of family law, including but not limited to: divorce, child custody, protective orders, and child support and enforcement proceedings.

The staff attorney also designs and carries out outreach and community legal education and works closely with the community and low-income community groups to further LANWT’s mission of reducing poverty by providing equitable access to the civil justice system. The staff attorney may supervise and coordinate activities of legal, clerical, volunteer, or student workers. In short, the staff attorney is expected to efficiently handle a caseload involving substantial litigation and other justice-related advocacy, periodically attend evening legal clinics, devise and participate in community legal education programs, establish meaningful relationships with community organizations, conduct intake, and participate in outreach offered by LANWT.

In fulfilling this mission, the attorney will provide high-quality representation to indigent clients in accordance with LANWT’s policies and procedures and with an attorney’s responsibilities under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, the Texas Lawyers Creed, and the American Bar Association’s Standards for Providers of Civil Legal Services to the Poor.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Licensed to practice law in Texas.
• Prior experience handling contested family law cases.
• A demonstrated commitment to public interest law or serving the low-income community.
• Experience working with survivors of domestic violence and or sexual assault.
• Strong understanding of Texas Family Code, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and Texas Rules of Evidence.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience coordinating community services, partners and education.
• The ability to think and plan strategically and to develop and implement projects.
• Possess a strong work ethic and a sense of accountability.
• Fluent in Spanish – both verbal and written is preferred.
• Excellent attendance record.
• Ability to engage in occasional work-related travel.

SALARY: Current entry-level salary for a new attorney is $66,500 per year. The salary for the successful applicant may be significantly higher, based on the applicant’s years of experience.

BENEFITS: Excellent benefits package that includes paid vacation and holidays; a retirement plan; health, dental, and life insurance.

Please submit a cover letter expressing interest, a resume, and three professional references during the application process.

LEGAL AID OF NORTHWEST TEXAS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

VETERANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY