Co-Managing Attorney - MLP

Position Summary:

The Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLP) staff work at TLSC and onsite with health care clinicians to promote physical, mental, and emotional health through integrated legal care. TLSC MLPs are based on the national MLP model of increasing access to justice while mitigating socio-legal determinants of health—such as lack of access to care, financial and food insecurity, housing instability and utilities issues, and personal uncertainty—by embedding legal professionals with the health care team to detect, address, and prevent health-harming legal needs for patients and communities. 

This position will help manage the MLP program while addressing the health-harming legal needs of patients at MLP partner organizations. 

The attorney in this position is expected to maintain the highest ethical and professional standards as a member of the State Bar; adhere to the American Bar Association Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid; embrace and support Texas Legal Service Center’s (TLSC) overall mission; and comply with all grant requirements, regulations, standards, policies, and confidentiality requirements. 

This is a grant funded position.

Essential Functions:

· Provide support and leadership to the MLP team in a responsive and professional manner. 

· Analyze legal and social problems and devise savvy strategic plans to address health-harming legal needs through outside-the-box thinking and interprofessional collaboration. 

· Seek and act on opportunities for healthcare transformation by bringing structural competency to bear on clinical committees, workgroups, and taskforces. 

· Cultivate working relationships and partnerships, both internally at partner clinics and externally with health care professionals, students, and other social services agencies in the community and statewide, to advance program and organizational goals. 

· Present complex, relevant legal topics to lay members of the community and health professionals. 

· Lead or assist with promoting health and legal education efforts statewide and in local programs. 

· Recruit, support, and evaluate assigned TLSC legal and administrative staff. 

· Assist with funding for, reporting on, and evaluation of the MLP program and its partnerships. 

· Communicate with third parties, the media, and the public to advocate on behalf of clients and the MLP mission. 

· Provide high-quality legal advice, assistance, referrals, and representation, where applicable, to eligible clients in a compassionate, culturally appropriate, and trauma-informed manner. 

· Work onsite or travel at least three days a week to cover work at the TLSC office in Austin, work at the MLP partner clinic sites in Central Texas, and work with potential sites and outreach partners around the state. 

Other Functions 

· Performs other duties as assigned. 

Competencies 

· Ability to understand the MLP model, healthcare entities, and the MLP approach to civil legal services. 

· Readiness to represent and advocate for patients with health-harming legal needs in two or more of the above “IHELP” categories. 

· Current knowledge and expertise of the law and legal system, especially in areas that affect how well and how long individuals and populations live. 

· Excellent legal research and advocacy skills. 

· Strong analytical skills and attention-to-detail. 

· Exceptional listening, written and oral communications skills. 

· Proficiency with Adobeand Microsoft Office products. 

· Proficiency with or ability to learn LegalServer (TLSC’s case management system) and clinic practice management and health record systems. 

· Understanding of grant requirements and associated reporting needs. 

· Ability to learn new technologies to carry out job functions. 

· Ability to work with clients in a patient, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental manner. 

· Ability to travel to out-of-town locations as needed. 

Education and License (Required):

· J.D. Degree.

· Licensure by the Supreme Court of Texas.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes.

Experience Required:

· A minimum of five years of legal experience that includes presentation of complex, relevant legal topics to lay members of the community and health professionals. 

· Minimum of two years of experience leading, mentoring, and motivating staff in a public interest, governmental, or non-profit setting.  

Experience Preferred:

· Two years of experience working in two or more “IHELP” areas, which are: 

o Income and insurance, including consumer law, public benefits and private health insurance law; 

o Housing, including eviction, habitability, and utilities; 

o Education, including IDEA and Rehabilitation Act §504; 

o Employment, including the Family and Medical Leave Act; 

o Legal Status, including credit history, expunction/nondisclosure, and name change,; and 

o Personal Stability, including guardianship and alternatives, advance directives, and wills, or family law. 

· Two years of litigation experience.

 
Physical Requirements:

· Sedentary work that involves sitting most of the time. 

· Occasional bending, squatting, and kneeling. 

· Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force as needed, at times to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.