Staff Attorney Children & Families at Legal Aid Chicago

For over 50 years Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys volunteers and staff help resolve civil legal problems including domestic violence consumer fraud and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice.Legal Aid Chicago offers a hybrid work environment. Our office located in downtown Chicago at 120 S. LaSalle Street is ADA accessible and has convenient access to public transportation and local expressways. This position may require travel to court or other outreach events.The Children & Families Practice Group advocates for students whose right to an education is threatened represents survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in protective order and domestic relations cases against their abusers and defends parents against unwarranted intrusions by the State into their right to parent.Position: Legal Aid Chicago has an opening for two (2) full-time staff attorneys in the Children & Families Practice Group with an immediate start date. These positions will report to a Supervisory Attorney or Director.Responsibilities include:Maintain an individual caseload of family law and family defense cases including:Protective order proceedings in the Domestic Violence Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County;Divorce and Allocation of Parental Responsibilities proceedings in the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County;DCFS investigations and related legal services to prevent an indicated finding and/or the filing of a petition in juvenile court;DCFS administrative hearings seeking to expunge wrongful indicated findings of abuse/neglect;Service appeals in which our client has a legal right to appeal a placement or service decision with DCFS; andCases in the Child Protection Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County involving systemic issues of particular concern to Legal Aid Chicagos client population including poverty-based allegations of neglect domestic violence the States provision of reasonable efforts to assist in reunification and the fundamental right to due processMaintain accurate case files and timekeeping in electronic case management systemDevelop and maintain knowledge in a specialized area of law and competence in related areas of lawWork collaboratively with other Legal Aid Chicago staff and volunteers to provide comprehensive legal servicesInterview eligible clients and provide advice and brief services when appropriatePresent new cases at weekly case acceptance meetingsProvide trainings to service providers and community groups about legal rights impacting low-income peopleCollaborate on projects that could involve outreach to community groups developing new strategies for serving our clients or address systemic issues through litigation negotiation or advocacyAttend trainings and maintain up-to-date knowledge on relevant issuesParticipate in other activities related to poverty law including publication permissible legislative and administrative advocacy media relations and fundraising as neededAssist with grant reporting as appropriate and applicableOther duties as determined by the Supervisory Attorneys and DirectorsSalary and Benefits:This position is part of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers UAW Local 2320. The Collective Bargaining Agreement sets employment terms and compensation is determined by the CBA salary scale based on paid experience.The budgeted salary range for this position is $69433-$77090 which reflects 0-10 years of paid credited experience.Legal Aid Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package including:Bilingual Staff Attorneys are eligible for an additional stipendMedical dental and vision insurance effective the first day of employmentTime Off: 15 vacation days and 18 sick days accrued within the first year of employment19 paid holidays including four (4) floating holidaysTwelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of the salary after six months of employment403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution after one year of employment$50000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance at no costAccess to Employee Assistance Program resources at no costMonthly internet reimbursementLegal Aid Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is an eligible employer for the federal public service loan forgiveness programRequirementsLegal Aid Chicago encourages applications from individuals with relevant experience particularly those who have direct experience with communities we serve or perspectives that help us understand and serve our clients better.Applicants must have a J.D. degree and be licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois or licensed to practice law in another state and able to waive into the Illinois bar.Spanish fluency strongly preferred.The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated interest in providing advocacy in the areas of gender-based violence domestic relations family defense or education.Strong oral and written communication skills organizational skills and client counseling skills are necessary.The ability to work well independently and as part of a team is important.The successful applicant will demonstrate a commitment to and experience with our client communities and/or people living in poverty.The applicants personal background experience or professional background should reflect an ability to work effectively in cross-cultural situations with clients co-workers and the community we serve.To Apply: Submit a cover letter resume writing sample and the contact information of two primary professional references and one alternative professional reference. For applicants with previous work experience at least one reference must be a former supervisor. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled.Legal Aid Chicago is firmly committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of creed color national origin sex gender sexual orientation age religion marital or parental status alienage disability political affiliation or belief military or military discharge status ex-offender status family responsibilities reproductive health decisions or any other protected status.If an accommodation is needed to complete this application contact Human Resources at Due to the high volume of applications we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding an application status. We will contact candidates who are selected for the next stage of the hiring process.Required Experience:Staff IC Key Skills Clerical,Diploma,Foreclosure Paralegal,Flight Operations,Construction Equipment Employment Type : Full-Time Experience: years Vacancy: 1 Monthly Salary Salary: 69433 - 77090