Posted February 4, 20157:10 pm
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (Legal Aid) seeks a bilingual (English/Spanish) staff attorney for our Community Advocacy Program (CAP).
CAP is a medical-legal partnership that pairs legal and medical professionals to improve community health in Cleveland, Ohio. Doctors, nurses, and social workers from The MetroHealth System team with lawyers and a paralegal from The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland to overcome legal barriers to patient health. Achieving and maintaining good health involves more than just finding a good doctor. For many of Cleveland’s low income residents, problems such as lack of immigration status, poor housing, domestic violence, little access to healthy food, and lack of health insurance create barriers to health.
Qualifications/Requirements: Applicants should demonstrate the following:
- A commitment to the principal of equal justice and to advocacy for low-income persons.
- Juris Doctor (JD)
- Member in good standing of the Ohio Bar
- Experience in a legal services / non-profit environment preferred
- Experience working with mental health consumers preferred
- Experience with immigration law preferred
- Strong interest in public health and the social determinants of health
- Experience training or working/collaborating with other (non-legal) professions preferred
- Working knowledge of recent developments in state and federal case, statutory, and regulatory law related to the interests of Legal Aid’s clients
- Computer proficiency in MS Office
- Demonstrated ability to work as a member of a team and independently including willingness to help others (cooperative) and share knowledge, information, contacts, and experience
- Excellent communication skills (oral and written)
- Organized, able to prioritize work, plan and problem-solve, meet deadlines and work well under pressure
- Ability to travel to multiple office locations within Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s service area of Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) Required
Major Responsibilities: The Staff Attorney will:
- Train medical providers on civil legal issues their patients face and empower providers to effectively advocate for patients.
- Meet with medical residents and help them develop an understanding of how social/legal barriers impact patient health.
- Provide high quality legal representation to individuals and groups in accordance with Legal Aid Standards of Practice and Supervision and the Code of Professional Responsibility. This includes interviewing clients, conducting research, factual investigation, preparing pleadings, negotiating case resolutions, discovery and motion practice and representing clients in court and administrative hearings.
- Provide counseling, advice and other brief services and referrals, as appropriate.
- Co-counsel with other attorneys and work with paralegals.
- Represent clients and client groups in litigation, administrative advocacy and other advocacy forums.
- Engage in appellate work, complex and major litigation and other special projects.
- Develop and implement litigation and/or advocacy strategies to address systemic legal problems.
- Collaborate with medical providers on systemic legal problems that impact patient health.
- Analyze and comment on pending legislation and regulations consistent with the requirements of all funding sources.
- Provide training, mentoring and support to volunteer attorneys.
To learn more about Legal Aid and our practice groups, please visit www.lasclev.org.
Compensation & Benefits: Starting salary for this position will be commensurate with the appointee’s background and experience.
Legal Aid offers an exceptional benefits package including healthcare benefits, basic and supplemental life insurance, disability insurance, retirement savings plan with up to 13% employer contribution, generous vacation and sick time programs, and much more. Please visit Legal Aid’s “careers” section at www.lasclev.org for more information.
To Apply: Qualified candidates should forward a cover letter and resume to: careers@lasclev.org listing “CAP Attorney” in the subject line of the email. Application materials will be accepted until February 23, 2015. Only candidates selected for the interview process will be contacted directly.
Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate because of age, race, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, or mental or physical disability.
About Legal Aid: Legal Aid’s mission is to secure justice and resolve fundamental problems for those who are low income and vulnerable by providing high quality legal services and working for systemic solutions. Founded in 1905, Legal Aid is the fifth oldest legal aid organization in the United States. Legal Aid’s 40 staff attorneys and 1,400 volunteer lawyers ensure access to justice for low income people. For more information please visit www.lasclev.org.