Staff Attorney - Community Economic Development, Microenterprise

Staff Attorney

Community Economic Development – Microenterprise Program

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM), a nonprofit law firm providing free legal assistance to people living with low-incomes and groups serving disadvantaged communities, seeks a dynamic, self-starting attorney who has vision, initiative, and a demonstrated commitment to eliminating poverty for a full-time Staff Attorney position for its Microenterprise Program.

The Community Economic Development-Microenterprise Program seeks to improve the quality of life for the St. Louis region, including particularly North St. Louis City and County, to increase wealth and help create jobs by offering free transactional legal work for aspiring businesses and nonprofits.

The Staff Attorney will work with community partners, including the Urban League, offering office hours on-site, staffing legal information clinics, giving presentations on various business legal issues and giving legal advice and representation to clients. This position is expected to be based in Urban League facilities and at other community partner facilities for part of service delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Facilitate and oversee day-to-day operations working with the Urban League and other partners serving St. Louis County populations;
• Recruit, train, energize, and retain volunteer attorneys from area law firms to assist with presentations, office hours, legal information clinics and client representation;
• Provide substantive and procedural guidance to pro bono partners, including acting as co-counsel on cases when needed;
• Help with organizing and staffing outreach geared to entrepreneurs and the Urban League Conference;
• Periodically meet with the Urban League and other organizations that assist entrepreneurs, especially those focusing on female entrepreneurs of color;
• Handle independent caseload focused on various transactional issues including entity formation, corporate governance, tax-exemption for nonprofits, contracts, real estate, employment and trademark.
• Design and conduct community outreach and community legal education in collaboration with the Microenterprise Managing Attorney and with LSEM’s Volunteer Lawyers’ Project;
• Establish relationships with local nonprofits, public institutions, and community leaders to increase referrals and resources for clients, in collaboration with other LSEM staff;
• As needed and in conjunction with the Paralegal Coordinator, conduct intake interviews by phone and in person with new clients, develop client relationships while gathering additional facts for their cases, assess the legal merits of clients’ cases, and advise clients on whether their cases are appropriate for volunteer attorney referral or staff representation, write case summaries for distribution to potential volunteer attorneys; and
• Assist with grant reporting, and compliance for project.

Qualifications:

• JD and admitted to Missouri State Bar required;
• 2 years experience as a practicing attorney strongly preferred, especially experience in transactional law;
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice and/or public interest work;
• Ability to work among diverse communities and grassroots community groups;
• Dynamic, confident personality with strong leadership skills;
• Strong communication and collaboration skills;
• Sense of humor and outgoing personality;
• Strong work ethic and ability to triage;
• Ability to work occasional nights and weekends and have reliable transportation across St. Louis County;
• Self-motivated and creative thinker;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; and
• Excellent computer skills.

How to Apply:

Click here to upload your resume and cover letter through JobScore. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Salary & Benefits Information:

Salary commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance, a generous time off policy, 403(b) and profit sharing plans, long-term disability and life insurance, employee assistance plan, and flexible spending account.

Submission Deadline:  Applications open until position is filled.

Equal access to LSEM’s office is available. Those applicants requiring accommodation to the interview/application process should contact the Human Resources Director at the e-mail ketucker @lsem.org.  LSEM is an equal opportunity employer.