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Staff Attorney - LAAMI

Legal Advocacy for Adults with Mental Illness (LAAMI) Program | St. Louis, MO | Full Time

Job Description

Staff Attorney

Legal Advocacy for Adults with Mental Illness Program

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM), a non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance to people living with low-income/low opportunity, seeks a full-time Staff Attorney to work in its Legal Advocacy for Adults with Mental Illness (LAAMI) program.

The LAAMI Staff Attorney works with adults in St. Louis City to address civil legal issues impacting behavioral health recovery. The Staff Attorney will provide community outreach and education, legal advice, advocacy and representation in civil, municipal, administrative and other matters that affect a client’s ability to access and maintain housing, employment, education, health/mental health services, public benefits and other essential services. Impact litigation resulting in improvements for many persons may be involved. The Staff Attorney will work closely with the project’s social worker to provide clients with holistic advocacy.

Responsibilities include:

  • Conduct substantive legal work in a variety of practice areas, utilizing all tools available. Draft complex pleadings, letters, and memoranda. Advance client goals through legal representation, including administrative hearings and court proceedings. Substantive areas most commonly include housing eviction, public benefits, consumer, municipal law violations, and family law.
  • Conduct in-depth client interviews, fact gathering and maintain regular and responsive contact with clients.
  • Create community education materials.  Present and teach to groups of potential clients and service providers (including being able to lead workshops with community organizations).  Participate and be active in connecting with community partners and conducting community outreach.
  • Enjoy working with low-income/low-opportunity, underrepresented communities, recognizing major issues affecting the lives of low-income clients, particularly those living with mental illness. Work collaboratively with co-workers and community partners in other professions, supervise law students and paralegals and have excellent communication skills.
  • Track project activities for purposes of reporting to funders and assist with grant reporting, as needed.

Qualifications:

  • JD and admitted to practice in Missouri (or eligible to be admitted)
  • 2 years of experience as a practicing attorney strongly preferred
  • Demonstrated commitment to public interest law or to legal services for the poor strongly preferred
  • Previous legal experience working with low-income individuals and/or individuals living with mental illness strongly preferred
  • Ability to relate well and work with low-income clients
  • Strong communication skills, work ethic, flexibility and teamwork
  • Strong litigation and advocacy skills
  • Knowledgeable in Microsoft Office and case management software
  • Demonstrate initiative, sound judgment and a commitment to our legal aid mission
  • Open to creative and innovative ways of fulfilling that mission.

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 will be considered on a rolling basis until the 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.