Equal Justice Works Legal Fellow

About the Opportunity

CAASE seeks diverse and dynamic applicants for a one year, full-time attorney position as an Equal Justice Works Fellow in the Crime Victims Advocacy Program. CAASE has been competitively selected by Equal Justice Works as an implementing partner of Equal Justice Works’ Crime Victims Advocacy Program (CVAP), funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).

CAASE envisions a community free from all forms of sexual exploitation, including sexual assault and the commercial sex trade. CAASE addresses the culture, institutions, and individuals that perpetrate, profit from, or support sexual exploitation. Our work includes prevention, policy reform, community engagement, and legal services.

Despite the significant expansion of victim assistance services and resources in recent years, access to high-quality civil legal services and victims’ rights enforcement remains limited, especially for Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) and other individuals from communities with high levels of disinvestment. The Crime Victims Advocacy Program will increase legal assistance to crime victims in BIPOC communities by mobilizing and training a network of 21 committed attorney Fellows and 21 law student Fellows who will serve at selected host organizations across the country, expanding the capacity of participating host organizations to provide legal assistance to victims of crime in BIPOC communities and communities with high levels of disinvestment, through the provision of civil legal assistance and victims’ rights enforcement.

The fellow will be involved in all aspects of CAASE’s substantive legal work – from development of legal strategies to implementation. They will handle a variety of complex cases within the legal department, focusing on enforcing crime victims’ rights in criminal proceedings and related collateral civil legal issues. The fellow will also engage in outreach and education activities related to crime victims’ rights for survivors of sexual violence.  

Responsibilities

Direct Legal Services

The Staff Attorney will carry an active caseload of up to 16 clients and is expected to

work independently according to the organization’s policies and procedures.

Specific tasks will include:

●      Meet with, assess comprehensive legal needs of, and provide legal advice and representation to victims of sexual assault and/or sex trafficking.

●      Provide advocacy and representation to sexual assault survivors seeking to have the

criminal justice system investigate and prosecute perpetrators of sexual assault and exploitation.

●      Utilize the Illinois Crime Victim Bill of Rights to represent survivors of sexual assault or

sex trafficking as a victims’ rights attorney in criminal proceedings.

●      Address the collateral civil legal needs of victims related to privacy, physical safety, education, employment, housing, and financial compensation matters.

●      Maintain organized and detailed case files and a client database.

External Partnerships and Community Engagement

●      Collaborate with Chicago-based rape crisis centers and victim advocates in providing comprehensive services to victims, including engaging and communicating with specific advocates on clients’ cases.

●      Develop and present educational programming on CAASE’s legal services program and the legal rights of survivors for attorneys, law enforcement, prosecutors, community leaders and rape crisis center advocates.

●      Represent CAASE in community-based coalitions, task forces and campaigns as assigned by the Managing Attorney or Legal Director.

●      Seek out and engage in opportunities to represent CAASE through public speaking and presentations, both locally and nationally.

Status:  Full time, exempt. 

Reports to:  Managing Attorney

This position is primarily remote, but there may be occasional travel within Chicagoland.

Education and Experience

This position is for an entry-level attorney. Applicants must have a Juris Doctorate, pass the summer 2024 Illinois bar exam, and obtain an Illinois license.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

●   Strong research, writing, and litigation skills; Excellent interpersonal skills and comfort working with survivors, victim’s advocates, State’s Attorneys, Police, employers, school administrators, medical practitioners, and other attorneys.

●   Demonstrated commitment to working against all forms of violence against girls and women and

on behalf of all victims of sexual assault and exploitation, regardless of sex,

gender identity, race, ethnicity or economic circumstances. 

●   Demonstrated commitment to feminist principles of identifying and opposing all forms and manifestations of inequality.

●   Commitment to developing innovative legal and policy responses to sexual assault through the provision of civil legal representation and advocacy to survivors of sexual assault and prostitution, both within the criminal justice system, the civil justice system, and in any other venue applicable to survivors, including in educational or employment settings.

Salary and Benefits

The starting annual salary for this position is $50,000. CAASE strives to provide a comprehensive and equitable benefits package, including health and dental coverage with employer contributions to premiums, optional vision coverage, and employer paid life insurance. CAASE offers a robust 401k plan with a 2.5% employer contribution regardless of employee elections. CAASE offers remote work stipends to partially cover phone and internet expenses for those to whom it applies. CAASE also has generous paid time off, including regular vacation time, flexible sick time which can be used for mental health, preventative health and family wellness, regular paid holidays (including floating holidays,) and long term paid medical and parental leave. 

Application Instructions

Please submit a resume, substantive cover letter, and writing sample to HR@caase.org. No phone calls please. If you need any assistance or accommodations during the application process, please contact hr@caase.org.

The Crime Victims Advocacy Program (CVAP) is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Award Number 15POVC-22-GK-01116-NONF and authorized under 34 U.S.C. §20103(c)(1)(A) and (c)(3)(E). 

CAASE is committed to providing an environment that is free of discrimination and harassment. We are committed to being responsive to any reports of unethical or unlawful conduct, including but not limited to harassment and discrimination, when they are brought to our attention directly. Additionally, as a recipient of funds through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), CAASE complies with all additional requirements for responding to reports to ICJIA and its related entities. If a CAASE program participant believes that they have been discriminated against or that their civil rights have been violated, the individual may file a complaint with ICJIA, who will then forward the complaint to the IDHR or the OCR for investigation. Complaint forms and instructions can be found on ICJIA’s website at https://icjia.illinois.gov/about/publications/. Complaints can also be submitted directly to the Office for Civil Rights; Office of Justice Programs; U.S. Department of Justice, at 810 Seventh Street N.W., Washington, DC 20531 or by visiting: https://ojp.gov/about/ocr/complaint.htm. Employment complaints may be submitted directly to the EEOC, at https://www.eeoc.gov/employees/howtofile.cfm. Complaints can also be submitted directly to the Illinois Department of Human Rights, 100 West Randolph Street, 10th Floor, Intake unit, Chicago, IL 60601, 535 West Jefferson, 1st Floor, Intake Unit, Springfield, IL 62702, or by visiting https://www2.illinois.gov/dhr/FilingaCharge/Pages/Intake.aspx.

CAASE strives to provide a comprehensive and equitable benefits package, including health and dental coverage with employer contributions to premiums, optional vision coverage, and employer paid life insurance. CAASE offers a robust 401k plan with a 2.5% employer contribution regardless of employee elections. CAASE offers remote work stipends to partially cover phone and internet expenses for those to whom it applies. CAASE also has generous paid time off, including regular vacation time, flexible sick time which can be used for mental health, preventative health and family wellness, regular paid holidays (including floating holidays,) and long term paid medical and parental leave.