Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney

Organization Overview:

For over 30 years, the Legal Clinic for the Disabled (LCD) has worked to empower low-income people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and the deaf and hard of hearing in the Philadelphia by providing free legal representation to overcome legal obstacles that would otherwise affect their independence, health, or quality of life. LCD is headquartered in Center City, and staff work directly with medical partners at multiple sites across Philadelphia through our Medical-Legal Partnership Initiative and Housing and Habitability Initiative. Focused on addressing health-harming legal needs, our practice areas include family, housing, planning documents, public benefits, and social security law. In addition to our Initiatives, we conduct general telephone intake, hold Community Legal Outreach Clinics and healthcare provider trainings, and actively participate in the Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project. Last year alone, LCD served over 2,000 clients, furthering our mission to foster inclusion, independence, and justice for all.

Job Summary:

This position reports to a Supervising Attorney. An LCD staff attorney provides high quality legal services to low-income people with disabilities in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. The attorney will work within LCD’s Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Initiative and the Housing and Habitability Initiative.

Essential Duties:

The staff attorney will handle cases from intake to resolution in accordance with the Code of Professional Responsibility. This includes conducting client interviews, conducting research, gathering evidence, preparing case strategy and legal documents, negotiating case resolutions, discovery and motion practice, and providing direct representation in administrative and civil court proceedings. The staff attorney will provide on-site legal services, host community outreach and education events, and assist with general telephone intake. The attorney will mentor and support legal interns and other student interns. The ideal candidate has litigation experience with a working knowledge of one or more of the following substantive areas: SSI/SSDI, landlord/tenant law, family law, public benefits, and advance planning documents.

Housing Initiative:

The attorney will provide direct legal services to tenants including advice, administrative advocacy, in-court representation in Municipal Court, Court of Common Pleas, and the Fair Housing Commission. The staff attorney will encounter and address a broad range of issues related to housing, including but not limited to: eviction, habitability and repair issues, illegal lockouts, discrimination, and retaliation. The staff attorney will also provide training and support to community partners on substantive legal issues. The candidate should have an understanding of how housing issues may impact a client’s health.

MLP Initiative:

The staff attorney will staff one or more of LCD’s Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Initiative sites. The staff attorney will provide training and support to medical providers and hospital staff at the MLP site on substantive legal issues.

Responsibilities:

• Provide direct legal services to clients including advice, administrative advocacy, in-court representation, and referrals as needed
• Prepare training material and presentation for partners and community members
• Present at community outreach events in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties
• Assist with administration tasks related to LCD’s participation in the Philadelphia Eviction Prevention Project
• Facilitate research about the MLP model and social determinants of health
• Create analytical and quantitative assessments of the MLP project
• Assist with development and communications related to MLP outreach
• Participate in working groups within the public interest community, advocacy group, or a community-based organization
• Participate in other activities related to LCD’s mission including community education, writing of publishable materials, and submissions for presentations at professional conferences
• Publish community education materials
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Admission to the PA Bar required
• Three+ years of litigation experience preferred
• Sensitivity to the special needs of individuals with disabilities
• Strong legal, writing and administrative skills required
• A proven interest in the intersection of the law, health, policy and the needs of low-income people
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written)
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize work, plan and problem-solve, meet deadlines, and work well under pressure
• Proven ability to establish effective working relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds and populations
• Ability to develop creative approaches to working with limited resources
• Resourceful and proactive when issues arise
• Sound professional judgment
• Spanish fluency a plus

Working Conditions and Physical Demands:

The LCD staff attorney will staff one or more of LCD’s MLP sites. In addition, this position requires travel to legal proceedings, client home visits, community meetings, travel between partner sites and the main office, and other locations. As such, the LCD staff attorney must be flexible and adaptable to the changing environments at the various sites.

Location:

LCD’s main offices are located at 925 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

How to Apply

Please send cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three professional references to skim@lcdphila.org. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

LCD is a Pennsylvania not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing free legal services to low-income persons living with disabilities or a chronic illness in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties. LCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religious creed, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender, identity or gender expression, age, marital status and/or veteran status.