Attorney for Community Integration

The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)in Washington, D.C. seeks an experienced attorney to provide training and technical assistance to the nationwide Protection and Advocacy (P&A) System who use legal advocacy to achieve community integration for people with disabilities.

The federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems are the largest provider of legal services to persons with disabilities in the United States. The staff attorney in this position will work directly with P&A network attorneys and advocates to prevent institutionalization and to ensure access to community-based services and supports for people with developmental, mental health, and other types of disabilities.

Responsibilities Include

The staff attorney will assist NDRN provide P&A staff with the following:

• The use of legal and regulatory tools to ensure true community integration, including but not limited to—

• • • The integration mandate of the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L. C.
    • Coverage for community-based services, including Medicaid and Medicaid waivers.
    • Access to a sufficient number of appropriately trained and supported direct care staff.
    • Implementation of the Home and Community Based (HCBS) Settings Rule.
    • Access to supported, accessible and affordable housing.
    • Transportation options that enable full inclusion in the community.
    • Access to an integrated life in the community.
    • Systemic litigation to advance access to community-based services and supports for people with disabilities, including cases brought under the Medicaid Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other statutes.

• Direct technical assistance, remote and in-person trainings, and the development of resources to meet the identified needs of P&A legal and advocacy staff to protect the rights of people with disabilities to live in the community.

• Broker expertise between P&A staff and outside experts which promotes the sharing of legal and other resources across the network.

• Develop and expand collaborations with federal agencies and other national advocacy organizations who support community integration.

• Serve, as appropriate, as NDRN’s staff liaison and technical expert with our federal partners and other organizations.

• Draft, as necessary, proposals and position papers on relevant regulations, policies and funding opportunities that protect the rights of people with disabilities.

Required Qualifications

• A Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school, with a minimum of 6 years of experience in legal practice with at least 2 years of direct litigation experience involving community integration. Good standing to practice law in at least one state or the District of Columbia.

• Knowledge of the following topics:

• • • Federal disability rights law related to community integration.
    • Caselaw developments and strategies based on the Olmstead v. L. C. decision.
    • Medicaid program rules, including Medicaid waivers.
    • The HCBS Settings Rule.
    • Federal law and programs which support accessible and affordable housing.
    • Approaches to expand access to an integrated life in the community, i.e. recreation/social interaction, transportation, and civic engagement.

• A demonstrated commitment to disability and civil rights and social justice.

• Experience representing clients with mental health or developmental disabilities

• Effective communication skills, including the ability to write to a wide range of audiences.

• Excellent legal research, writing and analytical skills.

• Substantial federal litigation experience.

• The ability to effectively teach complex and technical content to diverse learners.

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including empathy and the ability to work cooperatively with others in a team setting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior work with non-profit legal services program, or a government agency which directly addresses community integration, disability rights under ADA Title II, the Affordable Care Act, or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or disability community support services.

• Familiarity with the work of the P&A System.

• Experience in litigation that sought to advance community integration and the prevention of institutionalization, including but not limited to cases brought under the Medicaid Act, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Affordable Care Act, and/or class action litigation.

• Understanding of institutional accreditation standards, federal conditions of participation in the Medicaid and Medicare program, or state level mental health or developmental disabilities services.

• Experience presenting and training with large and small groups to convey specialized content to adult learners.

Who We Are

NDRN is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. The P&A System uses various means, including administrative complaints, individual and systemic litigation, and education of the public and policy makers to address a wide range of rights violations which impact persons with disabilities.

NDRN provides training, technical assistance, and legal support to the 57 P&A agencies, which are in every state, U.S. territory, and for a consortium of Indigenous tribes. NDRN is also involved in legislative advocacy to create a society in which people with disabilities are afforded equal opportunity and are able to fully participate by exercising choice and self-determination.

Location and Travel

NDRN’s office is located in Washington, D.C. however, NDRN will consider fully remote applicants for this position, working outside of the Metro D.C. area.

If the candidate selected is from outside of the Metro D.C. area, they will work remotely, compensated for travel to NDRN’s Washington D.C. office for onboarding purposes, company-wide strategic planning sessions, and the P&A/CAP annual conference. NDRN provides technology to support remote work.

The position requires some travel and occasional work on weekends.