DOJ/LAV Staff Attorney

*DOJ LAV STAFF ATTORNEY JOB DESCRIPTION* *JOB DESCRIPTION* West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc.
(WTLS) has an immediate opening for a Staff Atorney in our Jackson, Selmer, Hunngdon, or Dyersburg, Tennessee office.
*POSITION DESCRIPTION: *WTLS represents clients in civil legal maters and works with community organizaons and client groups.
 Candidates should have a strong commitment to access to jusce for low-income West Tennesseans who face problems affecng basic rights to shelter, income security, financial security, and freedom from abuse.
This posion is funded under the US Department of Jusce, Office on Violence Against Women Legal Assistance for Vicms grant.
The project’s focus is providing outreach, educaon, and legal advocacy to three (3) underserved targeted populaons: (1) sexual assault vicms; (2) LGBTQ vicms of inmate partner abuse; and (3) Spanish-speaking vicms of inmate partner abuse.
Grant posion is funded for the period October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2026.
  * * The atorney will provide holisc civil legal services to the populaons of vicms as listed above throughout the WTLS service area.
As part of a holisc approach, representaon may include varying areas of civil and administrave law but will primarily involve Orders of Protecon and divorces, with an emphasis on promong vicm safety and offender accountability.
*ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES: * * Provide legal advice and representaon in civil legal maters relang to or arising out of the abuse for: (1) sexual assault vicms; (2) LGBTQ vicms of inmate partner abuse; and (3) Spanish-speaking vicms of inmate partner abuse; * Be recepve to mentoring and supervision in accordance with the American Bar Associaon Commission on Domesc & Sexual Violence best pracce recommendaons; * Provide outreach and educaon for targeted client populaons; * Collaborate with the grant’s Project Partners to educate, conduct community outreach to facilitate potenal client referrals, and enhance service delivery; * Keep contemporaneous me records and maintain case notes in case management system; * Comply with funder requirements, the Legal Services Corporaon requirements, and the American Bar Associaon’s Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid; and * Perform such other dues as reasonably requested.
*QUALIFICATIONS: The requirements listed below are representave of the qualificaons, knowledge, * skills, and/or abilies required.
Reasonable accommodaons may be made to enable individuals with disabilies to perform essenal funcons of the job.
1.
J.
D.
Degree; 2.
Current licensure in good standing in Tennessee or eligible for reciprocity and willing to secure reciprocity; 3.
Background check, including references, that is complete and free of concerns; 4.
General pracce experience, including ligaon experience, or willingness to parcipate in appropriate trainings; 5.
Previous experience working with vicms is preferred, or a desire and willingness to develop the specialized trauma-informed skills needed to successfully work with vicms; 6.
Ability to conduct research and analysis; 7.
Ability to analyze complex problems and develop creave soluons; 8.
Ability to dra legally sufficient pleadings and other legal documents, including creang concise and persuasive arguments; 9.
Effecve communicaon skills sufficient to represent clients in legal hearings, meengs, negoaons, or administrave proceedings; to give public presentaons, conduct trainings, and do client outreach; 10.
Experience working with or sensivity to specialized client populaons; 11.
Experience working with or sensivity to individuals from ethnic or language disnct communies; 12.
Sufficient computer skills to be able to maintain client records, prepare documents, and maintain contemporaneous me records; 13.
Ability to competently use Microso Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Adobe Professional; and 14.
Ability to competently use company soware packages.
*TRAVEL, WORK HOURS, SUPERVISION: * 1.
*Travel:* This posion rounely requires local travel, which requires a valid State of Tennessee driver’s license.
It also requires travel across the State of Tennessee on a limited basis.
2.
*Work Hours:* This posion’s typical work hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.
m.
through 5:00 p.
m.
, except for holidays.
A lunch break of at least 30 minutes must be taken some me between the hours of 11:30-2:00 every day for any day the employee is scheduled to work over 6 hours.
Work hours must be accurate and contemporaneously recorded.
3.
Supervision: The Staff Atorney is under the supervision of the Legal Assistance for Vicms (“LAV”) Managing Atorney.
*COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:* 1.
Compensaon: DOE.
The LAV staff atorney is a part-me posion paid bi-monthly on the 5th and 20th of each month.
We expect to combine this part-me posion with dues under other funding such that the atorney will be a full-me WTLS employee.
2.
Benefits:  Full-me benefits include the ability to parcipate in WTLS’ health insurance plan, dental plan, LTD, Life Insurance, paid Annual Leave (based on years of experience starng at 1 day earned per month), paid Sick Leave (12 days per year), and all paid Holidays (11 + the week off between Christmas and New Year’s Day).
*HOW TO APPLY:*  Send applicaons via email in Word or PDF format to Hiring@wtls.
org .
Applicants must include a cover leter specifying preferred office locaon, resume, wring sample, and three references with phone numbers.
  Applicaons will be accepted and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis unl the posion is filled.
  Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
 No inquiries accepted.
 Only applicants scheduled for interviews will be nofied.
_WTLS provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
_ Job Type: Full-time Pay: $58,155.
00 per year Benefits: * 401(k) * Dental insurance * Employee assistance program * Health insurance * Life insurance * Paid time off * Retirement plan * Vision insurance Schedule: * Monday to Friday Ability to commute/relocate: * Jackson, TN 38301: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required) License/Certification: * Bar (Preferred) Work Location: Hybrid remote in Jackson, TN 38301