Staff Attorney - Public Benefits Veterans Rights Project

For over 50 years Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys volunteers and staff help resolve civil legal problems including domestic violence consumer fraud and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a hybrid work environment. Our office located in downtown Chicago at 120 S. LaSalle Street is ADA accessible and has convenient access to public transportation and local expressways. This position may require travel to court or other outreach events.

Position:

Legal Aid Chicago seeks a fulltime Staff Attorney in the Public Benefits Practice Group to work within the Veterans Rights Project. The Veterans Rights Project is dedicated to ensuring that lowincome service members veterans and their families receive advocacy legal representation and educational services regarding the enforcement of their legal rights and benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as in a variety of other civil legal areas including Consumer Housing Family and Public Benefits law.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain a caseload of individual cases representing clients before the Department of Veterans Affairs Social Security Administration Illinois Department of Human Services and in state and federal courts
• Act as a subject matter expert within the practice group concerning Veterans Benefits and civil legal issues affecting veterans
• Interview eligible clients on issues handled within the practice group and provide advice and brief service in appropriate cases
• Participate in weekly team meetings to present new cases and reach team consensus on representation
• Work with other practice group staff in interdisciplinary work
• Maintain knowledge in other areas of law handled by Legal Aid Chicago to ensure that clients legal needs are identified and met in those areas
• Participate in complex litigation or advocacy to address systemic issues
• Work collaboratively with Legal Aid Chicago staff students and volunteers to provide comprehensive legal services
• Help organize and operate our intake system and veterans clinic and work with pro bono attorneys
• Collaborate on projects that could involve outreach to community groups developing new strategies for serving our clients or address systemic issues through litigation negotiation or advocacy
• Participate in community outreach and support legal training and community education for clients and community partners that serve veterans
• Maintain case files and timekeeping in electronic case management system
• Assist with grant reporting as appropriate and applicable
• Handle other duties as determined by the Supervisory Attorneys and the Director.

Salary and Benefits:

This position is part of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers UAW Local 2320. The Collective Bargaining Agreement sets employment terms and compensation is determined by the CBA salary scale based on paid experience.

The budgeted salary range for this position is $68072$76300 which reflects 010 years of paid credited experience.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Bilingual Staff Attorneys are eligible for an additional stipend
• Medical dental and vision insurance effective the first day of employment
• Time Off: 15 vacation days and 18 sick days accrued within the first year of employment
• 19 paid holidays including four 4 floating holidays
• Twelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave at 100 of the salary after six months of employment
• 403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution after one year of employment
• $50000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance at no cost
• Access to Employee Assistance Program resources at no cost
• Monthly internet reimbursement
• Legal Aid Chicago is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and is an eligible employer for the federal public service loan forgiveness program

Legal Aid Chicago encourages applications from individuals with relevant experience particularly those who have direct experience with communities we serve or perspectives that help us understand and serve our clients better.

• Preference for applicants licensed to practice law in Illinois or licensed in another state (and able to waive into the Illinois bar or be willing to sit for the next Illinois bar).
• Applicant must either be a VA accredited attorney or be eligible and willing to complete steps to become one.
• Strong preference for applicants who have demonstrated interest or experience working with veterans.
• Strong oral and written communication skills highly developed organizational skills and great client counseling skills and be someone who genuinely enjoys interacting with clients.
• The successful applicant will be collegial and demonstrate a commitment to and experience with our client communities and/or people living in poverty and applicants are encouraged to share that experience in their cover letter
• The applicants personal background experience or professional background should reflect an ability to work effectively in crosscultural situations with clients coworkers and the community we serve.
• Applicants must have the ability to work well under pressure.
• Applicant must have the ability to work well independently and as part of a team.

To Apply:

Submit a cover letter resume writing sample and the contact information of two primary professional references and one alternative professional reference. For applicants with previous work experience at least one reference must be a former supervisor. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled.

Legal Aid Chicago is firmly committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of creed color national origin sex gender identity sexual orientation age religion marital or parental status alienage disability political affiliation or belief military or military discharge status exoffender status family responsibilities reproductive health decisions or any other protected status.

If an accommodation is needed to complete this application contact Human Resources at

Due to the high volume of applications we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding an application status. We will contact candidates who are selected for the next stage of the hiring process.