Be a part of an organization making a difference in the Central Florida community! As an Orlando Business Journals2021 Best Places to WorkHonoree Orlando Sentinels 2022 Best Workplaces Honoree and a SHRM Mental Health Ally Community Legal Services (CLS) is a full service civil legal aid law firm that promotes equal access to justice specifically for the most vulnerable individuals in our society.
CLS offers:
- 15 paid holidays and 24 days of paid time off
- Excellent physical/mental health vision and benefits (With 95% of benefits paid for by company)
- 100% Coverage with Dental Benefits Life Insurance Long/Short Term Disability
- 100% 403B match after 1 year of employment (5%)
- CLS pays Bar Dues and CLE Credits
- Student loan reimbursement for Attorneys
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Ability to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
- Fantastic worklife balance
- Various opportunities for upward mobility into leadership/more advanced roles
- Pet Insurance
- Wellness Committee dedicated to employee morale with events such as company wide retreats activities and challenges!
CLS is currently searching for a serviceminded mission driven individual to fulfill the following position:
Medical Legal Partnerships Staff Attorney
OVERVIEW
Community Legal Services (CLS) seeks a Staff Attorney for an exciting new partnership with a community organization located in Orange County Florida. The project is aimed at addressing civil legal barriers to housing health and wellbeing of lowincome individuals. Reporting to the (Senior) Managing Attorney MedicalLegal Partnership or designee this position provides comprehensive legal services to eligible clients in civil and other cases in accordance with the program mission and principles of advocacy other program guidelines the ABA Standards for Providers of Civil Legal Services and the Florida Rules of Professional Conduct.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Determining client eligibility for legal services in accordance with program policies and procedures.
- Representing lowincome and/or vulnerable clients in a variety of civil law matters affecting clients health including public benefits landlord/tenant disputes disabilityrelated issues family law matters debt collection and access to appropriate educational services.
- Providing highquality legal services to eligible clients including identification of legal problems investigation advice negotiation representation before courts administrative and legislative/quasilegislative bodies and preparation of necessary documentation.
- Researching and interpreting laws rulings and regulations applicable to cases assigned as well as preparing and reviewing legal writings such as pleadings orders discovery and other documents for courts or government agencies.
- Identifying the legal needs of the lowincome clients of our community partner and developing legal educational programs to address those needs.
- Cultivating and coordinating effective relationships with health care professionals and communitybased organizations to assure CLS positive impact on individuals served.
- Actively engaging community partner in the integration of legal services by training partner staff and volunteers; serving as an active member of the care team; and working with students including those in law medicine social work and public health.
- Assisting with the reporting requirements for grants under the Medical Legal Partnership. This includes matters such as running reports in the case management system reviewing for compliance meeting grant deliverables and drafting reporting responses.
- Developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with bar associations (including regularly attending bar meetings) bar leaders legislators and other political officials and other community and nonprofit organizations to assist in resource development. Recruit s and provides services for private attorney involvement in CLSs pro bono programs (which includes cocounseling).
- Assisting at the CLS Helpline answering calls from potential clients completing intakes assisting with online intakes and providing advice/brief services to eligible clients for civil legal issues.
- Other duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Commitment
- Demonstrating commitment to promoting the mission vision and values of CLS.
- Unwavering dedication to highquality legal programs fiscal strength and organizational integrity.
2. Background and Experience:
- Must be a member in good standing of The Florida Bar.
- Must be bondable.
- Unwavering dedication to highquality legal programs fiscal strength and organizational integrity
- Bilingual: EnglishSpanish preferred.
- Minimum 24 years of experience in civil litigation or working with lowincome and/or vulnerable clients and communities on civil legal matters.
- Experience working or volunteering in public benefits social security health or human services setting or in community/grantfunded programs preferred.
- Ability to advocate consistently and zealously for clients in the regions we serve while managing a full caseload.
- Excellent legal writing advocacy organizational and communication skills.
- Capacity to effectively and consistently engage and collaborate with a diverse constituency of community stakeholders and organizations.
- Flexibility and enthusiasm about outreach and the challenges in building a new program.
- Must be computer literate using Microsoft Office Suite.
- Valid Florida automobile license use of own auto and proof of insurance necessary.
- Must be able to work both scheduled and flexible work hours including some evenings/weekends based on business needs to perform duties to attend meetings and/or other functions at various locations throughout service area the CLS 12 county service area.
3. Physical Requirements
- Prolonged periods siting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times.
SALARY: $65000$85000 PLUS 10% BONUS of offered salary!!
GENERAL STATEMENT
CLS is an Equal Opportunity Employer: We value a diverse workforce and the promotion of inclusive culture at all levels.
CLS does not discriminate against any employee or qualified applicant for employment from all qualified individuals based on age race color creed national origin ancestry marital or familial status affectional or sexual orientation gender identity or expression sex disability socioeconomic position religion political belief protected genetic information military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable Federal or State law.
The statements contained in this job description reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job the level of knowledge and skill typically required and the scope of responsibility. It should not be considered an allinclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief to equalize peak work periods or otherwise to balance the workload.