Staff Attorney â Incarcerated Survivors
Staff Attorney â Incarcerated Survivors
Posted on :
08-06-2025
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1 Vacancy
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Yearly Salary
$ 62500 - 72500
Vacancy
1 Vacancy
Posted on :
08-06-2025
Job Description
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
Supervised by: Senior Attorney Incarcerated Survivors
Status: Full-time
ASCEND JUSTICE is seeking a full-time Staff Attorney in the Incarcerated Survivors Project. This role involves providing a range of direct representation and other legal services to survivors of gender-based violence who are either currently or formerly incarcerated. Our Incarcerated Survivors team assists people inside of womens prisons/jails and other forms of correctional control as well as limited related services for their family members. The Incarcerated Survivors team provides advocacy and legal services related to parental defense family law child placement issues responses to domestic violence and barriers to release from incarceration or program placements. There is also a limited amount of mitigation for criminal defense or post-conviction matters as well as individual advocacy for clients. This role will mainly focus on the family law needs of incarcerated survivors.
Most Ascend Justice staff are working a hybrid schedule that includes some work from home and some work in our offices court or other locations; these arrangements are subject to change as circumstances change. This position will also include some travel throughout the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. An ideal candidate will have prior legal experience working with survivors impacted by gender-based violence and/or incarceration and/or family law.
Essential Responsibilities
- Provide high quality representation for incarcerated survivors of domestic violence seeking remedies in civil court for family law orders of protection or other civil related matters.
- Provide a variety of advice and brief service appointments including preparation of pro se documents.
- Manage a caseload of ongoing cases including effective representation of clients in contested hearings.
- When necessary travel to womens prisons or Cook County Jail to meet with clients in person or give presentations on legal services.
- Deliver services according to principles of trauma-informed care.
- Perform intake functions interviewing potential clients to evaluate cases for representation.
- Maintain client files noting all deadlines communications and other relevant information.
- Coordinate with the agencys Client Support Coordinator and other colleagues to ensure that the client receives seamless holistic services.
- Supervise volunteers including attorneys students and interns.
Other Responsibilities
- Actively participate in required staff meetings and trainings.
- Keep abreast of the field by maintaining networks and participating in professional organizations.
- Protect the organization by keeping information confidential.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Work Environment
- Courthouse and offices are fully accessible. Some work at off-site locations may be required and those may not necessarily be fully accessible.
- The employee must be willing and able to travel throughout the state of Illinois including to prisons and other carceral settings.
- Drivers License strongly preferred
- Evening weekend and overnight work/travel may occasionally be required.
- This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers phones and scanners. Employee is regularly required to talk hear see and communicate effectively via computer.
- Smoke- and drug-free environment.
Qualifications
- Passionate about Ascend Justices mission.
- Licensed to practice law in Illinois
- Must have completed or be willing to complete 40-hour Domestic Violence training
- At least two years of legal experience is preferred working in domestic relations child welfare or a related field or working with incarcerated clients
- Experience working with incarcerated populations or lived experience preferred
- Ability to develop and implement short and long-term litigation strategies
- Familiarity with principles of trauma-informed care and willingness to complete additional training
- Strong self-motivation and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
- Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations
- Knowledge of or experience with working with survivors of gender-based or intimate partner violence
- Ability to work in a fast-paced legal environment
- Ability to communicate effectively with people in crisis
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Flexible self-motivated
- Strong attention to detail
- Excellent communication and time management skills
- Sense of humor
Ascend Justice is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ qualified individuals based on individual merit. Ascend Justice does not discriminate against any individual with respect to the terms and conditions of employment based on that individuals race sex age religion color national origin disability genetic information marital status veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression housing status or any other non-merit factor protected under state local or federal laws. Equal Employment Opportunity applies to all personnel actions such as recruiting hiring compensation benefits promotions training transfer termination and opportunities for training. Ascend Justice is committed to a fair and equitable workplace where everyone is a respected and valued member of the team. Applicants/clients wishing to lodge a complaint about discrimination in the provision of services can do so by contacting the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. The ICJIA nondiscrimination policy can be found on the ICJIA website at Applicants can also send complaints via e-mail to
Flexible work from home options available.
Compensation: $62500.00 - $72500.00 per year
About Us
Mission
Our mission is to empower individuals and families impacted by gender-based violence or the child welfare system to achieve safety and stability through holistic legal advocacy and system reform.
We are working toward strong communities where people have the power to navigate fair systems and overcome violence.
Legal Advocacy
Legal Advocacy
We currently provide the following types of legal assistance to individuals and families:
- Economic legal services for survivors of gender-based violence such as help with finances and housing
- Family defense legal services for families who have DCFS investigations or appeals
- Family law services for survivors of gender-based violence such as help with divorces custody arrangements visitation and child support
- Orders of protection services for survivors of gender-based violence
- Immigration services for survivors of gender-based violence
Our services are unique and holistic and many clients are served by a team of attorneys and other professionals who help address the range of legal needs they are facing. Many of our clients also benefit from being able to work with a client support coordinator who can provide additional emotional support and help with logistics for individuals or families who are going through a particularly challenging time.
Our History
Our History
Founded in 1982 and incorporated in 1989 as Pro Bono Advocates Ascend Justice has four decades of experience meeting the needs of survivors of domestic violence. From 2005 until 2019 we were known as the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic. In 2019 we merged with the Family Defense Center and rebranded as Ascend Justice. Throughout our history weve worked to increase the safety and independence of survivors of domestic violence with skilled compassionate legal representation.
Our Order of Protection Clinic and our domestic relations practices are our longest-standing client services. Our long-time location in the Cook County Circuit Court Domestic Violence Courthouse allows us to offer emergency legal services related to Orders of Protection and teams of volunteers work with staff attorneys to assist these clients with brief services legal advice and in some cases legal representation at the emergency stage of litigation.
Our second office on State Street offers longer-term legal representation and assistance in the family law immigration economic justice and family defense matters that are linked to the long-term safety of survivors and their children. In addition Client Support Coordinators in both offices help with safety planning emotional support and connections to the resources necessary for safety and independence.
In March 2021 Ascend Justice launched an innovative new practice serving incarcerated survivors of domestic violence. Two attorneys collaborate with the Illinois Department of Corrections and Cook County Jail to provide civil legal services to survivors in womens correctional facilities.
Required Experience:
Staff IC
Employment Type
Full-Time
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