Staff Attorney HPP

POSITION: Staff Attorney - Home Preservation Project

CLOSING DATE: Position Immediately Available and Closed When Filled

LOCATION: Hybrid Remote - Amarillo, Texas

OVERVIEW: Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT) seeks a dynamic, self-starting attorney who has vision, initiative, and a demonstrated commitment to public interest law to fill a staff attorney position in its Amarillo, Texas office. In addition to providing daily representation in civil legal matters, the successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to identifying and taking advantage of opportunities for strategic advocacy and to engaging in outreach to and collaboration with low-income persons, including community groups that are made up of or serve the indigent.

DESCRIPTION: LANWT is a non-profit public interest law firm that provides high-quality free civil legal services to low-income persons in 114 counties in North and West Texas.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: A staff attorney must be able to gather evidence, advise clients about their rights, draft legal documents, and conduct civil lawsuits. A staff attorney must interview clients and witnesses with cultural competence, as well as handle other tasks in representing clients. A staff attorney represents clients in court and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies of government. The staff attorney also interprets laws, rulings, and regulations for clients and the client community. The staff attorney will provide legal assistance in areas of general civil law, including but not limited to: employment, housing, foreclosure prevention, consumer, probate, special education, social security, public benefits and bankruptcy with an immediate emphasis on eviction defense, landlord-tenant law, housing related matters and legal matters meant to obtain, maintain and stabilize housing.

The staff attorney also designs and carries out outreach and community legal education and works closely with the community and low-income community groups to further LANWT’s mission of reducing poverty by providing equitable access to the civil justice system. The staff attorney may supervise and coordinate activities of legal, clerical, volunteer, or student workers. In short, the staff attorney is expected to handle a caseload involving substantial litigation and other justice-related advocacy, periodically attend evening legal clinics, and devise and participate in community legal education programs and outreach offered by LANWT.

In fulfilling this mission, the attorney will provide high-quality representation to indigent clients in accordance with LANWT’s policies and procedures and with an attorney’s responsibilities under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, the Texas Lawyer’s Creed, and the American Bar Association’s Standards for Providers of Civil Legal Services to the Poor.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Licensed to practice law in Texas.
• Prior experience handling contested landlord-tenant, housing and/or foreclosure prevention cases preferred.
• Prior experience handling contested litigation cases preferred.
• Prior legal services, public interest, or volunteer experience serving low-income persons preferred.
• Strong understanding of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and Texas Rules of Evidence.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to think and plan strategically and to develop and implement projects.
• Possess a strong work ethic and a sense of accountability.
• Fluent in Spanish – both verbal and written is preferred.
• Excellent attendance record.
• Ability to engage in occasional work-related travel.

SALARY: Current entry-level salary for a new attorney is $66,500 per year. The salary for the successful applicant may be significantly higher, based on applicant’s years of experience.

BENEFITS: Excellent benefits package that includes paid vacation and holidays; a retirement plan; health, dental, and life insurance.

Please submit a cover letter expressing interest, a resume, and three professional references during the application process.

LEGAL AID OF NORTHWEST TEXAS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

VETERANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY