Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Family Law and Victims' Rights Attorney

Location: Bangor; Hybrid remote

The Family Law/Victim Rights (FLVR) attorney provides high-quality, low-barrier holistic legal services to victims in Maine, based out the Bangor office of PTLA. The attorney provides legal services to victims of domestic and sexual violence and stalking in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington, and Hancock Counties.

The attorney will be expected to provide occasional coverage for Family Law and Victim Rights (FLVR) cases in other areas of Maine on an ‘as needed’ basis. The attorney is part of a statewide team specializing in domestic and sexual violence cases, and works closely with staff at local domestic and sexual violence resource centers. 

The Family Law/Victim Rights (FLVR) attorney will work under the direction of the Family Law and Victim Rights supervisor and collaboratively within the Unit to provide the highest quality legal representation in appropriate cases. Legal advocacy will range from advice and limited representation to full legal representation in the cases in which representation will have the greatest impact. The project will focus primarily on protection from abuse, family matters, and education cases, although Pine Tree uses a holistic approach to provide comprehensive assistance to families that can include screening and representation or referral for related housing, consumer, benefits, and other common civil legal needs.

The Family Law/Victim Rights (FLVR) attorney will assess and triage cases in consultation with the FLVR Managing Attorney and team members, provide consultations to partner agency staff in appropriate case-related issues, consult and collaborate with other service providers, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, the Department of Health and Human Services, and others involved in the community response team, and put in place systems to most effectively address the holistic legal needs of survivors of domestic and sexual violence. As appropriate, the attorney may also participate in working groups and coalitions focused on improving the systems that address issues relevant to domestic and sexual violence survivors, and victims of stalking.

The attorney is also responsible for community engagement and networking to strengthen Pine Tree’s reputation and access to legal services by eligible individuals, consistent with other work and time commitments. These activities can include the provision of outreach and/or trainings to community agencies and other groups that serve victims of domestic and sexual violence, or survivors of stalking. 

The Family Law/Victim Rights (FLVR) attorney will have the opportunity to collaborate and consult with other Pine Tree staff whose expertise covers a range of relevant areas, including public benefits, consumer law, education law, and housing, and provide appropriate referrals internally to other Pine Tree projects. Dependent upon the needs of the local office, and resources available, the attorney may also be responsible for providing direct service in related civil legal matters.

Frequent travel related to court and other work activities (including trainings) is required and, on occasion, evening or weekend time may also be required to attend trainings. The position may involve some client meetings at locations outside the office, as well as travel to other courts and offices of partner agencies as appropriate to provide low-barrier legal representation.

General work expectations:

• Handle legal work in accordance with Pine Tree’s written Standards of Practices, Legal Services Corporation regulations, other relevant funder requirements, and other relevant ethical and professional responsibilities;
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous client record and timekeeping for all work activities;
• Address administrative responsibilities as a Pine Tree employee in a prompt and thorough manner (including payroll and reimbursement requests, as well as grant inquiries and other funder needs);
• Actively participate in regular case meetings, and other office discussions;
• Utilize training opportunities that will strengthen trial and client skills on an ongoing basis;
• Share responsibility for general office needs including mail, faxes, facilities issues including insuring that maintenance issues are addressed, trash collection, and other needs that may arise;
• Contribute to and maintain Pine Tree’s high standards for excellence, support colleagues in their work, and otherwise act in accordance with Pine Tree’s Statement of Core Values.

Specific work expectations:

• Provide legal assistance that accurately addresses and responds to the legal needs presented by an eligible client in all of the substantive law areas required by their position;
• Provide full legal representation in a minimum of 100 cases/year on behalf of service area residents, and provide advice and limited representation in a minimum of 25 cases/year;
• Work closely with the family law supervisor and paralegal to supervise rejection or brief advice in cases outside the priorities for this project;
• Provide outgoing outreach and, if appropriate based on the attorney’s experience, presentations to organizations and collaborations that work with survivors of domestic and sexual violence in order to promote increased enforcement of legal rights and appropriate referrals to Pine Tree Legal Assistance, especially in areas involving basic human needs and other areas that reflect significant unmet needs within local communities;
• Participate in presentations, trainings, consultations and other appropriate services to eligible individuals, partner agencies, private attorneys and other stakeholders in the service area, and document these activities appropriately;
• Be alert to activities or practices that might be inconsistent with the goals of equal justice for low-income individuals, survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and stalking, and bring those concerns to the attention of appropriate staff within Pine Tree on an ongoing basis;
• The project prioritizes serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, stalking, and sex trafficking, and of other family law clients as attorney capacity and local resources allow;
• Utilizes opportunities to engage with the private bar and public sector attorneys through activities or initiatives that will strengthen understanding and support of equal justice issues and/or the work of Pine Tree;
• Work with Administrative staff to produce grant reports in a timely manner and/or assist in the development of grant or funding opportunities to strengthen staffing and legal services in the area.

The attorney must be admitted to the practice of law in Maine or be eligible to practice under MRCP 89 (c) while working at Pine Tree. Previous experience working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, as well as previous litigation experience, is preferred. Applicant must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, the state of Maine. This is an exempt position under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Compensation and Benefits 

The salary range for PTLA attorneys and other exempt staff is currently $67,140 - $104,140, depending on experience.

In addition, PTLA is proud to offer the following:

Employer-paid health insurance with a generous HRA contribution, generous health insurance opt-out benefit, employer-paid dental insurance, employer-paid life and disability insurance, and an annual contribution to a 403(b)-retirement plan. Other voluntary options include vision and expanded life insurance. Staff enjoy 12 paid holidays, paid parental leave, generous vacation, floating holidays, and sick leave.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to employing and supporting individuals who are passionate about social justice and have relevant work experience, regardless of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, religion, familial status or experience with poverty, receipt of public assistance, or homelessness.