Staff Attorney - Housing Unit

Job Description

Job Description

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing legal assistance and advocacy for low-income individuals and families. We work to ensure access to justice and fair treatment in the areas of housing, consumer rights, family law, and other essential legal services.

JALA seeks a Florida-licensed attorney to provide civil legal services in our Housing Unit. We expect those who fill this position will grow and adapt their practice to the needs of the community and the organization. This is a full-time position based out of our downtown office, primarily serving Duval County residents.

What you get when you come to JALA

JALA is the premier litigation legal aid firm in the Southeastern United States. We are mission-driven, and our team makes a difference in our community. As a JALA employee, you can expect immediate hands-on experience interviewing and counseling clients as well as litigating cases in Federal and State court. Staff are expected to take on challenging cases for our at-risk clients while being mentored and supported in taking on such cases.

While there is a premium placed on initiative and self-motivation, you can expect to be supervised by lawyers who are recognized as subject matter experts in their field (JALA is the only law firm in Florida with three Florida Bar Consumer Protection Lawyers of the Year on staff, for example.) Our lawyers and paralegals regularly serve on local and statewide committees, and our lawyers have gone on to become hearing officers, magistrates, judges, and administrative law judges. In addition to the opportunity to litigate early, our lawyers and staff are trusted as professionals - we have adopted a hybrid work environment (although not all positions are able to work remotely). Regardless of what others may prefer, we embrace diversity and inclusion as a way to ensure we are the most prepared to offer the best and highest level of representation for clients, as this is what they deserve from us.

Salary / Benefits

Salary commensurate with experience. Sign-on bonus. Benefits package include, but are not limited to, hybrid work model, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability insurance, group life insurance, 401(k) (match 100% of deferrals up to 6% of compensation), generous leave policy (13 paid holidays plus 22 personal leave days in first year, one-month sabbatical every four years), and membership in Access Perks, a private discount network.

To apply, submit a resume, a minimum of two professional references, and salary requirements.

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Compensation : 63,050 minimum DOE

Responsibilities :

• Embrace and support JALA’s mission, standards, policies and procedures, and confidentiality guidelines.
• Maintain a full-time caseload representing eligible clients served by our Housing Unit.
• Develop and maintain specialized knowledge in housing matters, particularly : landlord-tenant, homelessness prevention, and government benefits.
• Provides legal services to low-income clients and client groups regarding these matters including initial interviews, advice, negotiation, litigation, and administrative advocacy.
• Interacts respectfully with clients from a wide range of backgrounds, with an awareness of the importance of cultural competence and humility.
• Collaborates with JALA colleagues, human services providers, non-profit organizations, and community groups as well as the courts, administrative tribunals, and the private bar to address legal problems within our community, including providing community legal education.
• Cooperates in all grant reporting requirements, program reporting, timekeeping, file maintenance, case closing, and compliance review.
• Maintains a high level of professional competence through attendance of training sessions, seminars, and conferences and individual efforts to keep abreast of current developments in the area of poverty law and the application of an equity lens to client service.
• Perform other duties and projects as needed to support JALA’s mission.

Qualifications :

About Company

The mission of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. is to provide high-quality legal assistance to low-income and special needs groups – to empower them to accomplish energetic and affirmative advocacy, all to alleviate the circumstances, incidents, and causes of poverty and discrimination.

Developed during the Great Depression and subsequent recession of 1937, the organization that has become Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. (JALA) was born when a group of Jacksonville Bar attorneys banded together to provide legal services to those in need. Called different names over the years, including Duval County Legal Aid Association; it was officially named Jacksonville Area Legal Aid in 1973. The organization achieved 501(c)3 status in 1976. JALA now serves 17 counties of North Florida, including Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Nassau, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union.

Salary : $63,050