Helpline Staff Attorney

NOTICE OF JOB OPPORTUNITY

Announcement Date:                  10/17/2024

Closing Date:                                 Until Filled

Entity:                                             New Mexico State Bar Foundation

Position:                                         Modest Means Helpline Staff Attorney (Full-Time)

Full-Time Salary:                           $60,000 - $70,000/annually (depending on experience and qualifications)

Location:                                        Albuquerque, NM (travel possibly required). Flexible location within New Mexico (Possible 100% remote work within NM)

POSITION OVERVIEW

Are you tired of billable hours? Would you love not to have to go to court? Do you enjoy interacting with and helping people? If you answered yes, then Helpline attorney work may be the perfect fit for you! The New Mexico State Bar Foundation seeks a Full-Time (40 hours/week) helpline staff attorney for its Modest Means Helpline.  Most of the work can be performed remotely from within New Mexico, with occasional mandatory office days.  The position includes an excellent benefits package and competitive salary for legal work in the non-profit sector. Duties include providing legal advice and brief legal services over the phone to New Mexico residents who have moderate or low income in the areas of housing stability (landlord-tenant / real property), domestic relations, and domestic violence. Additionally, the attorney may conduct legal workshops and clinics – some remotely and some in-person throughout New Mexico. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in New Mexico, and able to work as part of a busy team in a fast-paced environment. Excellent customer service and computer skills are required. Fluency in Spanish is a plus as is a demonstrable interest in the above-referenced areas of law and issues affecting the lower-income community.

To be considered, applicants must submit a cover letter and resume to hr@sbnm.org

In your cover letter, please explain why you are interested in working as a helpline attorney. EOE. See below for details and application instructions.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

·      Assist clients through the telephone helplines by providing general legal information and case-specific legal advice and performing brief legal services.

·      Determine whether a referral to a private attorney for full or limited pro bono representation would benefit the client and work with referral staff to complete the referral.

·      Conduct virtual legal workshops.

·      Assist in developing and maintaining educational materials to assist clients.

·      Maintain up-to-date knowledge in relevant areas of civil law (see below for a list of the most common areas of law addressed by the helplines).

·      Serve as liaison between client and referral panel attorney when a referral is made.

·      Assist with program administration as requested.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

·      Current licensure to practice law in the State of New Mexico.

·      Must be insurable under the policies and requirements of the State Bar of New Mexico, including professional liability insurance.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

·      Basic knowledge of New Mexico courts, jurisdiction, procedures, and practices.

·      General knowledge of Microsoft Office programs including: Word, Outlook, Excel and Power Point, plus a willingness to learn and utilize various case management systems.

·      Ability to assess factual situations described by lay persons to determine legal or procedural issues involved and an appropriate remedy or solution.

·      Ability to conduct presentations and respond to questions from members of the audience.

·      Ability to maintain composure in stressful situations.

·      Utilize effective customer relations and communication skills, both verbal and written, in dealing with program participants, attorneys, adverse parties, and staff of various in-house or outside programs.

·      Administrative skills, including ability to organize workload, determine priorities, and effectively manage several areas of responsibility.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

·      Fluency in Spanish.

·      Basic knowledge of several areas of civil law, such as:

o  Domestic Relations

o  Landlord/Tenant

o  Real Property

o  Domestic Violence

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

·      Employees must be United States Citizens or eligible to work in the United States.

·      Employment with the State Bar is on an “at-will” basis.

·      Employees are required to adhere to all State Bar policies and procedures.

·      Travel and some overnight stays may be required.

·      The State Bar provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities.

·      This position qualifies for telecommuting within New Mexico.

BENEFITS

The State Bar provides a generous benefits package to full-time employees including:

·      Fourteen paid holidays

·      Paid Time Off (PTO) in the amount of 20-32 days per year, depending on length of service.

·      Benefits plans including:

o  Health and dental insurance

o  Group life insurance

o  Flexible Spending Account

o  Other Optional benefits

·      Retirement Savings (401k)

·      Wellness Benefit Program

·      Employee Assistance Program

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Qualified applicants must submit a cover letter and resume by email to hr@sbnm.org.

Please use the following naming convention in your subject line: “Your Name” – Staff Attorney

Applications must be submitted in ONE PDF document.

Illegible, incomplete and/or incorrectly submitted applications may result in loss of consideration for the position. Zip files will not be accepted. Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position and are encouraged to apply. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted and must travel at their own expense. The State Bar of New Mexico reserves the right to amend or withdraw any announcement without written notice to applicants. If a subsequent vacancy of the same position becomes available within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the State Bar may select a candidate from the original qualified applicant pool.

By submitting an application, you are certifying that information set forth in your application is true and complete. Any falsified or misrepresented statements in any detail, at any time during the pre-hire process shall be considered sufficient cause for disqualification from further consideration for hire or for dismissal at any time, if employed.

This position is not eligible for relocation assistance.

THE NEW MEXICO STATE BAR FOUNDATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER