Tankersley Fellowship (Attorney)

Dallas, TX
United States

Legal Aid of Northwest Texas

201 to 500 employees

Company Info

Job description

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

POSITION:                Tankersley Fellowship (Attorney) -2 yr. Grant

CLOSING DATE:      Position Immediately Available and Closed When Filled

LOCATION:              McKinney, 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 Fellowship Attorney Position in its McKinney branch office.  In addition to providing daily representation in family and civil legal matters, the successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to identifying and taking advantage of opportunities for strategic advocacy and to engage in outreach to and collaboration with low-income persons, including community groups that are made up of or serve the indigent. The Tankersley Fellowship has been created by the Tankersley Family Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas to fund an attorney position that will be dedicated to handling legal issues solely within the service area of the McKinney, Texas LANWT office, for the two (2) year duration of the Fellowship.  As a condition of employment, the Fellow shall also sign a fellowship agreement.

DESCRIPTION:  LANWT is a non-profit public interest law firm that provides high-quality free civil legal services to low-income persons from 15 offices in north and west Texas. Located in McKinney, Texas, the McKinney branch office delivers civil legal services to the poor in a diverse, dynamic, and rapidly growing city and its surrounding suburban and rural areas.  The McKinney office provides legal services to clients in Collin, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, and Rockwall counties. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

A Fellowship Attorney must be able to gather evidence, advise clients about their rights, draft legal documents, and conduct civil lawsuits.  A Fellowship Attorney must interview clients and witnesses with cultural competence, as well as handle other tasks in representing clients. A Fellowship Attorney represents clients in court and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies of government. The Fellowship Attorney also interprets laws, rulings, and regulations for clients and the client community.  The Fellowship Attorney will provide legal assistance in areas of general civil and family law, including but not limited to: divorces, custody, housing and landlord-tenant, consumer, probate, and public benefits.

The Fellowship 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 Fellowship Attorney may supervise and coordinate activities of legal, clerical, volunteer, or student workers. In short, the Fellowship 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 Lawyers Creed, and the American Bar Association’s Standards for Providers of Civil Legal Services to the Poor.

  • The Fellow may be required to submit correspondence, periodic reports and/ or photographs to LANWT.  LANWT may post on its website and elsewhere the reports and photographs provided by the Fellow. 

  • The Fellow will be required to submit compelling client case stories and progress reports to LANWT at required intervals. 

  • The Fellow may be required to submit an article to LANWT that may be published on its website or elsewhere online or published in written form. 

  • The Fellow may be required to attend various events on behalf of LANWT, such as local bar association functions, or other events to promote LANWT and/or the Fellowship (at LANWT’s expense).

 QUALIFICATIONS:

• Licensed to practice in Texas with a minimum of 2 years of experience.

• Prior legal services, public interest, or volunteer experience serving low-income persons is   

    Strongly preferred.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.                               

• Bilingual (Spanish/English) ability preferred.

  • PAY:  Minimum salary is $59,000 per year; salary may be higher, based on experience. Excellent benefits package that includes paid vacation and holidays; a retirement plan; and health, dental, and life insurance. 

  • DURATION: Please note that the Tankersley Fellowship is a two (2) year Fellowship; and there is no expectation of continued employment with LANWT after the conclusion of the Fellowship.

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

Company Description

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to the low-income communities from 15 offices in north and west Texas. With approximately 230 full and part-time employees, including both union and non-union workers, the organization delivers legal services to the poor in a diverse and challenging 114 county area.

Work location: Dallas, TX

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