Helpline Staff Attorney

Community Legal Services
Remote
Full Time
$70,000 – $85,000 a year

Be a part of an organization making a difference in the Central Florida community! As an Orlando Business Journal’s 2021 Best Places to Work Honoree, Orlando Sentinel’s 2022 Best Workplaces Honoree, and a SHRM Mental Health Ally, Community Legal Services (CLS) is a full service civil legal aid law firm that promotes equal access to justice, specifically for the most vulnerable individuals in our society.

CLS offers:

15 paid holidays and 24 days of paid time off
Excellent physical/mental health, vision, and benefits (With 95% of benefits paid for by company)
100% Coverage with Dental Benefits, Life Insurance, Long/Short Term Disability
100% 403B match after 1 year of employment (5%)
CLS pays Bar Dues and CLE Credits
Student loan reimbursement for Attorneys
Tuition Reimbursement
Ability to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
Fantastic work-life balance
Various opportunities for upward mobility into leadership/more advanced roles
Pet Insurance
Wellness Committee dedicated to employee morale, with events such as company wide retreats, activities, and challenges!

CLS is currently searching for a service-minded, mission driven individual to fulfill the following position:

Helpline Attorney

Description:

Community Legal Services (CLS), is seeking a full time Staff Attorney for the CLS Helpline. In this position, the attorney will:

1. Provide advice, brief services, and referrals in various areas of civil law.

2. Demonstrate a commitment to understanding and addressing issues of the low-income and vulnerable population that CLS serves.

3. Determine client eligibility for legal services in accordance with firm policies and procedures.

4. Empower and counsel pro se litigants through various civil legal issues while providing local community resources for a holistic approach in addition to conducting an initial client consultation, identifying assessing and analyzing a variety of civil legal issues, conducting research, and preparing pro se pleadings/letters.

5. The position also requires the ability to learn and utilize multiple computer platforms and technology for matters such as client interactions, case management, and phone systems. In addition, an individual in this position must maintain professional and legal knowledge through continuing education.

6. This is a full-time position that may require the ability to work both scheduled and flexible work hours, including some evenings/weekends, based on business needs to perform duties, attend meetings and/or other functions within or outside the CLS 12-county service area.

Qualifications:

Must be admitted in good standing to practice law in Florida. Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
No prior experience in any particular area of the law is required, however, experience in civil litigation or working with low-income and/or vulnerable clients and communities on civil legal matters is preferred.
Experience with working in a rapid-paced environment with a high capacity to prioritize and manage simultaneous tasks.
The successful candidate will have a highly approachable presentation, organizational skills, and the ability to effectively and consistently engage and collaborate with a diverse constituency.
Must possess excellent legal and community partnership skills and be computer literate (Microsoft Office 365).
Valid Florida automobile license, use of own auto, and proof of insurance necessary.

Starting Salary: $70,000, more with experience.

GENERAL STATEMENT

CLS is an Equal Opportunity Employer: We value a diverse workforce and the promotion of inclusive culture at all levels.

CLS does not discriminate against any employee or qualified applicant for employment from all qualified individuals based on age, race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, marital or familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, sex, disability, socio-economic position, religion, political belief, protected genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable Federal or State law.

The statements contained in this job description reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility. It should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods or otherwise to balance the workload.

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Most employees are permitted to work a second job as long as it does not interfere and is not related to their position with CLS with certain exceptions. Are you currently practicing law?

I have read the Legal Services Corporation Regulation 45 CFR 1604 Outside Practice of Law and agree to comply fully with their terms and conditions at all times during my service.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Information (Voluntary Disclosures)

Community Legal Services is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. All employment decisions at Community Legal Services are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, past or present military service, or any other characteristic protected by law. The purpose of this Self-Identification Form is to comply with federal government record-keeping and reporting requirements, and to ensure equal employment opportunity at Community Legal Services. The data you provide on this form will be kept confidential and used solely for analytical and reporting requirement purposes. When reported, data will not identify any specific individuals. Moreover, this information will be kept separate from your application.

Answering these questions is optional and voluntary and your refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment.

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Hispanic or Latino - A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

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Black or African American (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (Not Hispanic or Latino) - A person having origins in any of the peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

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Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latino) - All persons who identify with more than one of the above five races.

Veteran status

Community Legal Services is subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1975, as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, 38 U.S.C. 4212 (VEVRAA), which requires Community Legal Services to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment veterans in the following classifications.

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following: A veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A “recently-separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service.

An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran status

Protected veterans may have additional rights under USERRA—the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. In particular, if you were absent from employment in order to perform service in the uniformed service, you may be entitled to be reemployed by your employer in the position you would have obtained with reasonable certainty if not for the absence due to service. For more information, call the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS), toll-free, at 1-866-4-USA-DOL.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed above, please indicate by checking the appropriate box below. As an employer subject to VEVRAA, we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Submission of this information is voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment. The information provided will be used only in ways that are not inconsistent with VEVRAA.

AI Usage Notice

This employer may use artificial intelligence (“AI”) to assist in evaluating candidates and making hiring decisions. To the extent the employer is using AI, it will be used to consider the candidate’s fitness for a position. The AI used to assist in evaluating candidates and making hiring decisions will review a candidate’s profile for employer-identified characteristics. The employer is not replacing human decision-making with AI and humans will be reviewing and ultimately making decisions relating to a candidate’s application. As a candidate, you acknowledge and consent to the use of AI by employer in this manner.

By submitting my application, I consent to the collection, storage, and processing of my personal data for the purposes of evaluating my candidacy for employment.

Community Legal Services