Associate Attorney

Klenda Austerman LLC; Topeka (KS); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision coverage

Life and AD&D insurance

Long-term disability insurance

Telephone coverage

Covered parking

Paid professional organization / dues

Mentorship with senior attorneys

Diverse caseload and client contact

Autonomy to develop your own clients

Job summary

Klenda Austerman LLC in Wichita, Kansas seeks an Associate Attorney to build a practice by developing skills across diverse areas of law. Early-career lawyers are welcome, with a focus on mentorship and practical, client-centered experience.

Responsibilities include working with clients, researching and formulating strategies, drafting pleadings, negotiating with opposing counsel, and participating in hearings. The firm supports ownership of client relationships and personal practice development.

Qualifications

• Willingness to develop expertise across diverse practice areas.
• Ability to work directly with clients and manage matters independently.
• Strong research, writing, and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with clients to understand goals and cases.
• Research and develop legal strategies for matters.
• Draft pleadings and agreements for review.
• Negotiate with opposing counsel and participate in hearings.
• Take increasing responsibility as skills develop.

Skills

Research

Writing

Analytical skills

Client interaction

Ownership mindset

Judgment

Independence

Collaboration

Job description

Associate Attorney – Build Your Practice

Wichita, Kansas

What kind of lawyer do you want to become?

If you’re early in your career, you may not know the answer yet—and that’s okay.

At Klenda Austerman LLC, we offer attorneys the opportunity to develop their skills across a wide variety of practice areas while gaining the experience, independence, and client relationships necessary to build a successful practice of their own.

We are a 15-attorney Wichita law firm with a diverse practice that includes commercial and consumer litigation, aircraft finance, automobile dealer law, business and corporate matters, bankruptcy, tax foreclosure, family law, and other areas. That diversity gives a developing attorney something increasingly difficult to find: the opportunity to experience different areas of law before deciding where to build a practice.

More Than Just Your Next Job

We aren’t looking for someone simply to fill an associate position. We’re looking for a motivated attorney who wants to become an excellent lawyer.

We believe that happens by actually practicing law.

Depending on your experience, you’ll have the opportunity to work directly with clients, research and develop legal strategies, draft pleadings and agreements, negotiate with opposing counsel, participate in hearings and litigation, and take increasing responsibility for matters as your skills develop.

You’ll work alongside experienced attorneys who are available to provide guidance and mentorship—but we also believe in giving attorneys the independence to develop confidence, judgment, and their own way of practicing law.

Build Something of Your Own

We don’t expect you to spend your career simply servicing someone else’s practice.

We encourage our attorneys to develop their own clients, referral relationships, and areas of expertise. If you discover an area of law that interests you, we want to help you develop it. If you want to build a client base of your own, we want to give you the freedom and resources to do it.

Our goal is to provide the opportunity, support, and autonomy for you to build a practice—not simply manage a caseload.

Who We’re Looking For

Experience is welcome, but prior legal experience is not required. We are willing to invest in the right person, including a newly licensed attorney.

We’re more interested in your potential, work ethic, and attitude than the number of years you’ve practiced.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Wants to continually improve as an attorney
• Is intellectually curious and interested in learning different areas of law
• Has strong research, writing, and analytical skills
• Enjoys working directly with clients
• Takes ownership of their work
• Has good judgment and isn’t afraid to ask questions
• Values both independence and collaboration
• Has an interest in eventually developing clients and a practice of their own

What We Offer

In addition to the opportunity to develop your skills and build your practice, Klenda Austerman offers:

• Competitive compensation based on experience
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision coverage
• Life and AD&D insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
• Telephone coverage
• Covered downtown parking
• Paid professional organization memberships
• Mentorship and access to experienced attorneys across multiple practice areas
• A diverse caseload and meaningful client interaction
• The autonomy to develop your own clients and areas of practice

Interested?

If you’re looking for a position where you can learn, take on meaningful responsibility, work directly with clients, and have a real role in determining the direction of your career, we’d like to meet you.

We aren’t necessarily looking for someone who already knows exactly what their practice will look like ten years from now.

We’re looking for someone motivated enough to build it.