Kinship Care Unit Staff Attorney

Atlanta Legal Aid Society; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 57,375 - 70,125; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

16 paid holidays

6 weeks of paid time off

Health insurance

Job summary

Atlanta Legal Aid Society is seeking a Staff Attorney for its Kinship Care Unit in Atlanta, Georgia. The role involves handling legal issues affecting children in kinship care arrangements and providing necessary legal support in adoptions, custody, and guardianships.

The ideal candidate should have at least three years of experience, excellent legal skills, and a commitment to public service. A hybrid work schedule is available, and benefits include health insurance and educational loan reimbursement.

Qualifications

• Must have excellent legal writing, analysis, and work ethic.
• Demonstrated commitment to public service is preferred.
• Ability to work in a collaborative, hybrid team model.

Responsibilities

• Handle a variety of legal issues related to kinship care.
• Employ various methods including negotiation and litigation.
• Prepare and present education programs as needed.

Skills

Legal writing

Advocacy

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Proficiency in Spanish

Education

Active membership in the State Bar of Georgia

Three years of relevant legal experience

Job description

Kinship Care Unit Staff Attorney

Atlanta Legal Aid Society (“Legal Aid”) seeks a Staff Attorney to work in its Kinship Care Unit located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Our non-profit law firm represents low-income people in a variety of civil legal matters, including family, housing, consumer, public benefits, education, and health law. The Kinship Care Unit’s primary goal is to stabilize family relationships for children living with a non-parent caregiver (relative or fictive kin). We assist with adoptions, minor guardianships, custody, and a variety of other issues affecting the family unit. We serve the five-county Metro area, and also provide some state-wide assistance. The Kinship Care Unit staff currently consists of a managing attorney, four staff attorneys, one client navigator, and two paralegals.

Responsibilities

• Handling a variety of issues related to stabilizing children in the home of kin (relative or non-relative, but not birth parents), including adoption, guardianship, custody, name change, birth certificate establishment and amendment, guardianship, dependency, domestication of foreign decrees, school enrollment and other education issues, social security, SSI, and other public benefit issues.
• Employing a variety of methods, including advice and referral, brief service, transactional work, negotiation, mediation, and litigation in various courts throughout our five-county service area.
• Supporting a learning environment for interns and externs.
• Preparing and presenting professional education programs for staff, volunteer attorneys, and others as needed.
• Participating in community education, task forces, committees, social service organizations, national and local bar associations.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia.
• Minimum of three years of relevant legal experience.
• Excellent legal writing, analysis, advocacy, and work ethic are required.
• Demonstrated commitment to public service, participation in law school clinics or trial advocacy courses, familiarity with poverty law, previous work with low-income people, and an appreciation for diversity are strongly preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, listening, and organizational skills.
• Ability to balance compassion and pragmatism.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a collaborative, hybrid team model.
• Eagerness to learn and openness to feedback.
• Proficiency in languages other than English, particularly Spanish, is highly valued.

Salary and Benefits

• This position offers a salary of $63,750, but may vary (up or down) depending on work experience. Salaries are reviewed annually and may be adjusted based on available funding.
• Generous fringe benefits, including 16 paid holidays in 2026, 6 weeks of paid time off (accruing at 2.5 days per month), and 6 weeks of parental leave (12 weeks after one year).
• Individual health insurance, including optional dental and vision coverage, with partial payment for dependent health insurance.
• Life, long-term, and short-term disability insurance.
• Salary reduction option for a flexible spending account.
• Educational loan reimbursement up to $600 per month (after a set off of other loan reimbursement amounts).
• Voluntary tax-sheltered annuity with a 3% match.
• This position may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.
• State Bar of Georgia dues and CLE expenses.
• A hybrid work schedule that allows staff to work 2 days remotely, subject to management approval and a probationary employment period.

Atlanta Legal Aid Society considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other legally protected status.