Poverty Law Attorney

Rutherfordcoc; Hendersonville (NC); Hybrid; USD 66,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401k after 6 months

Paid leave

Job summary

Pisgah Legal Services in North Carolina seeks a full-time, NC-licensed attorney to handle general poverty law cases, primarily housing eviction defense and domestic violence prevention. The role requires advocacy for clients in landlord/tenant, family law, and other poverty-law areas, with travel to rural locations and court appearances.

We offer a competitive salary ($65,690–$118,243) with bilingual premium up to $3k, comprehensive benefits, and a living-wage certified employer status.

Qualifications

• N.C. licensed attorney
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income people and communities.
• Demonstrated skills at socio-economic and cultural sensitivity and ability to assist upset or ill people.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with teams and independently.
• Ability to work with low-income clients and communities within a multi-ethnic/ multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with coworkers and clients face to face and in meeting settings.
• Fluency in Spanish would be an asset.
• Possess valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Represent and advise clients in judicial and administrative hearings in landlord/tenant, domestic violence and family law, consumer, public benefits, community economic development, and other poverty law areas as needed.
• Work in and travel to rural locations and attend court.
• Conduct client interviews with trauma-informed approach; advise and represent clients in Small Claims, District, Superior courts, and administrative proceedings as appropriate.
• Document all work and communications in Legal Server case management software.
• Organize and conduct outreach and educational presentations.
• Establish branch office(s) within service area.
• Develop and maintain community relationships including other non-profit agencies, government officials, government employees, community leaders and others.
• Travel within our service area and also to meetings or conferences in other parts of NC.
• Adhere to program priorities and case handling policies, procedures, and standards of practice, as well as the highest professional and ethical standards.
• Keep abreast of developments in the law and disseminate information to staff, volunteer attorneys and the public.
• Work with volunteers, including volunteer attorneys, on a regular basis.
• Assist in fundraising and outreach in coordination with PLS Development Team.

Skills

Excellent writing and verbal l

Strong interpersonal skills

Ability to work with low-income client

Fluency in Spanish would be an asset

Possess valid driver’s license

Job description

Hybrid remote work schedule: 3 days in office/field and 2 days remote

Base office in Hendersonville

Position Status: Full-Time

FSLA Status: Exempt

Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) is a community-based non-profit legal aid agency governed by a local Board of Directors. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina (WNC), Pisgah Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to low-income people in WNC. The organization currently has offices in Asheville, Brevard, Burnsville, Cashiers, Hendersonville, Highlands, Marshall, Morganton, Newland, and Rutherfordton. With over 120 dedicated staff, including more than 30 attorneys plus program staff, and an active group of 200 volunteer attorneys, the program provides free services to nearly 28,000 people per year to meet their basic needs, primarily in the poverty law areas of housing, public benefits, domestic violence prevention, health care, immigration, and consumer law.

PLS is seeking a full-time N.C. licensed attorney to handle general poverty law cases primarily in the areas of housing law, including eviction defense, and domestic violence prevention, including domestic and family law cases. Legal aid experience preferred. Passion for promoting justice and overcoming barriers facing low-income people, being a creative and zealous attorney and a team-player and demonstrated commitment to achieving lasting results for clients and low-income communities are all important. The Poverty Law attorney position advocates for clients in our service region with a variety of legal issues, balancing cases that focus on landlord/tenant law, domestic violence law and other poverty law areas as needed.

Responsibilities

• Commitment to PLS’ mission, values and vision.
• Represent and advise clients in judicial and administrative hearings in landlord/tenant, domestic violence and family law, consumer, public benefits, community economic development, and other poverty law areas as needed.
• Work in and travel to rural locations and attend court.
• Conduct client interviews with trauma-informed approach; advise and represent clients in Small Claims, District, Superior courts, and administrative proceedings as appropriate. (This may include representation, preparation for self-representation, obtaining continuances for assessment, and referring cases to other attorneys.)
• Document all work and communications in Legal Server case management software.
• Organize and conduct outreach and educational presentations.
• Establish branch office(s) within service area.
• Develop and maintain community relationships including other non-profit agencies, government officials, government employees, community leaders and others.
• Travel within our service area and also to meetings or conferences in other parts of NC.
• Adhere to program priorities and case handling policies, procedures, and standards of practice, as well as the highest professional and ethical standards.
• Keep abreast of developments in the law and disseminate information to staff, volunteer attorneys and the public.
• Work with volunteers, including volunteer attorneys, on a regular basis.
• Assist in fundraising and outreach in coordination with PLS Development Team.

Qualifications

• N.C. licensed attorney
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income people and communities.
• Demonstrated skills at socio-economic and cultural sensitivity and ability to assist upset or ill people.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with teams and independently.
• Ability to work with low-income clients and communities within a multi-ethnic/ multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with coworkers and clients face to face and in meeting settings.
• Fluency in Spanish would be an asset.
• Possess valid driver’s license.

Salary/ Benefits

Salary ranges from $65,690 – $118,243 depending on experience. Additional bilingual language skills that are applicable to this role may qualify for up to an additional $3k upon completing a language assessment test.

Our salary scale is predetermined based on the years of relative professional work experience that qualify for this position to ensure equity in pay. Pisgah Legal Services is a Living Wage Certified Employer.

• Employees are eligible for medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage the 1 st of the month following the start date.
• Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) pays 100% of the Employee and 50% of the Dependent Cost for Aetna Medical and Dental coverage.
• PLS pays 50% of the Employee Coverage Cost for Aetna Vision coverage.
• PLS pays 100% of Long-Term & Short-Term Disability Coverage, Life Insurance Coverage of 5x base salary + an additional $15,000 Life & AD&D Coverage.
• 401k Retirement Plan after 6 months of employment.
• Additional Fringe Benefits includes Pet Insurance, Paid Parental Leave, Paid Bereavement Leave, 13.5 Company Holidays, 22 Paid Leave Days, Paid Sabbatical Leave for eligible staff, Employee Assistance Program for entire household and a great working environment with work life balance!

PLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.

Pisgah Legal Services is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with our Human Resources department.