Public Benefits Advocate

National Legal Aid & Defender Association; Port Saint Lucie (FL); On-site; USD 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is seeking to provide civil legal assistance in public benefits from its Port St. Lucie office.

The role emphasizes representing individuals in Social Security Disability, SSI, SNAP, unemployment benefits, and state cash benefits. Essential duties include client interviews, eligibility certification, outreach, court appearances, and maintaining case documentation. Strong commitment to serving vulnerable communities and adhering to funder rules is

Responsibilities

• Interviews, certifies eligibility, and identifies legal problems of FRLS clients; provides legal assistance in form of advice, referrals, or representation.
• Engages in community outreach and education.
• Represents clients in court and before administrative agencies when accepted.
• Maintains documentation, statistics, and records as required by supervisors.
• Participates in case acceptance meetings and attends training to meet CLE and policy requirements.
• Adheres to FRLS policies and funder requirements; promotes accessibility for rural, non-English speaking, and disabled clients.

Job description

Position Description

Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to eligible individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties, as well as to farm workers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has been dedicated to justice, offering legal services in housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, disaster relief, education law, and more—at no cost to our clients. FRLS partners with community organizations and pro bono attorneys to provide quality advocacy, outreach, and education aimed at protecting the rights of those in need. For over 50 years, FRLS has been a steadfast advocate for justice. Learn more at www.FRLS.org.

The purpose of this position is to provide civil legal assistance in the areas of public benefits in our Port St. Lucie office offering representation and advocacy to individuals, families, and vulnerable communities in need of support. Public benefits include Social Security Disability, SSI, SNAP, unemployment compensation and State funded cash benefits.

Essential Functions

• Interviews, certifies eligibility, and identifies the legal problems of FRLS's clients within a specific area of law and provides clients with appropriate legal assistance in the form of advice, referrals, or actual representation.
• Participates in community outreach and education.
• Represents clients in court and before administrative agencies as accepted.
• Provides documentation, statistical information and other records as required by the Managing Attorney, Deputy Director, or Executive Director.
• Participates in case acceptance meetings.
• Participates in training to keep up CLE's and required and legally relevant training as may be provided by the program and as mandated by Florida Bar rules.
• Adheres to office hours, exhibits a strong work ethic and excellent time management skills, communicates, and treats clients and staff with courtesy and respect, provides constructive feedback to other advocates (paralegals) on cases discussed.
• Serves as a role model to support staff by promoting the values of hard work, high quality advocacy and treating others with courtesy and respect.
• Attempts to ensure accessibility of the local office(s) when necessary, by serving clients, including rural clients, non-English speaking clients and client with disabilities.
• Promotes good relations with the public, including client groups, service providers, press, and private bars, attending/speaking at local meetings as appropriate and approved by the Managing Attorney, Deputy Director and/or Executive Director.
• Is familiar with FRLS policies, as well as requirements of LSC and other funders, and adheres to those policies and requirements.
• Maintains an accurate follow-up system to review cases when needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.