Staff Attorney

Konare Law; Frederick (MD); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) - retirement plan

Two weeks paid time off

Sick leave

14 annual paid holidays

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Maryland Legal Aid invites applications for a full-time general practice staff attorney at our Frederick, MD office. The role encompasses intake through representation across courts and proceedings, with collaboration among attorneys, staff, and community outreach teams.

Duties include client interviews, research, pleadings, strategy development, and courtroom advocacy. The position supports a hybrid work arrangement and a comprehensive benefits package, and requires Maryland bar admission or

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and admitted to Maryland practice or eligible for Maryland admission.
• Knowledge of civil law, procedures, and rules of evidence.
• Ability to use Office 365 applications and legal research tools.
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to advocating for low-income, diverse clients.

Responsibilities

• Screen clients for eligibility and make referrals as appropriate.
• Conduct preliminary and subsequent client interviews.
• Perform factual investigation, analysis, and legal research.
• Counsel clients on investigation results and options.
• Draft pleadings, memoranda, briefs, and related documents.
• Develop case theory and strategy for client representation.
• Prepare cases and represent clients in negotiations, hearings, and trials.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and trainings.

Skills

Excellent research

Critical thinking

Strong writing

Strong communication

Self-starter

Time management

Travel locally

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Tools

Office 365 (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) announces an immediate opening for a full-time general practice staff attorney for our Midwestern County office located in Frederick, MD. Staff attorneys handle all functions related to casework, from initial intake through representation of clients in all relevant courts and proceedings. Staff attorneys may be expected to work on cases or projects with other attorneys, law graduates, law clerks, legal assistants, paralegals, social workers, and students. Staff attorneys must maintain all case files in accordance with MLA standards and may be required to participate in community outreach and education, which will include collaborations with other attorneys at community outreach sites with the goal of identifying clients who need representation in court. Tasks assigned to staff attorneys may include any or all but are not necessarily limited to the following:

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Screen clients for eligibility and make referrals as appropriate.
• Conduct preliminary and subsequent interviews with clients.
• Conduct factual investigation and analysis as well as legal research.
• Advise clients of results of investigation and research and counsel clients regarding their options.
• Draft pleadings to include complaints, answers, and counter-complaints, etc.
• Draft memoranda of law, briefs, etc.
• Develop case theory and strategy for the representation of clients.
• Prepare cases and represent clients during negotiations and in hearings, trials, appeals, and administrative proceedings.
• Continue professional development and education through attendance at Legal Aid sponsored training and other programs.
• Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the essential functions of the positio

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland or admitted in another jurisdiction and eligible for admission in the State of Maryland. Out-of-State attorneys must be able and available to take the next scheduled bar exam following the date of employment.
• Knowledge of principles of civil law, judicial procedures, and rules of evidence.
• Ability to use a computer, web-based applications, and computer programs such as Office 365 including Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Excellent research, critical thinking, writing, and communication skills.
• Self-starter with ability to juggle multiple priorities and meet regular deadlines in a fast-paced environment while balancing a full workload.
• Ability to provide quality legal advocacy and representation for low-income, diverse client base.
• Ability to travel locally and regionally in Maryland as needed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work duties are typically performed in a general office setting, with regular interaction via telephone, videoconference, instant messaging, and email, in person and in a courtroom. Certain work duties may be performed in community settings.

BENEFITS

The current salary range for the staff attorney position is $79,116 - $122,122. Staff attorneys will be paid by MLA’s Workers Union’s current salary scale, which is subject to revision annually through collective bargaining negotiations. For example:

• One (1) year of experience is $80,305.
• Three (3) years of experience is $82, 681.
• Five (5) years of experience is $85, 057.

Salary placements for attorneys are on the earliest date of admission to a U.S. state bar, assuming eligibility to practice (either under the Maryland bar or under Rule 15 if another state bar) and continuous full-time legal work experience following the date of admission. In addition, MLA provides employees with a generous benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, life insurance, a 401(k)-retirement plan, two weeks paid time off, sick leave, 14 annual paid holidays, a hybrid work arrangement, and more.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• References will be required at the time of the final interview.

Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Maryland Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We are committed to creating an inclusive and respectful workplace, reflective of our core values, for all employees.