Staff Attorney

Missouri; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 71,750 - 106,400; Full time

Job summary

Legal Aid, based in Kansas City, Missouri, is seeking a full-time Staff Attorney to launch the innovative Legal Aid in the Library initiative in partnership with Mid-Continent Public Library. The role blends direct civil advocacy with community outreach across five branches.

You will handle a diverse caseload (eviction defense, family law, consumer law, and public benefits), travel to branches, build partnerships, and design services with library staff.

Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in Missouri or eligible for admission by the start date.
• Commitment to serving low-income clients and advancing access to justice.
• Ability to manage a varied civil caseload independently and exercise sound judgment across practice areas.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with comfort engaging a wide variety of clients, library patrons, and community partners.
• Ability to travel regularly to five Mid-Continent Public Library branch locations.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend hours to support outreach and community programming.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the Legal Aid in the Library initiative.
• Provide free civil legal services across eviction defense, family law, consumer law, and public benefits.
• Coordinate outreach and programming with library staff to expand access to legal services.
• Travel to library branches and engage with diverse clients and partners.
• Manage a varied civil caseload and collaborate with community organizations to launch and grow the initiative.

Skills

Licensed to practice law in Missouri

Advocacy

Client outreach

Interpersonal communication

Travel to multiple locations

Job description

Legal Aid is seeking a full-time Staff Attorney to build and lead an innovative new initiative, Legal Aid in the Library, in partnership with the Mid-Continent Public Library. This is a full-time position based at Legal Aid's central office in Kansas City, Missouri, with regular office hours at five Mid-Continent Public Library branches throughout the week. This position offers a dynamic opportunity to maintain a robust litigation caseload while building meaningful partnerships with community organizations, coordinating outreach efforts, and expanding access to legal services.

The Staff Attorney will provide free civil legal services to income-eligible clients across a range of practice areas, including eviction defense, family law, consumer law, and public benefits. Strong candidates will have experience across multiple areas of civil law and the judgement to work independently across a varied caseload. This role is well suited for an attorney who thrives in a general practice environment and wants to shape a new program from the ground up.

Because this initiative is new, the attorney will have significant ownership in making the role their own, designing how services are delivered at each branch, collaborating closely with library staff to develop community presentations, outreach, and programming, and building the relationships that will help the initiative launch and grow. The ideal candidate is approachable, adaptable, and comfortable engaging with a wide variety of clients and partners throughout the day. This position will include some evening and weekend hours to support outreach and community needs.

This is a unique opportunity to combine direct legal advocacy, community engagement, and innovative service delivery in a collaborative, public-facing setting.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in Missouri, or eligible for admission by the start date
• Commitment to serving low-income clients and advancing access to justice
• Ability to manage a varied civil caseload independently and exercise sound judgment across practice areas
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with comfort engaging a wide variety of clients, library patrons, and community partners
• Ability to travel regularly to five Mid-Continent Public Library branch locations
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend hours to support outreach and community programming

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience handling matters across multiple areas of civil law, such as eviction defense, family law, consumer law, or public benefits
• Experience in legal aid, public interest law, or serving low-income communities
• Second language proficiency in a language commonly spoken by Legal Aid's clients, including but not limited to Spanish

Location

This role is an in-person role based out of our Kansas City, Missouri Central Office, with frequent travel to library branch locations. This position will include some evening and weekend hours to support outreach and community needs.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $71,750 - $106,400 on Legal Aid’s formal salary scale. Placement on the range will be based on factors such as years of relevant experience, budget, and internal equity. Employees who demonstrate fluency in a second language are eligible for an annual salary supplement of $3,600.

Legal Aid offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical Plans with PPO or HSA options
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• Accident Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical or dependent care
• Health Savings Accounts
• Paid CLE and Bar Dues
• Paid Time Off: Vacation, Sick, Personal and Holidays
• Qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
• Travel and parking reimbursement
• 401k and up to 3.5% employer match

LAWMO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.