Staff Attorney

Disability Rights Nebraska; Lincoln (NE); Hybrid; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401k

PSLF eligible employer

Job summary

Disability Rights Nebraska is seeking a staff attorney dedicated to public interest and disability rights. The role involves providing legal advice, drafting pleadings, representing clients in court, and developing systemic solutions with the team.

Requirements include a JD from an accredited school, bar admission in Nebraska, strong writing, public speaking, and a commitment to civil rights. Telework may be available with prior approval for this full-time exempt position.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active Nebraska state bar license or eligible for same.
• Strong legal writing and analytical skills.
• Comfortable with public speaking.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively with a team.
• Demonstrated commitment to civil rights, racial justice, economic justice, social justice, and/or disability justice.
• Willingness to quickly develop a working knowledge of laws governing reasonable accommodation, discrimination and other disability-based civil rights protections.
• Ability to travel occasionally for meetings, trainings or outreach.

Responsibilities

• Provide effective, empathetic, and timely legal advice, self-advocacy guidance, and/or legal representation to individual clients.
• Draft legal documents, pleadings, and briefs.
• Represent clients in court, administrative proceedings and/or settlement negotiations.
• Work with our team to identify policy and litigation solutions to systemic problems.
• Educate the public through strategic community outreach activities, including workshops and know-your-rights trainings.
• Participate in other duties as assigned.

Skills

Legal writing

Analytical skills

Public speaking

Teamwork

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

Disability Rights Nebraska is seeking a staff attorney. The ideal candidate has a demonstrated strong commitment to public interest law and has a willingness to learn civil rights and disability rights law.

ABOUT US:

Since 1977, our team of attorneys and advocates have provided free legal and advocacy services to people with disabilities, of all ages, throughout Nebraska. This includes people with just about any disability including intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness and physical disabilities. We work to make change through individual and systemic advocacy, by monitoring places where people with disabilities live or receive services, investigating allegations of abuse and neglect, striving to ensure every voter can access the election process, conducting outreach and training, and engaging in legislative and administrative advocacy.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Essential duties are the job responsibilities an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. The staff attorney’s core responsibilities will be to:

• Provide effective, empathetic, and timely legal advice, self-advocacy guidance, and/or legal representation to individual clients.
• Draft legal documents, pleadings, and briefs.
• Represent clients in court, administrative proceedings and/or settlement negotiations.
• Work with our team to identify policy and litigation solutions to systemic problems.
• Educate the public through strategic community outreach activities, including workshops and know-your-rights trainings.
• Participate in other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.

Active Nebraska state bar license or eligible for same.

Strong legal writing and analytical skills.

Comfortable with public speaking.

Able to work independently and collaboratively with a team.

Demonstrated commitment to civil rights, racial justice, economic justice, social justice, and/or disability justice.

Willingness to quickly develop a working knowledge of the laws governing reasonable accommodation, discrimination and other disability-based civil rights protections.

Ability to travel occasionally for activities such as out-of-town meetings, trainings or outreach activities.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants DO NOT have to meet any of the Desirable Qualifications to be considered for an interview.

Experience as a person with a disability, or experience working with people with disabilities.

xperience in trial work.

Able to communicate fluently and write effectively in Spanish or American Sign Language.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The following describes general working conditions and requirements of the job, which can be performed with or without disability related reasonable accommodation.

Duties will be performed in a normal office environment. Telework may be available with prior approval.

Duties require regular communication over online platforms.

Must be able to travel to work-related meetings, trainings, and community events.

Evening and weekend hours may be occasionally but not regularly required.

Duties require technological skills necessary to create high-quality correspondence, legal documents and educational materials using relevant computer programs.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary for an attorney with little experience begins at $65,000. Starting salary increases commensurate with experience or demonstrated desirable qualifications listed above. Benefits include medical, vision, dental insurance and a 401k.

Additional benefits: life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, Employee Assistance Program. We offer ample vacation, sick time and holidays. We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer. This is a full-time, exempt position.

Disability Rights Nebraska is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. People with disabilities and people in all protected classes are encouraged to apply. We are committed to creating an equitable, accessible and inclusive application process for all. If you require an accommodation due to a disability to complete this application OR you are experiencing issues submitting your resume and accompanying materials, please contact us by phone or email at: 402-413-2016, [e-mail]