STAFF ATTORNEY (Bilingual English-Spanish)

Life Span; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Life and disability insurance

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Loan forgiveness eligibility (PSLF)

Job summary

Life Span in Chicago seeks a bilingual English-Spanish staff attorney to join our Family Law team in the Chicago Loop office or Des Plaines office, based on preference and experience. The attorney will handle divorces and parentage matters, with responsibilities including negotiations, discovery, and trials.

The role involves collaboration with counseling, immigration staff, and advocates to provide a coordinated response for survivors.

Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in Illinois.
• 0-5 years of relevant legal experience.
• Experience working with domestic violence victims in family law cases.
• Public interest law experience including hearings or trials.
• English-Spanish language fluency at a bilingual level is required for this position.

Responsibilities

• Provide trauma-informed, client-centered legal representation to survivors in family law matters including orders of protection, divorce, parentage, and child-related issues.
• Conduct client intake, assess legal needs, advise clients on rights and options, and develop case strategies.
• Prepare, file pleadings and motions, and conduct legal research as needed.
• Represent clients in court hearings, trials, and settlement conferences; manage active caseloads and deadlines.
• Collaborate with counseling advocacy and immigration staff to provide coordinated services.

Skills

Bilingual English-Spanish

Job description

Life Span empowers survivors of domestic and sexual violence to demand safety as a human right through client-centered services and leads social change through accountability, community engagement, and systemic advocacy.

Life Span seeks a bilingual English-Spanish proficient staff attorney with 0-5 years of experience to join our Family Law team at our Chicago Loop office location or alternately based on preference and experience level, may work at the Life Span Des Plaines office based at supervisor's discretion.

Life Span is a nationally known leader in the provision of services to victims of violence and their children. Our comprehensive services include criminal court advocacy representation in civil protective order cases, expert representation in family law cases, and counseling for survivors and their children. Our work encompasses such issues as immigration, employment issues, sexual assault civil no contact orders, the effects of trauma on clients and their children, teen dating violence, and the criminalization of survivors. Our agency has two sites, and services are available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Polish and Arabic. All services are free of charge. Our agency provides national leadership in policy work and systemic advocacy, and our staff has trained advocates, lawyers, judges, counselors and other professionals in Illinois and across the country on critical issues and innovative practices.

Life Span values staff who reflect the communities we serve-in strengths, backgrounds and lived experiences. It is essential that our staff and leadership reflect the communities that we serve.

Position Summary:

The staff attorney will assist survivors with their domestic relations (divorces) or parentage (unmarried couples) cases. The attorney will gain invaluable experience in negotiations, settlement conferences, litigation (including drafting, depositions, discovery, pretrial conferences, as well as contested hearings and trials). Responsibilities include civil representation in orders of protection, family law and civil no contact orders for clients with domestic violence and/or sexual assault issues. The attorney will collaborate with counseling advocacy and immigration staff to provide a coordinated response to clients’ needs. The staff attorney will participate in systemic advocacy and policy reform.

Professional Development & Support:

• In-house and external training and CLE’s are encouraged at the start of employment and throughout tenure at Life Span.
• Mentorship and guidance are given to all staff attorneys, especially to entry-level attorneys.

Essential Job Functions:

• Provide trauma-informed, client-centered legal representation to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and other forms of interpersonal violence in family law matters, including orders of protection, divorce, parentage, allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, child support, and related proceedings.
• Conduct client intake interviews, assess client situations and legal needs, advise clients regarding their legal rights and options, and develop appropriate case strategies.
• Assist clients with creating a safety plan and provide referrals to other needed services.
• Prepare, review, and file pleadings, motions, petitions, affidavits, and other legal documents, and conduct legal research as needed.
• Represent clients in court hearings, trials, settlement conferences, mediation proceedings, and other legal matters.
• Manage an active caseload; maintain accurate and timely case records; protect client confidentiality; and ensure compliance with court dates, filing deadlines, ethical obligations, grant requirements, and organizational policies.
• Work effectively with clients from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and collaborate with advocates, paralegals, counselors, and community partners to provide comprehensive services and support.
• Participate in community outreach, legal education, training, and other program activities that advance Life Span’s mission.
• Assist with data collection, reporting, and other administrative requirements related to grants, contracts, and program operations.
• Must be able to travel to and from courthouses and Life Span offices throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs as needed.

Qualifications:

• Licensed to practice law in Illinois.
• 0-5 years of relevant legal experience.
• Experience working with domestic violence victims in family law cases.
• Public interest law experience including hearing or trial experience.
• English-Spanish language fluency at a bilingual level is required for this position.

Location and Hours:

The Bilingual English-Spanish Staff Attorney position is a full-time 40 hours/week position. This position may be based in either the Chicago office or at the Life Span Des Plaines office at supervisor's discretion based on staff preference and experience level. If a Des Plaines based office is authorized, periodic travel to the Chicago office and Chicago courthouses will be required to attend court onboarding, and legal meetings. If a Chicago location is authorized, periodic travel to the Skokie and Rolling Meadows courthouses to represent clients and attend court proceedings is required.

Chicago Office Accessibility:

Life Span's Chicago office is conveniently located near CTA rail service, including the Pink, Orange, Blue, Purple, and Green Lines, and is also accessible via Metra through Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center.

Des Plaines Office Accessibility:

Life Span is located in downtown Des Plaines, steps away from the METRA station, and accessible via the Blue Line/Pace transit. Des Plaines is a Northwest Chicago suburb, near O'Hare, Park Ridge, Mount Prospect, Norridge, and Arlington Heights suburbs. Free building parking is available.

Hybrid Remote Position:

This is a hybrid remote position following a period of onboarding and orientation training. Remote work up to 16 hours per week at the discretion of Life Span. Internet access is required. Must be accessible and available during work hours by phone, email and Teams to perform essential functions of this position.

Compensation:

Life Span values staff as our most important resource; we offer a competitive salary, generous benefits, and opportunities for professional development. Starting salary is $70,000 commensurate with experience.Bilingual staff may receive an additional $2,000 per year. Benefits include generous vacation, sick, and miscellaneous leave; nineteen paid holidays; Summer Fridays; health, dental, and vision insurance; life and disability insurance; a 403(b)-retirement plan; pre-tax public transit benefits; Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care Account (DCA) plans; and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Loan Forgiveness Benefit:

Life Span is a qualifying employer for the federal PSLF program.