Staff Attorney - La Crosse Office

Legal-Action-of-Wisconsin,-Inc.; La Crosse (WI); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 129,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote/flexible schedule

Job summary

Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. in La Crosse seeks a Staff Attorney to primarily handle housing matters for low-income clients.

The attorney will advise and represent clients, collaborate with community groups and bar associations, and may assist volunteers with the Volunteer Lawyer Project. The position requires travel to ten counties and a 40-hour workweek, with remote/flex scheduling available upon request.

Qualifications

• Admission to Wisconsin Bar.
• Strong oral and written advocacy skills.
• Experience working with low-income clients and/or victims of violence.
• Ability to interact professionally and work cooperatively with staff, clients, and the public.
• Ability to use basic computer systems, including email, word processing software, and internet-based applications.
• Willingness and ability to learn job-specific procedures and systems during the probationary period.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain accuracy in a busy office environment.

Responsibilities

• Advise and represent low-income clients in housing matters.
• Develop and maintain relationships with community groups and state/local bar associations.
• Train and assist volunteers in Legal Action's Volunteer Lawyer Project and other staff attorneys.
• Perform intake duties and make referrals to other community agencies when needed.
• Travel to hearings across La Crosse office's counties and participate in outreach activities.
• Maintain proficiency in housing law and related areas as cases evolve.

Skills

Oral advocacy & writing

Communication skills

Professional interaction

Computer basics

Learning probation procedures

Multitasking

Job description

• Base Pay $65,000.00 - $129,227.00 / Year
• Employee Type Full Time

Full-time Staff Attorney Position

September 4, 2026

Introduction:

LAW is seeking applications for Staff Attorney in the La Crosse Office. This attorney will work primarily in the area of housing, but may work in other areas.

Mission Statement:

Legal Action’s mission is to deliver exceptional civil legal services and structural change advocacy, free of cost, to those most in need. Our core values (equity, advocacy, client-centered, integrity and community) guide our work and actions. Please see our website for a description of the core values and vision that guides our work.

Office Location

This position will be based in Legal Action’s La Crosse office, which currently consists of 3 Staff Attorneys, 1 Paralegal, and a Managing Attorney. Remote and Flex Schedule is available upon request.

Governance

Legal Action’s personnel policies govern this position.

Position Description

The staff attorney will advise and represent low-income clients in housing and other cases but could also include related legal work. All staff attorneys are expected to develop and maintain good working relationships with community groups, as well as with state and local bar associations. Staff attorneys may also be called on to provide training and assistance to community agencies. Between these traditional and non-traditional responsibilities, staff attorneys are expected to work a minimum of 40 hours per week.

Key Responsibilities

The staff attorney provides advice and full representation to clients in housing related matters, including but not limited to, evictions, security deposits, conditions cases, sealing evictions, etc. Other areas of law may be worked in as well as housing based on the need of the office and/or the interest of the staff attorney. Key responsibilities include:

• Provide high-quality representation of clients in individual service cases and impact work. Impact work is work expected to have long-term positive effects on low-income persons or improve systems that impact the low-income community.
• Perform all duties associated with such representation as defined by our attorney performance standards.
• Remain current with the areas of law that pertain to the low-income community as they change and develop, particularly in this attorney’s area(s) of specialization.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with community groups, state and local bar associations, and others.
• Train and assist volunteers who participate in Legal Action's Volunteer Lawyer Project and other Legal Action staff attorneys.
• Perform intake duties and, where necessary, make appropriate referrals to other community agencies.
• Serve on at least one of our Priority Committees: Housing; Barriers to Employment; Consumer; Public Benefits; and Family law. Priority committees are comprised of Legal Action advocates practicing in those areas of law. They meet quarterly to discuss trends in the law and practicing in that area of law and to strategize the firm’s work. This Wausau area office staff attorney priority committee assignment is to be determined.
• Participate in regular case review by the managing attorney.
• Travel to each of the La Crosse office’s 10 counties for hearings as scheduled as well as case work and outreach activities.
• The staff attorney may be assigned additional duties from time to time.

Required Qualifications

• Admission to Wisconsin Bar.
• Strong oral and written communication and advocacy skills.
• Experience working with low-income clients and/or victims of violence.
• Ability to interact professionally and work cooperatively with staff, clients, and the public.
• Ability to use basic computer systems, including email, word processing software, and internet-based applications.
• Willingness and ability to learn job-specific procedures and systems during the probationary period.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain accuracy in a busy office environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in a role working with persons with disabilities, those living in poverty, or individuals with a minority status or affiliation.
• Experience with client advocacy in a court setting.
• Experience working in a nonprofit, client-facing environment or legal services.

Salary/Compensation

Legal Action’s salaries are not negotiable: Our salary scales are based solely on years of experience with each step on the scale equivalent to one full year of experience. We strongly encourage applicants to include detail in their resume about the duties they performed and the months they worked at each employer and in each position so that we can accurately calculate experience and salary. If we make an offer to an applicant, we depend on the resume that the applicant submitted, and we do not allow for revisions after submission. The salary steps for this position range from:

• Step 0 = $65,000 (Tier 1)/Not applicable for Tier 2
• Step = years of experience.