Staff Attorney – Migrant Farmworker Unit

National Legal Aid & Defender Association; Lakeland (FL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. seeks a dedicated attorney to provide civil legal aid to eligible low-income farmworkers and families across Florida. The role focuses on employment, housing, public benefits, and individual rights, offering direct representation and advocacy with clients, agencies, and courts.

The position requires strong communication, cultural competence, and a commitment to social justice. FRLS partners with communities to improve access to legal services statewide.

Responsibilities

• Interviews, certifies eligibility, and identifies legal problems of FRLS clients within a specific area of law and provides legal assistance in the form of advice, referrals, or representation.
• Represents clients in court and before administrative agencies as accepted.
• Maintains an accurate follow-up system to review cases when needed.
• Develops and maintains relationships with other agencies serving farm workers and engages in joint referral/training opportunities.
• Participates in training other staff members in identifying legal needs of farmworker clients.

Job description

Position Description

Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to eligible individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties, as well as to farm workers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has been dedicated to justice, offering legal services in housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, disaster relief, education law, and more - at no cost to our clients. FRLS partners with community organizations and pro bono attorneys to provide quality advocacy, outreach, and education aimed at protecting the rights of those in need. For over 50 years, FRLS has been a steadfast advocate for justice. Learn more at www.FRLS.org.

Position Description

Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to eligible individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties, as well as to farm workers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has been dedicated to justice, offering legal services in housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, disaster relief, education law, and more - at no cost to our clients. FRLS partners with community organizations and pro bono attorneys to provide quality advocacy, outreach, and education aimed at protecting the rights of those in need. For over 50 years, FRLS has been a steadfast advocate for justice. Learn more at www.FRLS.org. The purpose of this position is to provide civil legal assistance to eligible low-income farmworkers and their families located throughout the state of Florida. This position will be focused primarily on legal issues involving employment, housing, public benefits, and individual rights.

Essential Functions

• Interviews, certifies eligibility, and identifies the legal problems of FRLS’s clients within a specific area of law and provides clients with appropriate legal assistance in the form of advice, referrals, or actual representation. This includes comprehensive legal services related to with employment law, including unemployment, wage theft, discrimination, housing, labor-based U-visas, and labor trafficking.
• Participates in community outreach and education.
• Represents clients in court and before administrative agencies as accepted.
• Provides documentation, statistical information and other records as required by the Managing Attorney, Deputy Director, or Executive Director.
• Participates in case acceptance meetings.
• Participates in training to keep up CLE’s and required and legally relevant training as may be provided by the program and as mandated by Florida Bar rules.
• Adheres to office hours, exhibits a strong work ethic and excellent time management skills, communicates, and treats clients and staff with courtesy and respect, provides constructive feedback to other advocates (paralegals) on cases discussed.
• Serves as a role model to support staff by promoting the values of hard work, high quality advocacy and treating others with courtesy and respect.
• Attempts to ensure accessibility of the local office(s) when necessary, by serving clients, including rural clients, non-English speaking clients and client with disabilities.
• Promotes good relations with the public, including client groups, service providers, press, and private bars, attending/speaking at local meetings as appropriate and approved by the Managing Attorney, Deputy Director and/or Executive Director.
• Is familiar with FRLS policies, as well as requirements of LSC and other funders, and adheres to those policies and requirements.
• Maintains an accurate follow-up system to review cases when needed.
• Participates in training other staff members in identifying legal needs of farmworker clients.
• Develops and maintains relationships with other agencies serving farm workers and engages in joint referral and training opportunities.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of legal issues currently affecting farm workers.
• Performs other duties as assigned.