Staff Attorney - Moline, IL

Illinois State Bar Association; Moline (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Job summary

Prairie State Legal Services, Inc. is seeking a Staff Attorney for the Moline, IL office. The role focuses on providing comprehensive legal services to low‑income individuals, including housing, family, benefits, and other civil issues.

The Staff Attorney will interview clients, assess legal needs, perform research, offer counsel, prepare documents, and represent clients in administrative and judicial matters. Travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Active Illinois bar admission or eligibility for reciprocity.
• Trial advocacy and negotiation experience preferred.
• Strong organizational and casemanagement skills.
• Ability to travel; valid driver’s license or reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal services to low‑income individuals across housing, family, benefits and other areas.
• Interview applicants and assess legal issues with focus on immediate needs.
• Deliver research, counsel, briefs, and representation in proceedings.
• Develop relationships with local bar associations and community partners.
• Coordinate outreach events and document services for grants.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Oral communication

Written communication

Research skills

Teamwork

Spanish language (optional)

Education

Illinois bar admission or reciprocity eligibility

Job description

Job Opportunity Announcement

Staff Attorney–Moline, IL

Everyday,peopleacrossIllinoisaredeniedthebasicrightstowhich theyareentitledunderthe lawsimplybecausethey can’t afford a lawyer. It’s our mission to change that.

Prairie State Legal Services, Inc is seeking a Staff Attorney to join our team in the Moline office. Staff attorneys at PSLS provideawiderangeoflegal servicestosomeofthe mostvulnerablemembersofourcommunities, includinglow-income individuals,olderadults,veterans,andpeoplewithdisabilities.Wefocusservicesonlegalproblemsthatimpactthe ability of our clients to meet their basic human needs, including physical safety, access to healthcare, adequate housing, and financial stability. Prairie State is the only legal aid organization in the majority of our area, and we pride ourselves on providing high-quality legal services to our clients while fostering a work environment that is motivating, collaborative, and rewarding, with plenty of opportunities for professional growth.

Responsibilities

Amongotherdutiesasassigned,theStaffAttorneywill:

• Providelegalservicestolow-incomeindividualscoveringawiderangeoflegalissues,includinghousing,family,public benefits, consumer, health, education, and other areas
• Interviewapplicantsforlegalservicesandassesstheirlegalissueswithafocuson thoseissuesthathaveanimmediate impact on their basic human needs
• Provide legal services including legal research and factual investigation, counsel and advice, brief services and documentpreparation,disputeresolution,andrepresentationof clientsinadministrativeandjudicialproceedings
• Developandmaintainnetworkingrelationshipswithlocalbarassociationsandwithlocal,state,andfederal governments and community agencies that serve our client population
• Conductoutreacheventswith clientcommunities,includingclienteducationandintakeeventsatcommunitypartnerlocations
• Provideaccurateand completeinformationforgrantreportingto grantfunders,includingdocumentingservicesinthe case record
• Activelyparticipateinaninternaltaskforcerelatedtooneormoreareasof ourpractice
• Exhibitahighlevelofpersonalenergy,organization,andcommitmenttothepositionandthePSLSmission

Salary and Benefits

The Staff Attorney position is a full-time position at 37.5 hours per week. PSLS offers a salary that is competitive with similarorganizations. Our StaffAttorney salary starts at$70,000per year for newly licensed attorneys and increases with eachyearofrelevantexperience. PSLSiscommittedto providinganexcellent,comprehensivebenefitspackagetoitsfull-time employees that includes:

• Healthinsurance,includingtheopportunitytoqualifyforawellnesscredit
• DentalInsurance
• VisionInsurance
• 403bRetirementPlan,includingemployercontributions
• Extensivetrainingandeducationprogram
• Flexschedulingandpartialremoteworkavailable
• PTOthatstartsat3weeks/yearandincreaseswithadditionalyearsworkedatPSLS
• Paidsickleave
• 6weeksofpaidparentalleaveafteroneyearofemployment
• 12Paidholidays

Qualifications

• Candidatescurrentlyadmittedtothe practice oflawinthe State of Illinois or admitted in another state and eligible for reciprocity in Illinois are preferred. Consideration will be given to law graduates that will be sitting for the next bar exam.
• Experienceintrialadvocacyandnegotiationpreferred
• Stronginterpersonalskills
• Excellentoral/writtencommunication,researchskills,andcomputercompetency
• Organizationalandcasemanagementproficiency
• Abilitytoworkeffectivelyasateammember
• Spanishlanguageproficiencyispreferredbutnotrequired
• Sometravelisrequired;applicantmusthaveavaliddriver'slicenseand/orreliabletransportation
• Wewillgivepreferencetocandidateswhohaveexperienceprovidingservicestolow-incomeindividuals

Prairie State Legal Services is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunityemployer.

Werecruit,employ,pay,andpromotequalifiedapplicantsandemployeeswithoutregardto race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity, expression or presentation, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or any other legally protected status.

PSLS is a nonprofit civil legal aid organization that has served northern and central Illinois for 45 years,maintains 11 office locations, and has a staff of over 200, including training and litigation staff with extensive experience. Our 36-county service area includes rural communities, suburban areas, and mid-size urban cities, which necessitates the development of diverse strategies, and we encourage our staff to cultivate and utilize creative approaches to reach and serve our client population. Employees of PSLS benefit from the expertise and communityconnectionsof their localofficestaff,alongwithrobustprogram-wideresources. Westrivetoprovide an array of services responsive to the needs of ourclients. PSLS has excellent fiscal controls and upholds the highest rating from Charity Navigator and Guidestar. For more information regarding PSLS services and operations, please visit our website at https://pslegal.org.