Staff Attorney, Municipal Advocacy

Summit Legal Defenders; Akron (OH); On-site; USD 74,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Sick time

Life insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Medical insurance

Parental leave

401(k)

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

Summit Legal Defenders seeks a Staff Attorney for Municipal advocacy in Akron, Ohio. The role focuses on representing indigent defendants in all municipal court stages and requires flexibility to meet outside standard hours.

Candidate must be licensed to practice law in Ohio in good standing, with strong research, writing, and advocacy skills, and a commitment to social justice. Local travel and a valid driver's license are required.

Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in Ohio in good standing.
• Strong legal research, writing and oral advocacy skills.
• Understanding of issues of race, poverty, mental health, and substance abuse in criminal justice.
• Willingness to travel between courthouses; valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Represent indigent defendants at all municipal court stages.
• Appear in court as assigned; flexible hours as needed.
• Work as a float attorney covering multiple courts.
• Use the Ohio Public Defender case management system to manage caseload.
• Regular client meetings in office or jail.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Client service

Education

Ohio bar admission (active)

Tools

Case management system

Job description

Summit Legal Defenders is seeking a Staff Attorney for Municipal advocacy.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

• Salary range $73,840.00-$88,000.00, commensurate with experience.
• Benefits include paid vacation, sick time, life insurance, dental, vision, medical, parental leave, and retirement 401(k). Employees are not eligible for participation in the OPERS retirement system, but qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness .
• This is an exempt, at-will position.
• The outside practice of law is not permitted.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Represent indigent defendants at all stages of the municipal court process including arraignments, discovery, pretrials, motions, pleas, trials, and other work integral to a criminal case.
• Appear in court at all times the assigned court is open and be available to meet and work outside the typical working hours if necessary.
• Work as a float attorney to cover multiple courts as part of a team and support colleagues who need assistance in or out of court.
• Use the Ohio Public Defender case management system to manage your caseload with timely and complete hearing notes, discovery, filings, etc.
• Regular client meetings in office or the jail.

REQUIREMENTS

• Licensed to practice law in Ohio in good standing with no disciplinary incidents.
• Commitment to client service and communication.
• Legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills and experience.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the issues of race, poverty, mental health, and substance abuse as they relate to the criminal justice system.
• Local travel between courthouses and our main office is necessary therefore reliable transportation/driver’s license required.

The Summit Legal Defenders’ mission is to treat every client as an individual, not the sum of their charges. We envision our work within the context of social justice and the opportunity for growth and change. Our attorneys work to offer solutions to problems and navigate the criminal justice system in partnership with the client. Our goal is to provide high-quality legal service to the indigent population of Summit County in a respectful, diligent, and responsive manner.

We are a non-profit agency established in 1974 with our main office in downtown Akron, Ohio, led by Director Andrea Whitaker. For more information, please visit our website.