Staff Attorney - Peoria, IL

NACBA; Peoria (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision insurance

403b Retirement Plan

Job summary

Prairie State Legal Services, Inc. is seeking a Staff Attorney to join the Peoria office. You will provide legal services to low-income individuals across housing, family, public benefits, and other issues, and interview applicants to assess their legal needs.

Responsibilities include advocacy, research, counseling, and representation in administrative and judicial proceedings. Travel may be required; strong communication and organizational skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Admitted to the practice of law in Illinois or eligible for reciprocity; next bar exam candidate considered.
• Experience in trial advocacy and negotiation preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication, research, and computer skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal services to low-income individuals across housing, family, public benefits, and other issues.
• Interview applicants and assess legal issues with focus on basic human needs.
• Provide legal research, counseling, documentation, and representation in proceedings.
• Develop relationships with local bar associations, government, and community agencies.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Oral & written communication

Research skills

Computer competency

Organization & case management

Teamwork

Spanish language (preferred)

Education

Illinois state bar admission or eligibility for reciprocity

Tools

Legal research tools

Job description

Staff Attorney-Peoria, IL

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

Prairie StateLegalServices,Inc. is seeking a Staff Attorney to joinour team in the Peoria office. Staff attorneys atPSLS provide awide rangeof legal services to someof themost vulnerablemembersof our communities, including low-incomeindividuals,olderadults,veterans,andpeoplewithdisabilities.Wefocusservicesonlegalproblemsthatimpact the ability of our clients tomeet their basichumanneeds,includingphysical safety, accessto healthcare, adequate housing, andfinancial stability.Prairie State isthe only legalaidorganizationinthemajority ofour area, andwe pride ourselvesonprovidinghighquality legal servicesto our clientswhile fosteringaworkenvironment thatis motivating, collaborative, and rewarding, with plenty ofopportunities for professional growth.

Responsibilities

Amongotherdutiesasassigned,theStaffAttorneywill:

• Providelegalservicestolow-incomeindividualscoveringawiderangeoflegalissues,includinghousing,family, public benefits, consumer, health, education, and other areas
• Interviewapplicantsforlegalservicesandassesstheirlegalissueswithafocusonthoseissuesthathavean immediate impact on their basic human needs
• Providelegalservicesincludinglegalresearchandfactualinvestigation,counselandadvice,briefservicesand document preparation,dispute resolution, and representationofclients in administrative andjudicialproceedings
• Developandmaintainnetworkingrelationshipswithlocalbarassociationsandwithlocal,state,andfederal governments and community agencies that serve our client population
• Conductoutreacheventswithclientcommunities,includingclienteducationandintakeeventsatcommunity partner locations
• Provideaccurateandcompleteinformationforgrantreportingtograntfunders,includingdocumentingservices in the case record
• Activelyparticipateinaninternaltaskforcerelatedtooneormoreareasofourpractice
• Exhibitahighlevelofpersonalenergy,organization,andcommitmenttothepositionandthePSLSmission

SalaryandBenefits

The Staff Attorney positionis a full-time positionat37.5 hours perweek. PSLSoffers acompetitive salary comparedto similarorganizations.The salary range forthe StaffAttorney positionis $70,000 -$90,231 annuallyfornewlylicensed attorneys,withincreasesforeachyearofrelevantexperience.PSLSiscommittedtoprovidinganexcellent,comprehensive benefits package to its full-time employees that includes:

• Healthinsurance,includingtheopportunitytoqualifyforawellnesscredit
• DentalInsurance
• Visioninsurance
• 403bRetirementPlan including employercontributions
• Extensivetrainingandeducationprogram
• Flexschedulingandpartialremoteworkavailable
• PTOthatstartsat3weeks/yearandincreaseswithadditionalyearsworkedatPSLS
• Paidsickleave
• 6weeksofpaidparentalleaveafteroneyearofemployment
• 12Paidholidays

Qualifications

• CandidatescurrentlyadmittedtothepracticeoflawintheStateofIllinoisoradmittedinanotherstateandeligible for reciprocity in Illinois are preferred.Considerationwill be given to law graduates who will be sitting for the next bar exam
• Experienceintrialadvocacyandnegotiationpreferred
• Stronginterpersonalskills
• Excellentoral/writtencommunication,researchskills,andcomputercompetency
• Organizationalandcasemanagementproficiency
• Abilitytoworkeffectivelyasateammember
• Spanishlanguageproficiencyispreferredbutnotrequired
• Sometravelisrequired;applicantmusthaveavaliddriver'slicenseand/orreliabletransportation
• Wewillgivepreferencetocandidateswhohaveexperienceprovidingservicestolow-incomeindividuals

PSLS is an equal opportunity employer that strives to create a welcoming environment. We recruit, employ, pay, and promotequalifiedapplicantsandemployeeswithoutregardto race,color,nationaloriginorcitizenship,ancestry,religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service, or other characteristics protected by law.

Organization

PSLS is a nonprofit civil legal aid organization that has served northern and central Illinois for more than 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 areaincludes 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 serveourclientpopulation.EmployeesofPSLSbenefitfromtheexpertiseandcommunityconnectionsoftheirlocaloffice staff, along with robust program-wide resources. We strive to provide an array ofservices responsive to the needs of our clients. 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.