Staff Attorney - Peoria, IL

Agnello & Rogers; Peoria (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

Training and education programs

Flexible scheduling

Paid time off

Sick leave

Parental leave (6 weeks)

Paid holidays

Job summary

Prairie State Legal Services in Peoria, IL seeks a Staff Attorney to provide a broad range of legal services to vulnerable clients, including housing, benefits, and family law. The role involves client interviews, research, and representation in administrative and judicial proceedings.

The Staff Attorney works a full-time schedule, engages in outreach, and collaborates with local agencies to support communities. A commitment to service and strong advocacy skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Candidates admitted to practice in Illinois or eligible for reciprocity in Illinois are preferred.
• Experience in trial advocacy and negotiation preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and excellent communication and research abilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal services to low-income individuals across housing, family, public benefits, and other areas.
• Interview applicants and assess their legal issues with immediate impact on basic needs.
• Perform legal research, factual investigations, counseling, and document preparation.
• Develop networking relationships with local bar associations and government agencies.
• Conduct outreach events and coordinate client education and intake at community locations.
• Document services accurately for grant reporting and funders.
• Participate in internal task forces related to practice areas.
• Demonstrate energy, organization, and commitment to PSLS mission.

Skills

interpersonal skills

oral and written communication

research skills

organization

case management

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.