Staff Attorney - Victim Services

National Legal Aid & Defender Association; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

SeniorLAW Center in Philadelphia provides civil legal services to older adults and crime victims. The Staff Attorney, Victim Services, conducts direct representation and advocacy across several counties.

The role emphasizes interviewing clients, preparing court documents, coordinating with partners, and delivering outreach and education to improve access to justice for older victims.

Responsibilities

• Provide civil legal assistance to crime victims, including filing and pursuing protection from abuse petitions and related litigation.
• Represent victims in related civil matters such as ejectment, landlord-tenant, and debt collection.
• Coordinate with the police and District Attorneys as necessary to support safety planning and civil actions.
• Engage in outreach, education, and community resources for older victims of crime.

Job description

Position Description

Staff Attorney, Victim Services provides direct legal services to and engages in advocacy on behalf of older victims in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and/or Montgomery Counties.

Role-Based Duties And Responsibilities

Client-related responsibilities

• Handle all aspects of client representation, including screening and interviewing walk-in and/or emergency clients
• Conduct client interviews by telephone or in person to provide legal opinions or recommend a case for further services
• File necessary court documents timely
• Analyze facts to prepare appropriate case strategies
• Prepare for all court appearances
• Assess holistic legal needs of clients and make referrals internally and externally
• Provide technical assistance to staff and volunteer attorneys

• Case-related tasks
• Retrieve, transcribe, and perform prescreen data entry in the case management system as needed
• Prepare and mail retainers and letters
• Draft court documents
• Communicate with clients or third parties via telephone, email, text message, or other means
• Prepare case files for hearing/trial
• Maintain case files and the case management database
• Conduct home visits to frail or homebound clients
• Handle other case- or client-related tasks as necessary
• Utilize Language Line or other interpretation services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) older adults
• Provide information and referrals to older victims of crime, linking them to other resources and supportive services, including emergency financial assistance, support groups, health services, and other resources

• Community Outreach and Education
• Represent SeniorLAW Center at professional committees/coalitions related to older adult victimization to advocate for better services and access to justice for older victims of crime
• Develop and present legal education workshops to older adults to prevent victimization, identify victims, and promote self-identification or refer them to needed services
• Aid in the development of educational materials and resources for older victims of crime and best practices resources for professionals
• Aid in planning, organizing, and attending community outreach and tabling events
• Assist with community clinics focused on older victims of crime
• Coordinate with the Project Director to update the website, E-News, and other communication tools with project-related information

• Additional Responsibilities
• Participate in scheduled project-related meetings
• Participate in staff and Legal team meetings
• Provide support to other colleagues agency-wide as needed
• Assist with onboarding staff as needed
• Become knowledgeable of and follow SeniorLAW Center’s personnel and legal policies and procedures
• Demonstrate and model commitment to SeniorLAW Center’s mission and values
• Participate in the organization’s culture of philanthropy and events to support the organization
• Assist with quality control and case management data collection and reporting as necessary
• Other responsibilities to further the mission of the project and organization

Project-Based Duties And Responsibilities

Client-related duties

• Providing civil legal assistance to victims of crime, including filing and pursuing protection from abuse petitions and related litigation
• Filing quiet title actions and other related litigation to address fraud
• Preparing revocation and powers of attorney
• Filing and representing victims of financial exploitation and abuse in civil matters arising from victimization to ensure economic security, including ejectment actions, landlord-tenant matters, mortgage foreclosures, spousal support actions, kinship/custody matters, debt collection, and consumer matters
• Providing information, support, and advocacy with related criminal proceedings that may impact civil litigation, coordinating with the police and District Attorneys as necessary
• Working with a legal advocate to provide appropriate safety planning and other legal tools to ensure the victim’s safety

• Systemic Advocacy
• Identify systemic problems affecting older victims of crime and collaborate with local, state, and national partners to develop creative solutions

• Other Duties
• Please note this job description is not designed to cover a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities; duties may change at any time with or without notice.

Note: This description preserves the original language and content while improving structure and readability. It does not include promotional language or application process details beyond job duties and responsibilities.