Attorney - Rural Justice Initiative, East, TX

Job Description

Job Description

Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) is excited to announce that we are now recruiting for a RJI Attorney as part of our new Rural Justice Initiative (RJI) based in East, Texas. 

The Rural Justice Initiative Attorney is a project-funded attorney position established as part of Disability Rights Texas' (DRTx) participation in the Rural Justice Initiative (RJI), a collaborative effort designed to expand access to civil legal services for low-income Texans living in designated rural communities and legal-desert counties.

This is a special project, time-limited, five year position funded specifically for the Rural Justice Initiative. Continued employment in this position is contingent upon the continuation of the project, availability of project funding, and organizational need. The position is not intended to constitute a permanent position beyond the duration of the Rural Justice Initiative or its available funding.

The RJI Attorney provides direct legal services to eligible low-income Texans with disabilities residing in designated RJI counties and communities. Unlike DRTx attorney positions assigned primarily to a single substantive issue team, this position functions as a generalist disability-rights attorney within the scope of the Rural Justice Initiative. The Attorney may address a range of disability-related civil legal matters, including special education, disability discrimination and accommodations, access to public benefits and services, and other disability-related legal matters identified through the project.

Consistent with the project's community-based service delivery model, under the direction of the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator, the RJI Attorney is expected to develop and maintain a meaningful professional presence within the assigned rural service area. The position works closely with DRTx RJI staff, local residents, schools, community organizations, legal aid partners, Community Justice Workers, pro bono attorneys, and other trusted local institutions to identify unmet legal needs, provide direct representation, conduct outreach and community engagement and legal clinics, and strengthen local access to civil legal assistance.

The grant proposal specifically calls for community-based legal access points, clinics, outreach, stronger referral pathways, and expanded geographic reach within rural communities. 

Local Presence Requirement

This position is assigned to the East, TX region. Interested applicants must reside within, or sufficiently near, one of the following counties (Rusk, San Augustine, Tyler, Chambers, Trinity, Panola, Sabine, Hardin, Liberty, Houston, Shelby, Newton Orange, San Jacinto, and Anderson) to maintain a regular and meaningful local presence in the designated counties and communities served by the position. 

The Attorney must be reasonably available for in-person client services, community outreach, legal clinics, meetings with community partners, court and administrative proceedings, and other project activities throughout the assigned service area.

This requirement reflects the project's emphasis on establishing relationships with trusted rural institutions—including schools, libraries, disability-service organizations, medical providers, and faith-based and community organizations—and translating those relationships into meaningful access to legal services.

Special Project / Funding Notice

This position is established specifically to support the Rural Justice Initiative and is funded through project-specific grant funds. It is a time-limited position associated with the duration and funding of the Rural Justice Initiative. Employment in this position does not create a guarantee or expectation of continued employment beyond the project period or the availability of project funding. DRTx may modify the position, geographic assignment, duties, or staffing structure as necessary to meet grant requirements, project priorities, funding availability, and organizational needs.

Essential Functions

1. Provide legal representation and advocacy to eligible clients residing in designated Rural Justice Initiative counties and communities, including advice and counsel, negotiation, mediation, administrative complaints and proceedings, and litigation in administrative hearings and state and federal courts consistent with DRTx case acceptance, supervision, and case handling procedures. 
2. Evaluate requests for assistance and determine eligibility for services in accordance with DRTx policies, project requirements, funding restrictions, organizational priorities and applicable case-acceptance and supervisory approval procedures. 
3. Maintain an assigned caseload involving a range of disability-related civil legal matters consistent with the scope of the Rural Justice Initiative and workload priorities established by the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator, taking into account travel, clinics, education, community engagement, and litigation commitments.. 
4. Provide legal services relating to special education rights, including matters arising under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and applicable provisions of the Texas Education Code. 
5. Provide legal assistance, as appropriate within DRTx priorities and RJI project parameters, regarding other disability-related civil legal issues, which may include disability discrimination, reasonable accommodations, housing, public benefits, Medicaid, access to government programs and services, and disability-related disaster issues. 
6. Conduct legal research, analyze facts, identify applicable federal and state laws and regulations, and develop appropriate legal strategies and interventions; seek timely consultation with the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator. 
7. Independently and competently prepare legal documents, including pleadings, briefs, memoranda, administrative complaints, discovery, correspondence, settlement documents, and other legal materials. 
8. Interview clients, witnesses, community members, and other stakeholders and review relevant records and evidence. 
9. Participate in and provide legal services through community-based clinics, mobile or regional outreach activities, and other service-delivery models established through the Rural Justice Initiative with commitments and attorney capacity coordinated through the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator. 
10. Establish and maintain productive working relationships with community-based organizations, schools, libraries, healthcare providers, disability organizations, faith-based organizations, legal aid providers, and other trusted institutions serving the assigned rural communities. 
11. Work collaboratively with Rural Justice Initiative partner organizations, Community Justice Workers, community navigators, intake personnel, pro bono attorneys, and other project personnel. 
12. Provide legal guidance, technical assistance, training, and mentorship to project staff, community partners, pro bono attorneys, and other legal service providers as appropriate to the attorney’s role, competence, DRTx policies, and supervision of non-attorney legal work.. 
13. Develop and deliver community education, Know Your Rights presentations, legal clinics, and other educational programs designed to increase awareness of disability-related legal rights and available legal resources in coordination with the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator and approved outreach and community-engagement plans. 
14. Identify emerging legal needs, recurring barriers, service gaps, and systemic issues affecting low-income people with disabilities within assigned rural communities and communicate those issues to project leadership. 
15. Support project efforts to build sustainable local legal capacity, including development of referral relationships, pro bono partnerships, community access points, and other resources capable of improving access to justice in rural communities. 
16. Maintain accurate, timely, and complete case and project records and collect information necessary to satisfy DRTx and Rural Justice Initiative grant reporting, evaluation, and performance requirements. 
17. Participate in project training, cross-training, case rounds, coalition activities, and other professional development designed to build expertise in disability-related and special education law. The RJI proposal specifically contemplates cross-training attorneys in IDEA, Section 504, ADA, Texas Education Code, ARD procedures, evaluations, discipline, TEA complaints, and due process. 
18. Travel regularly throughout the assigned rural service area and periodically to other locations in Texas for client representation, hearings, trials, clinics, outreach, training, project meetings, and other work-related activities. 
19. Apply relevant laws, regulations, professional rules, DRTx policies, grant requirements, and ethical standards in all aspects of the work. 
20. Manage workload and competing priorities independently while meeting case deadlines, project deliverables, and organizational expectations. 
21. Maintain regular communication with the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator regarding case status, critical deadlines, legal strategy, community engagement commitments, workload capacity, and matters requiring supervisory consultation or escalation.

Additional Duties

Perform other job-related duties as assigned that are consistent with the scope and level of the position and the purposes of the Rural Justice Initiative.

Required Qualifications

Education and Licensure

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school. 
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and in good standing. 

Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years of relevant legal experience. 
• Experience providing legal services, advocacy, or representation to low-income or underserved populations, or demonstrated ability to develop such expertise. 
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage legal matters and provide client representation. 

Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to develop working knowledge across multiple areas of disability-related civil law rather than practicing exclusively within a single substantive area. 
• Knowledge of federal and Texas laws affecting people with disabilities, or the ability to acquire such knowledge within a reasonable period. 
• Ability to analyze complex legal issues and develop effective case strategies. 
• Strong legal research, writing, negotiation, and oral advocacy skills. 
• Ability to communicate legal concepts effectively to clients, community members, attorneys, and non-attorney partners. 
• Ability to develop professional relationships and establish credibility with individuals and organizations in rural communities. 
• Ability to work independently while maintaining effective communication and collaboration with supervisors and colleagues who may be located elsewhere in the state. 
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, judgment, and follow-through. 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, substantial travel, client responsibilities, and project deadlines. 

Other Requirements

• Must reside within, or sufficiently near, the geographic service area assigned to the position to meet the project's local-presence and community-engagement requirements.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout rural Texas, including travel to communities where public transportation and other transportation options may be limited, with or without reasonable accommodation. 
• Ability to attend in-person court proceedings, administrative hearings, clinics, outreach events, client meetings, and community activities within the assigned service area. 
• Ability to maintain Texas law licensure and comply with applicable continuing legal education requirements. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with attorneys and staff employed by other Rural Justice Initiative partner organizations. 
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse socioeconomic, geographic, cultural, linguistic, and disability backgrounds. 
• Commitment to providing high-quality legal services to low-income Texans with disabilities and increasing access to justice in underserved rural communities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in public interest, legal aid, disability rights, special education, housing, public benefits, or other civil legal services.
• Experience practicing in rural communities or representing clients who live in geographically isolated or underserved areas.
• Experience developing relationships with community organizations, schools, healthcare organizations, government entities, or other community-based institutions.
• Civil litigation and/or administrative hearing experience.
• Experience providing community legal education or participating in legal clinics.
• Spanish bilingual proficiency (written and spoken).
• Existing professional or community ties to the assigned RJI service area.

Work Environment & Functional Requirements

This position involves regular use of computers, telephones, videoconferencing systems, case-management systems, and other communication tools to perform legal work, including research, documentation, client communication, and collaboration with geographically dispersed colleagues.

Duties may be performed in a seated, standing, or alternative position. The role requires managing multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, traveling throughout the assigned service area, and engaging in complex or sensitive legal matters.

The position includes work performed in a variety of environments, which may include DRTx or partner offices, courthouses, administrative hearing locations, schools, libraries, community organizations, clinics, community events, and other locations within rural communities. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.