Community Engagement Unit Staff Attorney - Public Benefits (Non-Profit)

Job Description

Job Description

Overview

SUMMARY

Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (LASP) seeks a public benefits attorney to join its Community Engagement Unit. LASP is a nonprofit organization that provides high-quality, free civil legal services to eligible low-income residents of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties.

The Community Engagement Unit is responsible for building and strengthening relationships with community organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders to increase access to justice throughout LASP’s service area. The attorney will play a key role in promoting community awareness of legal issues, expanding access to legal services, and fostering collaboration with a broad and growing network of community partners.

Primary responsibilities include planning, coordinating, and conducting community outreach events, legal clinics, and educational presentations; recruiting, training, and supervising volunteer attorneys and law students; and providing direct representation to clients in public benefits matters. The attorney will represent clients in administrative and court proceedings involving programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medical Assistance, Unemployment Compensation, and SSI/SSDI benefits.

The attorney will also work closely with community organizations to identify unmet legal needs, develop outreach strategies, and connect vulnerable populations to legal resources. It is anticipated that the position will place a particular emphasis on serving and engaging Spanish-speaking communities throughout LASP’s four-county service area. Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English is therefore strongly preferred.

This position offers an opportunity to combine direct client advocacy with community engagement efforts that help expand access to justice for underserved populations. The position is funded through a grant from the Pennsylvania IOLTA Board. The position is a full-time regional position, based in Norristown, and will have responsibility throughout the 4-county area served by LASP. Staff currently work on a hybrid basis. The successful candidate will be expected to perform in-office work as well as be able to work remotely as needed.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

1. Interviewing clients, assisting in determining eligibility for services, and ascertaining and investigating facts;

1. Conducting legal research and interpreting statutes, case law, regulations, and other sources of law;

1. Providing advice and counsel to clients;

1. Preparing legal documents, including but not necessarily limited to, briefs, pleadings, motions, notices, correspondence, memoranda, discovery, and documents responsive to discovery requests;

1. Developing strategy and arguments for presentation of cases and assisting in preparation of witnesses for hearings and trials;

1. Representing clients in trial and appellate courts and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies;

1. Reviewing decisions and consulting with management team to determine merit of potential appeals;

1. Engaging with external professional and community organizations relevant to casework;

1. Conducting clinics, community education, and workshops;

1. Developing educational materials to provide to the community on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medical Assistance, Unemployment Compensation, and SSI/SSDI benefits.

1. Participating in LASP team efforts to achieve office and program goals, including participation in program-wide affinity groups and task forces;

1. Developing knowledge of referral resources and assessing community and client needs;

1. Enhancing skills and substantive knowledge through training, CLE, and other educational opportunities;

1. Abiding by all applicable professional standards of ethics and practice;

1. Completing required administrative tasks including entering of notes and timekeeping in LASP case management software, and maintaining of physical files;

1. Ensuring that requirements of grants and contracts which may provide funding for the position are followed, and assisting with grant reports;

1. Performing other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned.

SUPERVISOR : Community Engagement Unit Supervising Attorney.

QUALIFICATIONS : License to practice law in Pennsylvania or admitted in another jurisdiction and eligible for admission to Pennsylvania. At least two (2) years’ experience as a lawyer preferred; demonstrated proficiency in word processing, Outlook products, case management software, and online legal research tools; Passionate commitment to public interest law and serving low-income individuals and vulnerable populations; Strong written and oral advocacy and organizational skills. The successful candidate must be willing to accept complex and challenging cases and develop creative strategies to assist clients. Spanish language fluency is strongly preferred.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS : Base salary for attorneys starts at $65,500, but salary is commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits, including a 401K retirement plan with generous employer contributions, health insurance option in which 100% of premium costs are provided, ancillary benefits, and generous leave provisions, including paid holidays, floating holidays, personal leave, vacation, sick, and parental leave.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER : LASP is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate in the recruitment, selection, or advancement of employees on the basis of race, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information or on any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within LASP, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training. LASP makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

TO APPLY : Send resume and cover letter, including the job title (CEU Staff Attorney) to Carolyn Johnson, Chief Counsel at Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania, to View email address on ziprecruiter.com. Position remains open until filled.

JOB CLASSIFICATION : Salary/Exempt