Description:
General Summary:Provide professional civil and criminal legal services in the areas of Prison and Prisoner's Rights Law. Facilitate access to the courts by incarcerated individuals in contracted Washington State Prisons. Assist with representation needs, including human rights issues, impacting incarcerated individuals. Represent eligible persons before the ISRB (Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board) and other judicial and administrative processes. The work will vary depending upon areas of requests for legal services and case volumes.
Examples of Essential Job Functions:
- Review requests for legal services from incarcerated individuals confined at contracted Washington State Prisons.
- Interview and advise incarcerated individuals via phone.
- Communicate with and advise incarcerated individuals via letter writing.
- Travel to prison facilities to interview and advise incarcerated individuals.
- Perform legal research on issues impacting eligible incarcerated persons and provide representation in accordance with state contract guidelines.
- Build an expertise in Prison and Prisoner's Rights Law, which includes a broad range of issues, some examples of which are domestic relations, immigration, prison management, facility conditions, sentencing, conviction appeals, disciplinary matters, classification and transfers, and constitutional rights issues such as the right to medical and mental health care.
- Litigate before the ISRB and other state, local and administrative bodies.
- Assist with preparation and presentation of seminars on legal research, legal process, legislative updates, and other topics which facilitate court access for incarcerated individuals.
- Maintain and update case files, records of time spent, and other related records to document effective evaluation and completion of case assignments.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics:
- Knowledge of applicable laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders and agency rules.
- Knowledge of Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct for Lawyers and Washington Professional Responsibility Duties.
- Knowledge of legal research methods, principles and practices.
- Knowledge of time and case management principles.
- Knowledge of contemporary office practices and procedures, including the use of standard computer software such as Microsoft Office suite and PDF editors.
- Skill in researching, understanding, interpreting, and explaining constitutional provisions, statutes, laws, codes, regulations, and legal decisions.
- Skill in legal and professional writing and advocacy.
- Skill in obtaining information through interviewing, listening, and verbal feedback.
- Ability to develop expertise in the area of prison and prisoner's rights law, human rights, and representation needs of incarcerated individuals.
- Ability to communicate complex legal issues to a diverse population.
- Ability to analyze documents, interviews, facts and evidence, and apply case and statutory law to make conclusions and recommendations and provide legal advice.
- Access to own vehicle or other reliable means of transportation.
Education and Experience:
- Completion or near completion of a Juris Doctorate Degree from an accredited law school or equivalency.
- Must be an active member, in good standing, of the Washington State Bar Association, or have the ability to meet this requirement soon after hire.
- No minimum experience requirement.
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to travel to Washington State prison facilities approximately 3 times per month (travel reimbursement provided).
- Sufficient mobility necessary to navigate office environments, including one flight of stairs, and prison facility environments.
- Ability to operate standard office equipment including laptop computers.