Description:
Position Summary:Staff attorneys are a valuable part of our collaborative team providing legal services to victim/survivors of intimate partner violence and other cases. Staff attorneys practice through Tubman's Safety Project providing advice to clients and volunteers as well as providing exemplary trial advocacy in the courtroom. Staff attorneys also practice through Tubman's Family Law program providing a vast array of services in divorces, custody, paternity, child support, and more. Staff attorneys can expect to practice primarily in Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington Counties both on Zoom and in the courthouse.
This is a hybrid position that will be based in our Maplewood and/or Minneapolis offices and will provide legal representation to clients in Washington, Hennepin and Ramsey counties.
Staff Attorneys frequently work in collaborative groups on issues related to victim services and other agency needs. Working within the Tubman team, Staff Attorneys assist in maintaining and developing forms, policies, and procedures for the legal services that Tubman provides. Staff attorneys also work with grants requiring grant reporting and tracking program outcomes, progress, successes, and challenges.
Staff Attorneys provide training both internally and externally regarding issues affecting victim/survivor services and participate in recruiting, training, and mentoring volunteers, law clerks, and interns.
Key Responsibilities:
- Takes an active role in engaging our internal and external communities. There are so many ways to get involved at Tubman, including groups like the Shared Language Workgroup, Racial Justice Collective, and Inter-Departmental Workgroup.
- Maintains an active membership with at least one bar association in our service area, which helps the success of the attorney as well as our programs.
- Carries a robust case load emphasizing sustainable and mindful practices oriented to our client's needs. Tubman recognizes the impact of secondary trauma in doing this work and strongly promotes staff wellness and work/life integration.
- Works with potentially violent fact patterns, and more importantly, the people who have lived those facts.
- Presents facts effectively in courtrooms and at negotiations.
- Collaborates in an ongoing manner with Legal Advocates, as partnering with advocates is a hallmark of Tubman Staff Attorneys.
- Maintains positive professional relationships with teams and clients alike.
- Supervises student interns, volunteer attorneys, and paralegals as needed.
- Reports on grants.
- Engages with LegalServer, our online case file management system, to manage their case load.
- Works with Legal Service Coordinators to accurately and completely track cases.
- Understands that we work in a dynamic field and responsibilities may change as program needs evolve.
Professional Experience and Qualifications
- Juris Doctorate degree and a member in good standing with the Minnesota State Bar
- Litigation and trial experience strongly preferred
- Experience representing low-income and diverse client populations and a demonstrated understanding of the additional barriers to accessing the legal system these populations face
- Experience working with victim/survivors of violence
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Self-Motivating work style and ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Demonstrated professionalism and attention to detail
- Ability to prioritize and plan work activities; use time efficiently; and adapt to fluctuations in work pace
- Ability to uphold and implement agency values throughout service delivery
Preferred Candidate
- 2-5 years of litigation and trial experience in family law/domestic violence or other civil non-profit field
- Experience working in a non-profit agency
- Experience with recruiting and training volunteers
- Experience collaborating with legal advocates
- Multi-lingual with an emphasis on legal fluency
- Spanish fluency with an emphasis on legal fluency