Description:
Purpose of Job:To provide high quality legal advice, representation, professional advocacy, and other appropriate legal services for low-income clients. As the Veterans Attorney, you will be working with Community Action Partnership agencies throughout southern West Virginia, serving veterans at risk of homelessness, under the federal Supportive Services for Veterans and Families (SSVF) grant. This attorney will be a member of a dynamic team and will regularly engage in new challenges with opportunities for creative problem solving. You will have direct responsibility for interacting with clients, and representing them in court and in administrative forums, with support from and collaboration with other attorneys and community partners. Frequent travel throughout Southern West Virginia is required. Attention to detail is necessary. While experience is helpful, Legal Aid values the dedication and commitment of new attorneys and offers an outstanding training regimen with in-office, program-wide, and multi-state training support.
Scope of Responsibility
Work performed in the office setting, in the courts, in administrative law proceedings, and in the community.
Essential Job Functions:
- Provide legal representation consistent with professional and LAWV organizational standards for the delivery of civil legal services to the poor.
- Prepare legal documents, advise clients, gather evidence necessary to formulate defenses or to initiate legal action. Conduct research, interview clients, and witnesses, investigate, and handle other details in preparation for trial. Prepare legal briefs, develop strategy, prepare arguments, and prepare testimony in connection with cases. Represent clients in court and before quasi-judicial or administrative agencies. Interpret laws, rulings, and regulations.
- Maintain accurate and complete files or records.
- New attorneys shall receive mentorship, training and case reviews over the course of their first year.
- Attend and participate in substantive task forces focused on issues impacting our clients, like DHHR Benefits, Family Law, and Housing.
- Occasional night and weekend work hours; some local and out-of-town travel. Attorneys must be able to get to Court or Administrative hearings.
- Help LAWV engage the legal community and members of the Bar to provide free legal help to Legal Aid clients through pro bono work.
Job Requirements:
- Must have demonstrable commitment to understanding and addressing issues of low-income constituents.
- Must have J.D. and be admitted to practice in West Virginia and in good standing or must be eligible for admission to the West Virginia Bar under West Virginia Supreme Court Rule 9 if admitted to practice in another state or must be eligible to take the next regularly scheduled West Virginia Bar Exam.
- Must have skills to use office technologies, including learning LAWV case management software.
- Must be able to balance administrative and client advocacy responsibilities.
Other Duties:
- Attorneys will work with their supervisor to develop goals within program priorities and funding; and will work with their supervisor to identify individual training needs.
- Attorneys will timely prepare reports and complete forms and records necessary for client services or administrative tasks related to their job.