Description:
Description:Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) advocates with and for Marylanders experiencing poverty to achieve equity and social justice through free civil legal services, community collaboration, and systemic change.
Since 1911, Maryland Legal Aid has provided high-quality legal aid to vulnerable, low-income people and communities – helping to remedy their civil legal issues and become empowered to overcome challenges, achieve stability and independence, and reach their goals. MLA also identifies and seeks to remedy systemic barriers. MLA's core work includes eviction and foreclosure prevention, family law, children's rights, consumer protection, securing public benefits, and access to healthcare. MLA advocates operate primarily through the courts, via individual representation of indigent clients, but also engage in impact litigation, public communication and outreach, and policy advocacy.
Through this holistic approach, Maryland Legal Aid serves to amplify the voices of tens of thousands of economically disadvantaged and vulnerable Marylanders each year and seeks to be a leader in the legal services field nationwide.
Fellowship Description
Maryland Legal Aid seeks diverse and dynamic applicants for a 24-month, full-time attorney position within the Statewide Advocacy Support Unit as an Equal Justice Works Fellow in the Financial Empowerment Project. This position is based in Baltimore City, with routine travel to the FEC site office in Gaithersburg, MD. The employee is expected to work from both locations as needed and maintain a regular presence in each office.
Equal Justice Works is the nation's largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law. The Equal Justice Works Financial Empowerment Project is a pilot initiative that embeds attorney Fellows with Financial Empowerment Centers to protect and transfer generational wealth through both financial and legal guidance. An Equal Justice Works Fellowship is an opportunity to transform your passion for equal justice into a career. As a Fellow, you will help close the racial wealth gap by providing free legal services that focus on estate planning, title clearing, and other asset preservation legal needs.
Fellowship Responsibilities:
- Provide direct legal services to clients in the areas of estate planning and asset preservation, including but not limited to resolving fines and fees, title clearing, navigating probate, and addressing heirs' property issues.
- Develop and conduct training and outreach initiatives for clients, including workshops and clinics developed in partnership with local FECs and community-based organizations.
- Build meaningful relationships with community members, with a focus on underserved populations, to support their long-term financial goals and promote intergenerational wealth transfer.
- Participate in collaborative learning and professional development through active engagement with the Equal Justice Works Financial Empowerment Project cohort. This includes contributing to resource exchanges, attending mandatory webinars and conference calls, and participating in training events such as the Equal Justice Works Leadership Development Training.
- Exercise leadership competencies as an Equal Justice Works Fellow.
- Contribute to required programmatic reporting and overall program evaluation.
- Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the essential functions of the position.
Requirements:
- Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
- Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland, or admitted in another jurisdiction and eligible for admission in the State of Maryland.
- Previous direct civil legal services experience, including law school clinics and/or internships.
- Demonstrated commitment to social justice, with a desire to increase access to justice for individuals and communities experiencing housing and/or economic instability by identifying ways to preserve homeownership, income, and other steps that enable the transfer of generational wealth.
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
- Exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary setting to facilitate a coordinated community response and provide holistic services to clients.
- Spanish language proficiency is desirable.