Helpline Staff Attorney

Description:

Position Overview:
Are you tired of billable hours? Would you love not to have to go to court? Do you enjoy interacting with and helping people? If you answered yes, then Helpline attorney work may be the perfect fit for you! Due to the retirement and promotion of two of our current helpline attorneys, the New Mexico State Bar Foundation seeks two Full-Time (40 hours/week) helpline staff attorneys – one for its Modest Means Helpline (MMH) and one for the Legal Resources for the Elderly Program (LREP). Most of the work can be performed remotely from within New Mexico, with occasional mandatory office days. The position includes an excellent benefits package and competitive salary for legal work in the non-profit sector. Duties include providing legal advice and brief legal services over the phone to New Mexico residents, most of whom have moderate or low income (although LREP does not have any income criteria for services).

The ideal candidates for both helpline positions will have knowledge in the following areas: real property, probate and estate planning. Additionally, for the MMH position, the ideal candidate will also have knowledge of small business law. Other less critical but helpful areas of knowledge include landlord- tenant, consumer law/debtor rights, domestic relations, powers of attorney, and public benefits (i.e. Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare). Attorneys may conduct virtual legal webinars for the public. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in New Mexico, and able to work as part of a busy team in a fast-paced environment. Excellent customer service and computer
skills are required. Fluency in Spanish is a plus as is a demonstrable interest in the above-referenced areas of law and issues affecting the lower-income community.

To be considered, applicants must submit a cover letter and resume to hr@sbnm.org In your cover letter, please explain why you are interested in working as a helpline attorney. EOE. See below for details and application instructions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist clients through the telephone helplines by providing general legal information and case-specific legal advice and performing brief legal services.
• Determine whether a referral to a private attorney for full or limited pro bono representation would benefit the client and work with referral staff to complete the referral.
• Conduct virtual legal workshops.
• Assist in developing and maintaining educational materials to assist clients.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge in relevant areas of civil law.
• Assist with program administration as requested.

Minimum Required Experience/Qualifications

• Must be licensed to practice law in New Mexico and in good standing with the State Bar of New Mexico.
• Must be eligible for coverage under the organization's professional liability insurance.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Basic knowledge of New Mexico courts, jurisdiction, procedures, and practices.
• General knowledge of Microsoft Office programs including Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams, and Power Point, plus a willingness to learn and utilize various case management systems.
• Ability to assess factual situations described by lay persons to determine legal or procedural issues involved and an appropriate remedy or solution.
• Ability to communicate information to clients who have very limited or no legal knowledge.
• Ability to conduct presentations and respond to questions from members of the audience.
• Ability to maintain composure in stressful situations.
• Ability to follow specific program protocols across a high volume of cases.
• Utilize effective customer relations and communication skills, both verbal and written, in dealing with program participants, attorneys, adverse parties, and staff of various in-house or outside programs.
• Administrative skills, including ability to organize workload, determine priorities, and effectively manage several areas of responsibility.

Preferred Experience/Qualifications

• Fluency in Spanish.
• Basic knowledge of several areas of civil law, with a particular preference for:Real PropertyProbate/estate planningSmall business (Modest Means Helpline position only)
• Additional helpful experience includes:Domestic RelationsLandlord-TenantConsumer Law and Debtor RightsPublic Benefits

Conditions of Employment:

• Employees must be United States Citizens or eligible to work in the United States.
• Employment with the State Bar is on an “at-will” basis.
• Employees are required to adhere to all State Bar policies and procedures.
• Travel and some overnight stays may be required.
• The State Bar provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities.
• This position qualifies for telecommuting.

Benefits:
The State Bar provides a generous benefits package to full-time employees including:

• Fourteen paid holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO) in the amount of 20-32 days per year, depending on length of service.
• Benefits plans including:Health insuranceDental InsuranceVision InsuranceGroup life insuranceFlexible Spending AccountRetirement Savings (401k)Wellness Benefit ProgramEmployee Assistance Program

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