Description:

Salary Range:

$70,000.00 To $85,000.00 Annually

Staff Attorney, Equal Justice Works Financial Empowerment Fellow – Detroit, MI

Organization Overview: Lakeshore Legal Aid serves low-income people, seniors, and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in a holistic manner to address clients' legal issues and improve our communities. Lakeshore provides free direct legal representation in southeast Michigan and the Thumb and client intake, advice, and brief legal services throughout Michigan via our attorney-staffed hotline. Our practice areas include housing, family, consumer, elder, education, and public benefits law.

Position Overview:
Lakeshore Legal Aid seeks diverse and dynamic applicants for a 24-month, full-time attorney position at Lakeshore Legal Aid as an Equal Justice Works Fellow in the Financial Empowerment Project. 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. Clients may also need assistance with resolving heirs' property through the probate court, property tax foreclosure, property tax hardship applications or quiet title actions, as examples. The position will be housed in the Cass Corridor litigation office. Staff attorneys will treat clients, co-workers, and others with dignity and respect.

Fellowship Benefits:
Equal Justice Works Fellows are part of a network of over 2,500 current and former Fellows dedicated to improving access to equal justice for all. As a member of the network, each Fellow has access to:

Equal Justice Works' annual Leadership Development Training
Responsive training and technical assistance
Regular substantive and skills-based webinars throughout the Fellowship
Monthly networking and collaboration sessions with other Fellows

Fellowship Responsibilities Include:

Provide direct legal services to Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) clients in the areas of estate planning and asset preservation, including but not limited to resolving fines and fees, title clearing, and addressing heirs' property issues for residents of the City of Detroit
Develop and conduct training and outreach initiatives for Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) clients, including workshops and clinics developed in partnership with local FECs and community-based organizations.
Building meaningful relationships with community members, with a focus on underserved populations, to support their long-term financial goals and promote intergenerational wealth transfer.
Participating 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.
Exercising leadership competencies as an Equal Justice Works Fellow.
Contributing to required programmatic reporting and overall program evaluation.
Provide timely civil legal services to low-income and senior clients and client groups through representation in trial courts, appellate courts and other forums, through litigation, advice, negotiation, drafting and review of legal documents, referrals and administrative advocacy.
Serve the clients in a holistic and client centered manner.
Develop an expertise in one or more areas of law, if required.
Promote and maintain civil and professional relationships with coworkers, clients, members of the judicial system, and members of the public with whom they have contact, treating all with dignity and respect.
Train or mentor other staff in areas of experience.
Create and/or deliver presentations to community groups on legal services related topics.
Develop continuing expertise to handle increasingly more complex litigation or other projects.
Perform other work-related duties as assigned by the supervising attorney, a director, CEO, or a CEO designee.

Qualifications:

Juris Doctor from an accredited law school; licensed to practice law in the relevant jurisdiction (at the time of hire is preferred; or having taken the July bar exam and awaiting results)
Previous direct civil legal services experience, including law school clinics, and/or internship
Demonstrated interest in poverty law and working with low- income individuals. Able to communicate effectively, be empathetic and understand the diverse clients of the poverty community.
Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary setting to facilitate a coordinated community response and provide holistic services to clients
Ability to deal effectively with all people under difficult circumstances.
Demonstrable skills in litigation, advocacy, interviewing, and drafting legal documents.
Demonstrated ability to plan and organize multiple tasks.
Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.

Job Details: