Description:
Description:Student Legal Aid Staff Attorney
Milwaukee Office
Full-time
August 25, 2026
Introduction: Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. (LAW) is seeking applications for a Student Legal Aid Staff Attorney in its Milwaukee office. The role supports Legal Action's statewide Volunteer Lawyer Project/Student Legal Aid Project, which assists clients in resolving legal issues that prevent them from obtaining, retaining, or advancing in employment. Such cases include driver's license recovery, addressing outstanding municipal citations and warrants, expungement applications, pardon petitions, and other barriers to economic stability. The attorney will be expected to help train and support volunteer attorneys and student interns while also carrying their own caseload.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. (“Legal Action”) is a non-profit law firm, funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation, and many other sources and supporters. Legal Action provides free civil legal aid to low-income persons in Wisconsin with offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Oshkosh, Green Bay, La Crosse, and Wausau. Legal Action attorneys and paralegals have expertise in a range of substantive areas, but most of our direct representation is in the areas of housing, public benefits, removing barriers to employment, consumer law, and family law.
Mission Statement: Legal Action's mission is to deliver exceptional civil legal services and structural change advocacy, free of cost, to those most in need. Our core values (equity, advocacy, client-centered, integrity and community) guide our work and actions. Please see our website for a description of the core values and vision that guides our work.
Office Location: This position will be based in Legal Action's Milwaukee office but will occasionally require travel throughout the state.
Governance: This position is governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between Legal Action and United Legal Workers (ULW), as well as Legal Action's personnel policies.
Position Description:. The Staff Attorney will support Legal Action's statewide Volunteer Lawyer Project/Student Legal Aid Project with the support and guidance of the Student Legal Aid Project Supervisor. This project assists students and emerging professionals in addressing legal issues that may interfere with educational completion, occupational licensing, professional advancement, and long-term economic stability. The project engages volunteer attorneys, students, and community partners to provide legal assistance in areas such as expungement, pardon petitions, driver's license recovery, and municipal court matters.
Key Responsibilities:
- Coordinate the recruitment, training, scheduling, and support of volunteer attorneys, law students, and other pro bono partners under the supervision of the Student Legal Aid Supervising Attorney
- Provide direct representation to clients in cases involving driver's license recovery, municipal citations and warrants, expungement, pardon petitions, occupational licensing issues, and other legal barriers to employment.
- Participate in complex or high-impact barriers-to-employment cases as appropriate.
- Stay abreast of developments in laws, regulations, and policies affecting employment opportunities and economic mobility for low-income individuals.
- Coordinate and support expungement, pardon, driver's license recovery, and other barriers-to-employment clinics.
- Work collaboratively with community partners, educational institutions, workforce development organizations, and other stakeholders.
- Educate community partners and provide training to attorneys and other professionals.
- Attend and participate in the Employment Law Priority Committee.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- Admission to the Wisconsin State Bar
- Demonstrated ability to speak and write clearly, persuasively, and concisely
- Self-motivated, diligent, and able to meet strict deadlines while under pressure
- Commitment to serving low-income clients and communities by improving access to justice
- Cultural competence and respect for differences in race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstance
- Ability to motivate and work harmoniously with others
- Ability to occasionally travel throughout Legal Action's service area to meet with clients and to attend court hearings
- Ability to occasionally staff clinics and outreach events on weekends and evenings
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with courtroom procedure in state and municipal courts
- Ability to communicate with persons in the client community who speak a language other than English as their principal language (e.g., Spanish or Hmong.)
- Cultural affinity with the client community.
