Description:
A Pro Bono Legal Aid Arm of The Houston Bar Association is seeking a full-time staff attorney to work primarily as a part of HVL's Veterans program. HVL has adopted a hybrid model where staff may work from home part of the week. For this position, the candidate will work Tuesdays at HVL's downtown office and most Friday afternoons at the VA Hospital near the Medical Center.HVL utilizes the pro bono delivery model to provide free civil legal services to low-income individuals who need assistance with a variety of legal issues. This includes criminal expunctions, family law, guardianship, estate planning, probate, tax disputes with the IRS, landlord/tenant disputes, homeownership, consumer issues, bankruptcy matters, and veteran-specific legal issues such as discharge upgrades and benefits appeals. The HVL staff attorney's primary responsibility is to triage applicants seeking assistance, identify legal needs and viability, provide advice and counsel to clients, and mentor volunteer attorneys working on pro bono cases. This position requires a high degree of professionalism, autonomy, and self-motivation.
Key Areas of Responsibilities
- Provide legal consultations to individuals facing various civil legal issues,
- Deciding whether applicant's legal needs are appropriate for volunteer representation through HVL.
- Analyze, investigate, and prepare client matters for referral to volunteer attorneys.
- Recruit and provide substantive mentoring to pro bono attorneys who are representing HVL clients, including potentially troubleshooting complex legal matters.
- Develop partnerships with other community services organizations to reach target individuals in need of free legal services.
- Develop subject-matter expertise in legal areas relevant to our clients to support HVL's institutional knowledge on screening potential clients and supporting volunteer attorneys.
- Maintain timely documentation of all case-related activities, assist with grant reporting activities, and other tasks as assigned by HVL.
Education and Experience Required:
- Juris Doctor and State Bar licensure in Texas, in good standing.
- Excellent time management & prioritization skills.
- Strong legal analysis skills, writing skills, and communication skills.
- Comfort with working with veterans, including those who may be hospitalized and/or in declining health and those in recovery for substance abuse issues.
- Ability to engage compassionately with individuals facing barriers accessing legal services.
- Ability to manage a caseload in accordance with internal policies and procedures.
