Description:

Advertised Job Summary
The Joseph F. Rice School of Law's South Carolina Rural Access to Justice Fellowship (SCRAJ) funds recent law school graduates motivated to serve rural communities in our state. Working closely with the Faculty Director of the Veterans Legal Clinic (VLC), the SCRAJ Fellow will establish intake procedures for and client counseling sites in rural areas with significant unmet civil legal services needs. In addition to providing direct representation to clients in VLC's core practice areas of veterans benefits appeals, discharge upgrades, and other income and housing stability matters, the Fellow will engage in broader activities such as advice and counsel and community legal education. Throughout this two-year fellowship, the SCRAJ Fellow will train and work under the limited supervision of the VLC Faculty Director and collaborate with Clinic staff and students, both in person and remotely, to reach underserved rural communities and deliver excellent legal services.

Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience

Requires a juris doctor degree or its equivalent from an accredited law school.
Must be a member in good standing of the South Carolina Bar.

Required Certification, Licensure/Other Credentials
SC Bar certified

Preferred Qualifications:
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
Ability to travel and work independently in rural areas of the state.
Ability to collaborate with law school faculty, staff, and students, and with community partners or site hosts.
Ability to work with diverse clients and host communities.

Job Duties:

Job Duty
Represent, including through litigation and negotiation, low-income clients referred to VLC, particularly those from rural areas, in SSI and other income-stability matters, insurance/Medicaid access, food security, education, and housing.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 40

Job Duty
Collaborate effectively with clinic faculty and staff and community partners to conduct intake and provide excellent representation for VLC clients, as well as targeted community legal education and advice and counsel in rural communities.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 20

Job Duty
Utilizing case management software to promote efficiency and collaboration, maintain contemporaneous, organized electronic and hard copy records, including contemporaneous timekeeping records.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 10

Job Duty
Other responsibilities as needed to support program goals.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 5

Job Duty
Interview and evaluate the cases of low-income clients referred to VLC for health-harming legal needs, particularly clients from rural areas.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 25