Staff Attorney - Children & Families: Education Law

at  Legal Aid Chicago

Description: Legal Aid Chicago encourages applicants with relevant volunteer and work experience, who have experiences with our client communities or individuals who identify as a person of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, or otherwise having backgrounds and experiences that are underrepresented in the legal profession to apply.
For over 50 years, Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys, volunteers, and staff help resolve civil legal problems, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation, regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice by dismantling the legal barriers that perpetuate inequality. Legal Aid Chicago staff live our mission through our core values of equity, excellence, inclusion, kindness, and respect.
The Children & Families Practice Group (CFPG) advocates for students whose right to an education is threatened, represents survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in protective order or domestic relations cases, and defends parents against unwarranted intrusions by the State into their right to parent. CFPG’s education law team represents K-12 students to obtain much-needed special education services, fight against unlawful school discipline and exclusion, and enforce their right to attend school free of harassment and discrimination.
Position: Legal Aid Chicago has an opening for a full-time Staff Attorney in the Children & Families Practice Group working specifically on education law cases. This position will report to a Supervisory Attorney. This position has a preferred early May 2024 start date, but other start dates will be considered.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain an individual caseload of education law cases and provide full and effective legal representation to individuals
• Develop and maintain knowledge in a specialized area of law and competence in related areas of law
• Interview eligible clients and provide advice and brief services in appropriate cases
• Maintain case files and accurate timekeeping in electronic case management system
• Work collaboratively with other Legal Aid Chicago staff and volunteers to provide comprehensive legal services
• Collaborate on projects that could involve outreach to community groups, developing new strategies for serving our clients, or address systemic issues through litigation, negotiation, or advocacy
• Participate in trainings to service providers and community groups about legal services and rights impacting low income persons
• Participate in other activities related to poverty law including publication, permissible legislative and administrative advocacy, media relations, and fundraising
• Assist with grant reporting, as appropriate and applicable
• Handle other duties as necessary.

• Maintain an individual caseload of education law cases and provide full and effective legal representation to individuals
• Develop and maintain knowledge in a specialized area of law and competence in related areas of law
• Interview eligible clients and provide advice and brief services in appropriate cases
• Maintain case files and accurate timekeeping in electronic case management system
• Work collaboratively with other Legal Aid Chicago staff and volunteers to provide comprehensive legal services
• Collaborate on projects that could involve outreach to community groups, developing new strategies for serving our clients, or address systemic issues through litigation, negotiation, or advocacy
• Participate in trainings to service providers and community groups about legal services and rights impacting low income persons
• Participate in other activities related to poverty law including publication, permissible legislative and administrative advocacy, media relations, and fundraising
• Assist with grant reporting, as appropriate and applicable
• Handle other duties as necessary