Position Summary: The TexasLawHelp/Virtual Court Access Project attorney is responsible for providing legal assistance to eligible clients and conducting virtual legal clinics to low-income Texans in rural areas across the state. The attorney in this position is expected to: Maintain the highest ethical and professional standards; embrace and support TLSC’s overall mission; and comply with all grant requirements, regulations, standards, policies, and confidentiality requirements. This is a grant-funded position.
Essential Functions:
- Provide high quality legal advice, assistance, and referrals to eligible clients, including through TexasLawHelp LiveChat, in a patient, compassionate, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed manner.
- Conduct intake interviews, confirm eligibility for services, and check for conflicts of interest according to TLSC policy.
- Assist clients in drafting and filing legal documents.
- Work with underserved communities and VCAP host sites to facilitate access to legal help.
- Travel to remote locations to conduct training and outreach activities.
- Assist clients with navigating the TexasLawHelp website.
- Coordinate projects between VCAP, within the practice area group, within TLSC, and organizations outside of TLSC.
- Train and lead law students, volunteers, and interns for TexasLawHelp LiveChat.
- Identify the need for publications to assist self-represented litigants for both print and web-publication for TexasLawHelp.
- Draft and update legal information publications, tools, and forms for TexasLawHelp.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Competencies:
- Current knowledge and expertise of the law and legal system, especially in areas that impact family law.
- Project management skills.
- High level organization skills.
- Strong time management and attention to detail skills.
- Exceptional verbal, listening, and written communications skills.
- Proficiency with (or the ability to learn) LegalServer (TLSC’s case management system), Adobe, Microsoft Office products, G Suite apps, and social media tools.
- Understanding of grant requirements and associated reporting needs.
- Ability to travel to remote locations.
- Ability to work with clients in a patient, trauma-informed and non-judgmental manner.
- Ability to enter information into system accurately.
- Experience using or ability to learn technology, including virtual meeting software/technology, such as Zoom or Skype.
- Bilingual English and Spanish preferred.
Requirements
Education and Experience:
- J.D. Degree
- Minimum two (2) years of family law experience.
Licensure and/or Certification:
- License by the Supreme Court of Texas.
Physical Requirements:
- Sedentary work that involves sitting most of the time.
- Occasional bending, squatting, and kneeling.
- Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force as needed, at times to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.