Domestic Violence Staff Attorney
MetroWest Legal Services provides legal advocacy to protect and advance the rights of the poor, elderly, disabled and other disenfranchised people in our service area and assists them in obtaining legal, social and economic justice. MWLS is an exciting workplace with dedicated social justice advocates—join us!
Responsibilities:
- Represent survivors in domestic violence-related civil legal matters including divorce, custody, paternity, and protection order cases, thereby increasing survivor choice, safety, and economic independence.
- Educate survivors about their legal options so they can be empowered to make their own informed decisions, with the goal of minimizing the risk of outcomes that jeopardize safety and wellbeing.
- Advocate for clients in collateral legal matters such as housing, benefits, and immigration. Screen clients for immigration relief, and coordinate with MWLS immigration unit to provide VAWA, U-Visa, and SIJS relief to immigrant survivors of domestic violence and their children.
- Performs additional duties as assigned.
Salary/Benefits: Salary is based on a union scale with a starting wage of $50,000. Benefits package include generous PTO leave, 100% employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, employer match on retirement contributions, student loan repayment assistance program for eligible attorneys and extensive professional development opportunities.
Qualifications/Competencies include:
- Admitted to Massachusetts bar or entitled to practice under SJC Rule 3:04**. (Applicants who are third year law students planning to sit for the July 2020 bar exam and who are willing to work part time between graduation and the bar exam will be considered)
- Experience in providing family law services with a focus on representing survivors of domestic violence preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to utilize appropriate, non-judgmental communication techniques when responding to survivors that illustrates sensitivity to their experiences and needs. Prior experience interviewing and counseling survivors of trauma and abuse preferred.
- Ability to work and advocate in a collaborative style with diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic groups, as well as diversity based on ability/disability, sexual orientation and religion.
- Spoken fluency in a second language (Spanish or Portuguese) preferred.
- Sense of humor and willingness to be a team player.
**An applicant who is admitted to the bar of another state must become a member of the Mass. bar within 2 years.
To Apply: Candidates should submit a cover letter addressing your interest and experience in poverty/public interest law, resume, and brief writing sample via email to jobs@mwlegal.org. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The application deadline is March 27, 2020.
MWLS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to ensure that our staff members reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. MWLS encourages applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.