Education Attorneys

LEGAL AID OPPORTUNITY – Education Law

South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS), a growing non-profit civil legal aid program, provides quality legal representation to low-income and other vulnerable residents of Southeastern MA, Cape Cod & Islands. SCCLS seeks to hire attorneys to expand its Education team. The Education practice represents vulnerable students in the region to ensure they are not excluded from educational opportunities or directed away from those opportunities due to disability, a language barrier, race, national origin, or poverty. In doing so, the Education team will challenge systemic, underlying education policies and practices that contribute to the denial of access to a quality education, resulting in low-expectations, ineffective instruction, and inadequate interventions.

We seek attorneys committed to seeking racial and economic justice for low-income communities through the provision of high-quality client centered legal representation. This is an excellent opportunity to join an organization of supportive, creative colleagues who work hard to provide life-changing legal representation for the most vulnerable persons in our communities.

Qualifications:  Must be admitted in MA or eligible for admission. We prioritize prior poverty law and/or litigation experience and an aptitude for working with clients who may have experienced poverty, trauma or discrimination. You will bring a commitment to race equity and anti-racism in your legal work and in the workplace. You are someone who can work independently but also as part of a team. You are organized, detail oriented and able to prioritize; skilled at factual and legal investigation and analysis, able to persuasively communicate our clients’ legal claims, and able to engage effectively in person and remotely with people from diverse cultures, with diverse opinions and values. You are creative in identifying and pursuing legal projects with broad impact, and in providing outreach and community legal education. You possess vision and a sense of urgency in addressing client needs. Fluency in a language that reflects our client communities (Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Khmer) is valued.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:  SCCLS salaries are based on a collective bargaining agreement scale with yearly standard increases, multi-lingual annual increment for demonstrated language skills. Benefits package: health and dental with supplemental coverage, life insurance, disability, flexible spending account, 403(b), loan forgiveness. Generous paid leave including sick, vacation, personal and holidays.

APPLY:  Submit letter of interest, resume and legal writing sample by email to:  LThelin@sccls.org with Subject Line: Education Attorneys. For timely and comprehensive consideration, applications should be received by December 16, 2022. Application reviews will begin immediately.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

SCCLS and its subsidiary, the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts (JCSM), with a combined staff of nearly 80, is the principal provider of free, civil legal aid to low-income residents of Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. SCCLS law offices are located in Hyannis, New Bedford and Fall River. The Justice Center is located in Brockton. SCCLS’ core mission is to achieve justice for eligible clients through community-based advocacy. The organization prioritizes legal services in:  housing, public benefits, elder law, domestic relations, employment, education, immigration, and consumer matters.

South Coastal Counties Legal Services and its subsidiary are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of age, class, color, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender, national origin, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. We welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We strive to foster a healthy, inclusive environment where all staff, clients, and community members are valued, empowered and recognized.