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Lead Paint Project Attorney

Description: 
Lead Paint Project Attorney - Portland, Maine

Pine Tree Legal Assistance has an immediate opening for a licensed Maine attorney to maintain and expand an existing project to protect the rights of low-income families exposed to lead paint in their rental housing in the greater Portland community.  This position is based in the Portland field office. It has been funded through 2019 by a local foundation;  renewal funding for 2020 is now expected.

The attorney will be responsible for building and growing an existing medical-legal partnership with Greater Portland Health at their Park Street location and expanding to a second Greater Portland Health location. The attorney will be responsible for coordinating the medical-legal collaboration, including proactively implementing systems to strengthen patient referrals from healthcare providers and to strengthen Pine Tree’s capacity to handle these referrals. This will include development of specific tools to enable healthcare providers to recognize and refer issues appropriate for legal assistance. The attorney will conduct regular trainings and presentations to medical staff and others. In addition, the attorney will handle cases for eligible clients who are lead-affected in a range of civil legal needs, including housing, education, benefits, and other issues consistent with the project goals. The attorney will provide representation in court as well as administrative advocacy in a range of different civil needs.  The attorney will represent clients in complex affirmative warranty of habitability litigation, defense of eviction actions where lead paint issues can be addressed through warranty of habitability defenses, and provide advice and brief service in other matters for clients affected by lead paint exposure.   The attorney should also expect a range of community engagement activities, which may include development of written client education materials on lead paint and warranty of habitability issues, the provision of outreach and/or trainings to staff, community agencies and other groups that serve low-income individuals, or work on collaborations or other initiatives designed to address lead poisoning prevention.  The attorney will also benefit from the experience of a second Lead Paint Project team based in Pine Tree’s Lewiston office.  

Specific decisions about how to prioritize between these time commitments are made in consultation with other colleagues and the attorney supervisor. All work must be carefully managed and documented to meet funder expectations and must be delivered in a timely manner. The attorney is expected to be a valued contributor and supportive colleague to other members of the office and to the program as a whole, consistent with Pine Tree’s core values. A full job description is available upon request.

 

Requirements: 

Applicants must be eligible to practice law in Maine, with previous litigation experience.  Prior work experience with a medical/legal collaboration is desirable.

To Apply: 

Applicants should provide a letter of interest, resume and contact information for three references via email to Managing Attorney Katie McGovern, kmcgovern@ptla.org, and Executive Director Nan Heald, nheald@ptla.org. Applications are encouraged by October 24th but will be accepted until the position is filled. We encourage women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, or people who have experienced poverty or homelessness to apply.  Pine Tree Legal Assistance is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds.

Information

Submission Deadline: 
October 24, 2020
Organization Information: 
Pine Tree Legal Assistance
88 Federal Street PO Box 547
Portland, ME 04112
United States
Phone: 207-774-4753