Staff Attorney
TeamChild seeks a passionate and dedicated atorney to join our Spokane County Office. The Spokane County Office seeks a Staff Atorney with a commitment to client centered advocacy who will invest in the Spokane community and amplify youth voice.
ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES • Represent a full caseload of clients in a variety of civil legal needs; • Work effectively with youth and young adult clients ages 12 to 24 who were impacted by incarceration at a juvenile rehabilitation (prison) facility; • Present cases competently in superior court, administrative hearings, juvenile court, and possibly federal court and appellate court; • Comply with RPCs in providing high quality legal advice and representation; • Develop content expertise in substantive areas of law that we regularly practice, including civil rights, criminal law and procedure, post-conviction, family law, access to services and public benefits, and education law; • Maintain time on cases; • Maintain coherent and clear case files; • Work with team on case planning; • Work effectively with legal assistant on cases, intakes, and other projects; • Close cases in a timely manner; • Conduct intakes as needed to screen new referrals; • Review other TeamChild attorney work and provide peer feedback; • Co-counsel cases with other TeamChild staff; • Conduct outreach to develop relationships and explore the legal needs of impacted community; • Provide substantive training on a variety of legal areas to youth, families, professionals, community members, and other lawyers; • Provide professional consultation with other attorneys or non-attorneys who seek advice and support in the areas of youth law; • Work on individual and collective policy advocacy areas as they are developed - local, county, and statewide (sometimes federal); • Participate in internal work groups at TeamChild regarding hiring, policies, retreats, and other internal functions and collective agency work.
We are seeking candidates who are committed to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression and are passionate about supporting young people. Candidates should work well both independently and as a team member, enjoy creative problem solving, and value the creation of relationships across disciplines. Additional qualifications include: • Member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association or eligible for reciprocity or limited admission to practice pending admission to the Washington State Bar Association; • Must have a valid driver’s license and ability to travel throughout the county to meet client and agency needs (TeamChild provides mileage reimbursement or car rental options for travel); • Exceptional legal skills, preferably in the relevant areas of law including school discipline/special education, public health care, public benefits, re-entry issues, delinquency, child welfare, or other areas of youth related law; • Demonstrated competence working with young people, especially adolescents, and diverse people and communities; • Compassion and empathy in working with youth from all backgrounds and situations; • High level of integrity; commitment to following the Rules of Professional Conduct and upholding ethical standards, including client confidentiality and zealous advocacy for client-directed goals; • Demonstrated alignment with TeamChild values: Centering Youth, Anti-Racism, Wholeness, Accountability; • Anti-racist analysis and commitment to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression; • Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people with varying perspectives, experience, and expertise; • Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with community stakeholders (other advocates and social service providers) and co-workers. Our attorneys must be adept at forging relationships with our clients, our client communities, and the various advocates and social providers our clients access; • Exceptional oral and written communication skills; • Strong organizational, technology (case management systems, Microsoft Suite), and project management skills.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS • Bilingualism in Spanish, Marshallese, and/or another language frequently spoken by the communities we serve is a plus. • Legal advocacy skills, including administrative hearing and civil litigation experience, negotiation, clear and persuasive writing, and oral presentation preferred. • Personal connection with our client communities preferred, including lived experience with juvenile court, criminal court, foster care, homelessness and special education
Please email a concise letter of interest, resume, and past grant or donor writing sample to jobs@teamchild.org using the following file naming convention: “[Last Name] - Letter” and “[Last Name] - Resume” and “[Last Name] - Writing Sample.” Please write “Staff Attorney—Spokane County.” Also, please note how you learned of this opportunity. Position open until filled. Before submitting your application, please check TeamChild’s website to make sure that this position is still open.
All interested individuals, including people of color, women, persons with disabilities, and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or intersex are particularly urged to apply. TeamChild is an Equal Opportunity Employer. TeamChild is committed to promoting an environment free of barriers and discriminatory practices for its clients, Board, and staff.