Attorney (Petersburg)

Description

The Legal Aid Justice Center is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that partners with communities and clients to achieve justice by dismantling the systems that create and perpetuate poverty. Justice means racial justice, economic justice, and social justice. From its offices in Charlottesville, Richmond, Petersburg, and Falls Church, LAJC is a fierce advocate for low-income clients and communities in Virginia. Just in the past year, we permanently repealed Virginia’s driver’s license suspension for court debt scheme, secured an injunction slashing the number of immigrants detained by ICE at the largest detention center in the Mid-Atlantic and passed a law giving Virginia oversight authority, won the nation’s first COVID-specific, statewide, and enforceable workplace safety standards, and decriminalized school-based disorderly conduct, which was a leading contributor to the school-to-prison pipeline, especially for Black girls.

Founded in 1967, LAJC provides services under four key program areas: Civil Rights & Racial Justice, Economic Justice, Youth Justice, and Immigrant Advocacy. LAJC boldly tackles issues of systemic injustice and aims to raise public and policymaker awareness of some of the most pressing challenges facing low-income Virginia residents. For more information, visit www.justice4all.org.

Legal Aid Justice Center seeks a Community Lawyer to engage the greater Petersburg community via outreach, active listening, information-gathering, legal advocacy, and litigation regarding housing, education, and criminal legal issues of importance to clients directly impacted by social, economic, and racial injustice.

Job Duties

• Community outreach and education of LAJC’s mission and programs
• Relationship building and partnership development with individuals and organizations that will advance positive responses and interventions to community needs
• Developing grassroots organizing strategies to close the justice gap in low-wealth communities
• Mobilizing community members to engage in community advocacy strategies
• Handling both individual and impact legal matters on behalf of clients and client groups
• Lending elbow grease and brain power to LAJC’s ongoing strategic advocacy priorities

Skills Required

• Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice
• Virginia Bar membership, or ability to waive in, or willingness to sit for the bar exam within 6 months of hire
• Demonstrated commitment to working with individuals and/or communities directly impacted by economic and racial injustice
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
• Access to reliable transportation and willingness to travel statewide occasionally and to LAJC’s other offices
• Strong oral advocacy, research, and writing skills

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Mission-aligned experience (work or lived) advocating for economic and racial justice

Work Schedule

Location:

This role will be based in our Petersburg, VA office.  Occasional travel between offices will be required.

Additional Info

Application Deadline:

May 25, 2021. Please apply as soon as possible. We accept applications on a rolling basis and will consider those that are received by the deadline. Applications received after the deadline may still be reviewed for consideration.

Benefits:

• Generous leave
• Excellent family health, dental, and optical insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Personal professional development budget

Application Instructions:

Email a cover letter, a relevant writing sample, and resume to Miriam Torian at hiring@justice4all.org. If you’re able, please submit your application as a single PDF titled “[date submitted in yyyy.mm.dd format][last name][first name][position sought].” Please include “Attorney (Petersburg)” in the email subject.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, and candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.  Questions about the role?  Contact Miriam Torian or hiring@justice4all.org.