Staff Attorney – 2025 Fall Class

Legal Aid Chicago encourages applicants with relevant volunteer and work experience, who have experiences with our client communities or individuals who identify as a person of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrant, or otherwise having backgrounds and experiences that are underrepresented in the legal profession to apply.

For over 50 years, Legal Aid Chicago has provided free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in metropolitan Chicago. Each year our attorneys, volunteers, and staff help resolve civil legal problems, including domestic violence, consumer fraud, and unfair evictions. Legal Aid Chicago was founded on the philosophy that all individuals are entitled to quality civil legal representation, regardless of their income. We work to ensure that poverty is not an impediment to justice by dismantling the legal barriers that perpetuate inequality. Legal Aid Chicago staff live our mission through our core values of equity, excellence, inclusion, kindness, and respect.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a hybrid work environment. Our office, located in downtown Chicago at 120 S. LaSalle Street, is ADA accessible and has convenient access to public transportation and local expressways. This position may require travel to court or other outreach events.

Position: Legal Aid Chicago seeks six full-time staff attorneys to begin in fall 2025. Applicants must be willing to work in any of the following of Legal Aid Chicago’s practice groups: Children & Families, Consumer, Housing, Immigrant & Workers’ Rights, Pro Bono & Community Partnerships, and Public Benefits. Ultimate placements will be assigned based upon practice group need and considering the interests, skills, and experience of the applicant.

Responsibilities:

• Manage an individual caseload and provide full and effective legal representation to individuals and/or groups
• Interview eligible clients on issues handled within the practice group and provide advice and brief service in appropriate cases
• Participate in weekly team meetings to present new cases and reach team consensus on representation
• Work with other practice group staff in interdisciplinary work
• Maintain knowledge in other areas of law handled by Legal Aid Chicago to ensure that clients’ legal needs are identified and met in those areas
• Participate in complex litigation or advocacy to address systemic issues
• Collaborate on projects that could involve outreach to community groups, developing new strategies for serving our clients, or address systemic issues through litigation, negotiation or advocacy
• Assist with grant reporting, as appropriate and applicable
• Maintain case files and accurate timekeeping in electronic case management system
• Participate in training to agencies, advocates, clients, or community groups about legal services and rights impacting low income persons and other vulnerable persons
• Participate in other activities related to poverty law including publication, permissible legislative and administrative advocacy, media relations, and fundraising
• Handle other duties as determined by the Supervisory Attorneys, Associate Directors, and the Director.

Salary and Benefits:

This position is part of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers, UAW Local 2320. The Collective Bargaining Agreement sets employment terms and compensation is determined by the CBA salary scale, based on paid experience.

The budgeted salary range for this position is $68,072-$76,300, which reflects 0-10 years of paid, credited experience.

Legal Aid Chicago offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Bilingual Staff Attorneys are eligible for an additional stipend
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, effective the first day of employment
• Time Off: 15 vacation days and 18 sick days accrued within the first year of employment
• 19 paid holidays, including four (4) floating holidays
• Twelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of the salary after six months of employment
• 403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution after one year of employment
• $50,000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance, at no cost
• Access to Employee Assistance Program resources, at no cost
• Monthly internet reimbursement
• Legal Aid Chicago is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is an eligible employer for the federal public service loan forgiveness program

Requirements
Applicants must have a J.D. degree and be a member of the Illinois bar, be licensed to practice law in another state and able to waive into the Illinois bar, or have taken the Illinois bar prior to their start date with results pending. The successful applicant will be collegial, well organized, and demonstrate a commitment to and experience with our client communities and/or people living in poverty, and applicants are encouraged to share that experience in their cover letter. Applicants must have excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to work well under pressure. Second language proficiency preferred; Spanish language a plus.

To Apply: Provide resume, cover letter, transcript, writing sample, and the names and contact information of two professional references, one of whom should be familiar with your legal and advocacy skills (e.g. a current/former employer, clinical professor, or internship supervisor). In your cover letter, please indicate the practice groups in which you are interested, ranking your top three. An overview of each practice group can be found here . Alternatively, please state if you have no practice group preference. The deadline for applications is February 7, 2025.

Legal Aid Chicago is firmly committed to creating a diverse workplace and is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and therefore does not discriminate on the basis of creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age religion, marital or parental status, alienage, disability, political affiliation or belief, military or military discharge status, ex-offender status, family responsibilities, reproductive health decisions or any other protected status.
If an accommodation is needed to complete this application, contact Human Resources at humanresources@legalaidchicago.org.

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to individual inquiries regarding an application status. We will contact candidates who are selected for the next stage of the hiring process.