Staff Attorney - St. Petersburg (Full-time)

This position is currently unavailable.  For a list of all open positions, please see our Careers page.

Bay Area Legal Services is seeking to fill a full-time Staff Attorney position in St. Petersburg.

This is a professional position involving the delivery of high quality legal advice, counseling and brief services as a licensed attorney. It requires excellent client interviewing skills, substantial knowledge of a broad range of poverty law issues, including but not limited to family law, landlord-tenant, and public benefits, and the ability to give accurate legal advice to clients during their initial intake. This position will involve not only working on our Florida Veterans Legal Helpline but also will involve taking on discharge upgrade cases for representation, providing outreach and education to veterans and the broader community about discharge upgrades, and further developing a discharge upgrade unit.

Applicants seeking employment with us should understand and share our commitment to the BALS’ mission and vision, and be willing to abide by the five core values of Bay Area Legal Services.

Office Location

St. Petersburg
4948 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL 33707

Illustrative Duties:

• Perform as the primary case handler for discharge upgrade and character of discharge review cases.
• Develop educational materials in various formats (print, online, live, video) to share information with the public about discharge upgrades and character of discharge review processes.
• Conduct outreach to communities of relevant populations, to partner groups etc. to share resources and information about our services.
• Stay informed about current legislation, especially assigned legal specialties. Attend Continuing Legal Education {CLE) courses and/or other trainings to maintain knowledge in areas of expertise or gain new knowledge.
• Perform high volume client intake and interviews over the telephone. Determine eligibility and document all client case information and related time spent in case management system accurately and timely. Ensure compliance with Legal Services Corporation {LSC) or other grantor requirements.
• Communicate with clients to learn about their legal needs and concerns, advise and refer them to other full service teams or branch offices within Bay Area Legal, or to appropriate public agencies or other community resources for additional services needed.
• Prepare legal documents, such as briefs, oral arguments, and pleadings, accurately and in a timely manner. Research relevant legal materials, gather and analyze evidence, identify implications for cases from legal precedents or other legal information.
• Develop arguments and represent clients participating in hearings before various courts and administrative bodies.
• Travel to client meetings or hearings if necessary.
• Supervise junior attorney, legal assistants and activities of other legal personnel (legal interns, paralegals, etc.)
• Assist other poverty program components as needed and offer advice in public relations, participates in appropriate community activities. This includes participation in BALS in-house committees and outside community/Florida Bar events when asked or needed.
• Participate in appropriate community and statewide activities to support and promote and further the work of Bay Area Legal Services.
• Assist the supervisor or Team Leader in preparing statistical reports and grant reports.
• Assist in developing and updating appropriate legal advice and brief services letters, legal instructional materials and other written materials as requested by the Team Leader.
• Perform other duties as designated by the Team Leader.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate (JD), Florida Bar licensed and in good standing with the Bar
• Demonstrated ability to work in an independent but closely supervised environment
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Excellent prioritization skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Experience with legal database systems to document case assignments
• Sympathetic and compassionate understanding of the social, economic, and legal issues faced by low-income individuals with limited access to such services
• Ability to relate well and effectively with diverse groups and individuals
• Ability to work closely and cooperatively with other team members
• Ability to travel to counties within the service area to meet with clients, perform outreach, and make presentations
• Familiarity and experience with poverty law issues, including but not limited to family law, landlord-tenant, and public benefits
• Familiarity with Veterans Benefits law and specifically discharge upgrade law

Desirable Qualifications:

• 1 year in practice
• Knowledge of trauma-informed lawyering practices
• Familiarity and experience working with a wide range of social service agencies
• Internet, e-mail, and word processing experience in a Windows-based environment
• Experience documenting case information in case management system(s)

• Prior experience working with the veteran population and/or prior military service

   

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.