About the job Attorney Disaster Recovery
Position: Attorney Disaster Recovery
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Duration: Full-time
Salary: DOE
Description
The purpose of this position is to provide civil legal assistance to indigent persons affected by the disasters specified and approved by the program policies and priorities on such matters as individual rights, housing, public benefits, elder law, family law, consumer rights, education, and employment law.
The Attorney will provide legal services to hurricane recovery clients and guide and advise paralegals who are involved in the disaster recovery cases. The employee in this Attorney position will be able to handle cases and issues with little oversight and be able to creatively and independently problem solve. The Attorney will represent clients in legal proceedings, draw up legal documents and advise clients on legal transactions. The Attorney will be responsible for all aspects of the cases assigned to them, in court. This includes client preparation, legal file documentation, pre-trial preparation, court appearances, motion practice, depositions, mediations, negotiations, and trial practice. In general terms, the Attorney should be knowledgeable, confident, organized, disciplined, dedicated, and focused to ensure client work is handled in a competent manner.
The Attorney for Disaster Recovery is under the supervision of the Managing Attorney and the Disaster Project Manager.
Essential Functions:
1. Interviews, certifies eligibility, and identifies the legal problems of clients within a specific area of law and provides clients with appropriate legal assistance in the form of advice, referrals, or actual representation.
2. Participates in community outreach and education.
3. Represents clients in court and before administrative agencies as accepted.
4. Provides documentation, statistical information and other records as required by the Managing Attorney, Deputy Director, or Executive Director.
5. Participates in case acceptance meetings.
6. Participates in training to keep up CLEs and required and legally relevant training as may be provided by the program and as mandated by Florida Bar rules.
7. Adheres to office hours, exhibits a strong work ethic and excellent time management skills, communicates and treats clients and staff with courtesy and respect, provides constructive feedback to other advocates (paralegals) on cases discussed.
8. Serves as a role model to support staff by promoting the values of hard work, high quality advocacy and treating others with courtesy and respect.
9. Attempts to ensure accessibility of the local office(s) when necessary, by serving clients, including rural clients, non-English speaking clients and client with disabilities.
10. Promotes good relations with public, including client groups, service providers, press, and private bar, attending/speaking at local meetings as appropriate and approved by the Managing Attorney, Deputy Director and/or Executive Director.
11. Is familiar with company´s policies, as well as requirements of LSC and other funders, and adheres to those policies and requirements.
12. Maintain an accurate follow-up system to review cases when needed.
13. Perform other duties as assigned.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
1. Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school.
2. Barred in Florida.
3. Knowledge of State and Federal court practices required.
4. Ability to forge positive relationships with prospects and colleagues.
5. Good organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
6. Ability to work collaboratively, yet independently.
7. Must be able to effectively and efficiently be able to maximize existing resources.
8. Working knowledge of Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint). Knowledge of CMS a plus.
9. Must be able to effectively work in high-pressure situations, which involve deadlines.
10. Bilingual Spanish/Haitian Creole preferred, but not required.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities: 1. Must be competent & proficient in the use of Word and Microsoft Office
2. Draft/review substantive pleadings and motions for the Disaster Recovery Unit.
3. Timely initiation and response to motions & discovery associated with the Disaster Recovery Units selected cases.
4. Communicates in a highly effective manner with company´s Administration, Managing Attorneys, unit members and clients.
5. Ability to work successfully in a fast-paced, and evolving environment.
6. Must have at least five years of practicing law with company´s priorities.
This position operates in a professional work environment. Program-wide travel may be required for training, mentoring and court observation with approval from the Advocacy Director.