Staff Attorney - Family Law

POSITION: Staff Attorney – Family Law – Remote 3 days a week and office anywhere in SMRLS service area.

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc. (SMRLS) is seeking to fill a family law attorney position in its Southwest Region. The position is based in the Worthington office and the attorney will handle contested family law matters. The SMRLS Southwest Region has offices in Mankato and Worthington to assist low income persons in the 17 counties of southern Minnesota west of Interstate 35 to the South Dakota border.

SMRLS is a non-profit law firm which receives federal, state, local, public and private funding to provide free legal help to low-income and elderly people who reside in 33 counties of southern Minnesota. As Minnesota’s oldest legal aid program (founded in 1909), SMRLS has established a tradition of partnering with the private bar, a bi-partisan legislature, the Minnesota Supreme Court and other Minnesota Legal Services Coalition programs to provide access to justice. SMRLS has an experienced, dynamic staff and volunteer attorneys which provide legal assistance to over 200,000 eligible persons.

SMRLS is a client-centered organization which is committed to its mission of providing a full range of high quality legal services, in a respectful manner, which enables clients to enforce their legal rights, maintain freedom from hunger, homelessness, sickness and abuse; and empower persons and ensure equal opportunity, thus helping persons to help themselves and become economically self-reliant, to the extent their individual ability and circumstances permit. SMRLS values, welcomes and promotes diversity in all aspects of its work. SMRLS has adopted practice standards, guiding principles, and racial justice policies to accomplish its mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provide legal assistance to clients in contested family law matters involving custody, domestic abuse, and other family law issues. Represent eligible clients in court with cases venued throughout SMRLS’ Southwest service area. Assignments may change over time based upon client and firm needs. The attorney must be willing to maintain a caseload in compliance with SMRLS’ practice standards and observe SMRLS’ policies, practices and guiding principles in furtherance of SMRLS’ mission. Community education, outreach, intake responsibilities and active bar participation are also required activities. Willingness to accept supervision and other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Must be licensed to practice law in Minnesota. A minimum of 2 years of family law practice, with courtroom experience, or related legal training is preferred, but not required. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with low-income clients, victims of domestic abuse, and persons of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds is essential. Excellent communication skills, ability to work positively and constructively with others in a teamwork setting, good judgment, and the ability to work hard, independently, efficiently and under pressure is necessary. Applicants must

be flexible and willing to take on additional duties as assigned by SMRLS. Must be willing and able to travel to court proceedings, outreach/education activities, and other SMRLS-required events throughout SMRLS’ service area. Computer competence is necessary.

SALARY:

$74,083+ DOE, pursuant to scale, excellent fringe benefits.

DEADLINE TO APPLY:

Open until filled.

Please submit cover letter, resume and references to:

John Joachim

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services

55 East Fifth Street, Suite 800

Saint Paul, MN 55101-1473

Email: john.joachim@smrls.org or apply online at smrls.org

SMRLS is committed to diversity in the workplace. Women, minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.