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Student Legal Services is a law office situated in the hub of campus in the Lory Student Center. Staffed with 3 FTE attorneys, an office operations manager, and five to six student assistants, the office provides legal advice, education, and, in rare circumstances (perhaps one time per year), court or other limited representation (telephone call or letter) for students at A Public Land-Grant Research University to foster retention and success of students. The office is highly popular with students for helping them resolve legal issues that largely stem from inexperience navigating social, business, and government interactions. The office also provides legal education and information in many areas to assist students in pursuing new endeavors, identify needs, and engage other activities, such as starting a business. Areas of advice provided by the office include:- Landlord-tenant
- Tickets, such as speeding or other violations
- Citations or tickets related to criminal charges
- Assisting survivors of crime
- Debt and consumer issues
- Personal injury
- Domestic and Family law related
- Business formation
- Simple probate or settling of estates
- Employment
- Immigration/visa issues
- Employment Immigration (provided by contract attorney)
The office uses a guided self-help model that empowers students to help themselves. Advice and counseling, life experience helps guide students to success within CSU and in their future career paths. Referrals to outside attorneys are made where appropriate and to further support students.
Student Legal Services attorneys also collaborate with campus and city partners in a variety of roles to provide the legal perspective, discuss processes, preparation, practical and legal issues, and due process requirements. The attorneys regularly speak to student groups and classes on topics including family and the law, alcohol laws, power of attorney, legal aspects of business start-up, and handling police contacts.
The office currently serves students Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with future possibility of providing services outside traditional business hours and staff having the opportunity to flex hours to best serve students and remain within a 40 hour work week. Public service loan forgiveness may be an opportunity for employees who wish to pursue this individually as A Public Land-Grant Research University is a state government entity.
Student Legal Services is a department within the Division of Student Affairs, a vibrant division of the university that provides a wide array of services and programs to support students in their development as active learners, successful graduates and engaged global citizens.
Position Summary:
Student Legal Services seeks an attorney with the aptitude and desire to develop expertise in several of the areas of law served by the office. The current staff is dedicated to mentoring in areas that are new to the attorney and at the same time expects the attorney to be a self-starter and self-directed learner. Landlord-tenant cases are always a significant part of the caseload, so the attorney must handle lease reviews, security deposit disputes and other housing issues on a steady basis.
The role of the position is lawyer/educator/mentor. The attorney must be non-judgmental and student-centered, “meeting clients where they are.” Within Student Legal Services' limited representation (advise/counsel/guide) framework, one-hour client appointments are “working” appointments in which the Staff Attorney may educate and advise the student, co-create letters or court forms with client input, make phone calls to opposing parties, and arrange referrals to campus and other resources. The attorneys create their own letters and court documents without administrative or paralegal assistance. At times, any attorney in the office will handle client intake and scheduling to support the office team. The office uses language translators through an on-demand service when needed to assist students in a language other than English.
The Staff Attorney should have a strong interest in becoming an active and contributing member of the campus community with a drive to network and learn the inter-workings of campus, to serve in collaborative capacities for other campus departments, and to become familiar with the vast array of resources available to students.
The Staff Attorney must be dedicated to serving a diverse clientele and assist in promoting the University's Principle's of Community-inclusion, integrity, respect, service, and social justice-to support the mission and vision of access, research, teaching, service, and engagement.
Required Job Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate Degree in Law
- Active license to practice law in Colorado as of the date of application
- Active practice of law after law school while holding law license that adds up to a minimum of 3 full years. In addition to conventional legal positions, active practice of law may include private contract work, court contract, judicial clerkship, and solo start-up practice. To be considered, application materials must explicitly show that this full 3-year requirement is met.
- Ability to work non-standard hours (very rarely), including evening and weekends.
Preferred Job Qualifications
- Experience in criminal law which may include: misdemeanor, felony, traffic, municipal/county/district court and/or trial experience and negotiation.
- Experience in one or more of the areas of law served by the office (please be explicit).
- Experience in public interest law, legal aid or law school clinics assisting vulnerable or underserved populations (please elaborate).
- Interest and drive to gain expertise in several areas of law as opposed to specialization (please elaborate).
- Demonstrated capability as a self-starter and self-directed learner in a law-related or other endeavor.
- Demonstrated experience and commitment, professionally and/or personally, to diversity, equity, and inclusion through teaching, outreach, community engagement, and/or service.
- Experience working collaboratively with other groups, individuals, offices to serve diverse populations.
- Experience serving, working with, and/or mentoring young adults and/or adult learners.
Diversity Statement
- Personal and professional commitment to diversity and inclusion as demonstrated by involvement in teaching, research, creative activity, service to the profession and/or diversity/inclusion activities.
Job Duty Category
Student Advising and Continuing Legal Education
Duty/Responsibility
- Advise students on a variety of legal issues and assist in resolution of issues through appropriate and most effective methods, including, court preparation, letter drafting, contact with relevant parties, referral to other resources, and follow-up.
- Legal education (advice/counseling/guidance) is provided in a variety of ways, including and not limited to, individual students in one-to-one appointments, small or large groups of students in presentation style.
- Engage in continuous legal education (formal and through office collaboration) related to client specific needs and/or cases and legal services provided by the office.
- Some advising, counseling, and education will be conducted outside of the dedicated Student Legal Services offices and conducted in an outreach model in other spaces throughout campus, for example, Black/African American Cultural Center, Asian Pacific American Cultural Center, Native American Cultural Center, Academic Advancement Center, El Centro, Community for Excellence, Survivor Advocacy and Feminist Education Center, Pride Resource Center, Student Disability Center.
