Staff Attorney, Pro Bono

Organizational Overview

Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) was established in 1973 to serve the legal needs arising from the lack of opportunity, criminalization of poverty, and racial inequity experienced within Chicago's Cabrini Green public housing community. Since then, CGLA has grown beyond a single neighborhood to become a citywide, countywide, and statewide leader in proactively filling the void of legal representation, wraparound services, legal information and resources, and advocacy exclusively for low-income individuals negatively impacted by the criminal legal system. Any engagement with the criminal legal system can greatly disrupt an individual, family, and community's quality of life.

CGLA is distinguished among legal aid service providers locally, throughout Illinois, and nationally as having expertise in legal matters related to the direct and collateral consequences of the criminal legal system. Since 2014, we have been the sole legal aid services provider serving Cook County with the distinction of focusing exclusively on individuals and families who have been adversely impacted by the criminal legal system in all legal program areas: criminal records, emerging adults, criminal defense, housing law, and family law. We provide direct legal services, advocate for policy reforms, and provide legal information and resources to other legal aid organizations, Pro Bono attorneys, and the general public. We also support our clients holistically with wraparound social services from our social workers. Our policy and advocacy work is not performed as a separate entity; rather it is informed by our legal services and the lived experiences of our Leadership Council, an Advisory Group made up of former CGLA clients and community members directly impacted by the criminal legal system.

CGLA’s Mission, Purpose and Vision

• Mission: We provide holistic legal services that include social support services and advocacy for individuals and communities negatively impacted by the criminal legal system.
• Purpose: CGLA exists to remove barriers to equity in the criminal legal system.
• Vision: A more just and equitable criminal legal system.

Benefits:

We offer a generous benefits plan that includes Blue Cross Blue Shield - Health insurance, Vision Service Plan – Vision insurance, Principal Dental insurance and 100% employer paid life insurance, (EAP) Employee Assistance Program, Dependent Care and Medical Flexible spending accounts, Pet insurance, Pre-Tax Programs for parking, local transit for Ventra and Metra and UberPool, and Vanguard 403(b) retirement matching.  Additionally, CGLA offers generous Paid Time-off, Floating Holidays and 15 paid holidays per year. During the summer months we celebrate Summer Fridays by closing the office early.

Position Overview

As a member of the Community Service, Outreach and Pro Bono Team, the Pro BonoStaff Attorney works with the Managing Attorney of Community Service, Oureach & Pro Bono to implement priorities in Cabrini Green Legal Aid’s Pro Bono program by maintaining and cultivating CGLA’s relationships with law firms, corporations, law schools, and individual volunteer attorneys to expand CGLA’s capacity to serve the community. The Pro BonoStaff Attorney trains volunteers to provide legal services within the scope of CGLA’s programs and plans and coordinates legal clinics and community summits as assigned. Additionally, this position reviews the work products of volunteer attorneys and assists volunteer attorneys in preparing petitions for filing and courtroom and administrative proceedings. Finally, this position manages an individual caseload, representing clients in various legal matters, performing services at CGLA’s office, at CGLA’s Help Desks, at the offices of designated community partners, at community summits, at law firms that host legal clinics, and in Cook County circuit courts.

Essential Duties

• Assist in identifying and designing Pro Bono opportunities within the scope of CGLA’s service offerings.
• Design and facilitate community legal clinics and community summits as assigned.
• Develop training materials, classes and delivery methods for Pro Bono attorneys in all areas of CGLA services. Provide regular delivery of training updates and opportunities to receive training through live, virtual and recorded methods.
• Coordinate and conduct training classes for law firms and law students on various legal subject matters at CGLA’s office, via webinars, on-site at law firms and law schools, local and in other counties as assigned.
• Coordinate direct client referrals to law firms, law schools and other organizations in the legal community.
• Review work products of Pro Bono attorneys to ensure delivery of high quality and timely legal services.
• Function as central point of contact and resource for volunteer attorney questions and needs through email, ad-hoc and scheduled office hours.
• Assist in creating and reporting all continuing legal education credits for CGLA and managing CGLA’s MCLE account as an accredited provider.    
• Provide direct legal services to CGLA clients, maintaining a manageable caseload proportionate to other responsibilities.
• Supervise volunteers at CGLA’s Criminal Records Help Desks, partner agencies, and community summits as assigned.
• Perform other client direct representation duties as assigned, including assisting self-represented litigants as a “friend of the court” during court hearings at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building and other courthouses, collaborating with assigned Client Support Services staff to improve client outcomes, and attending and actively participating in weekly client intake meetings.
• Maintain up-to-date client information in CGLA’s case management system to ensure accurate data collection and statistical tracking for assigned cases and Pro Bono cases.
• Attend Pro Bono Community Committees and Bar Foundation committees regarding CGLA’s Pro Bono efforts as assigned.
• Present at conferences and Bar Foundation presentations regarding Pro Bono efforts in the Chicago community as assigned.
• Assist in onboarding and training interns and volunteers and reviewing their work product.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education

• Juris Doctor from ABA-accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in Illinois by date of employment.

Experience

• 1 to 3 years of law practice experience; internship and clinical experience may qualify for some portion of law practice experience. Experience developing and delivering training materials and classes preferred.

Required Skills

• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Self-driven, highly energetic, innovative and creative.
• The ability to work collaboratively with staff, interns and volunteers.
• Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines and produce quality results.
• Superior interpersonal skills; comfortable working with a diverse population.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both in writing and orally; Spanish language skills a plus.
• Exemplary organizational skills and keen attention to detail.
  

Supervisory Responsibility

• None

Required Hours

Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm, 40 hours per week.

NOTE: Non-traditional hours – occasional weekends and evenings – are required.

Physical Requirements

• Sit for long periods of time.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• Must be able to work in a stressful work environment.
• The employee is regularly required to sit, walk, talk, read, see and hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers to type, handle, or feel and reach. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds..
  

Travel Requirements:

Travel to Help Desks, all Municipal District Courthouses, Cook County Criminal Courthouse (26th and California), occasionally to Suburban courthouses and other Illinois counties, is required. Travel to law firms and law schools within Chicago is also required. Occasional travel to non-Cook county summit locations may be required. 

Working Conditions:

 CGLA has implemented a telecommuter and flexible work policy that allows employees to perform work remotely at the employee’s home or at an approved offsite location.  Employees must have adequate internet access to work from home.  If working in the office, you must be able to work in an open office setting with moderate noise levels and follow all COVID-19 safety protocols. Employee must have reliable internet access to work remotely. 

CGLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages qualified candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position.