Native American Program Staff Attorney

Overview

Position Description Native American Program Staff Attorney, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. New Mexico Legal Aid (NMLA) provides civil legal services to low-income New Mexicans to promote family and economic stability, helping clients access food, shelter, security, and to preserve their unique cultural heritages. NMLA has locations throughout the state, including Santa Ana Pueblo, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Gallup, Roswell, Silver City, and Taos.

NMLA's Native American Program (NAP) provides free legal services - both civil and criminal - to eligible low-income Native Americans living on or near the 19 Pueblos and the Mescalero Apache tribe in New Mexico. In addition to cases promoting family and economic stability, NAP prioritizes cases arising because of someone7s status as a Native American, including tribal and Indian law, estate planning involving tribal property, racial discrimination, and tribal criminal court cases.

Much of NAP's caseload is comprised of cases in Pueblo courts, but the program handles poverty law issues coming up in other fora as well.

NAP does creative, challenging, and complex work in diverse client communities. We are looking for highly motivated candidates who are passionate and strongly committed to helping serve Native American communities, including developing effective team strategies to handle complex advocacy. The attorney shall be active in relevant bar and community activities. All NMLA staff attorney positions fall under a collective bargaining agreement.

This position is based in NAP's office on Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, and includes regular travel around the state.

• Provides legal services, from advice to full representation, to eligible clients within NAP's priorities.
• Participates in NAP's outreach activities, which include developing community education presentations and pro se materials responsive to the needs of NAP's client community members, meeting with tribal agency personnel regarding the legal issues of their communities, and staffing occasional NAP legal clinics.
• Analyzes NAP applicants' needs to highlight areas where systemic solutions or more dedicated focus would prove valuable.