Staff Attorney; Kalamazoo

Position Description

POSITION: Farm worker Legal Services (FLS), a non‑profit law office, is seeking a staff attorney to join its dynamic and committed team in providing civil legal services to farm workers and animal production workers throughout Michigan. All FLS Staff Attorneys are responsible for direct representation of clients, ranging from advice to full litigation in State and Federal Courts. Duties may include filing administrative complaints or immigration applications or work on cases involving matters such as wage theft, trafficking, discrimination, sexual harassment, housing, workplace health and safety, and exploitative schemes involving the H‑2A visa program—and will include significant collaboration with local and national community partners.

The position is union supported. Applicants residing in Northern Michigan or the Upper Peninsula and able to work remotely are encouraged to apply.

Farm worker Legal Services (FLS) is a growing and nationally recognized non‑profit law office and the statewide division of the Michigan Advocacy Program (MAP) that fights for justice and dignity alongside the farm worker community through our systemic, multi‑forum community engagement and direct legal representation of farm workers in their civil legal matters. FLS currently has 12 full‑time staff positions based out of our Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Ypsilanti (Ann Arbor area) offices and hires around 8 seasonal advocates each summer.

FLS attorneys litigate complex wage and hour, multi‑party employment, discrimination, and human trafficking cases in Michigan state and federal courts and provide a full range of civil legal services to Michigan’s eligible population of farm workers and their dependents in matters such as housing, T or U‑visa applications for victims of employment‑based crimes, workers’ compensation, public benefits, workplace health and safety, and unemployment administrative proceedings.

MAP works to advance the safety, independence, and economic stability of those most affected by poverty, racism, and other structurally oppressive systems by increasing access to justice and working for systemic solutions and has a staff of about 250 people in offices in Battle Creek, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Monroe, and Ypsilanti.

Salary starts at $64,946 and increases based on years of relevant experience. MAP offers annual raises as well as a 401(k) retirement plan with an annual 2% contribution and 2% employer‑match for eligible staff after 6 months of employment and subject to board approval. MAP offers a generous benefits package, including life, short and long‑term disability, health, vision, dental, fully funded deductibles, and flexible spending accounts.

If an applicant does not require health benefits, they can take an annual $1,500 payout in addition to the base salary paid over the year. MAP also has a generous leave policy allowing staff to accrue 4 weeks paid leave the first year in addition to 15 paid holidays and additional paid leave to take the Michigan bar exam. MAP is a unionized program and a qualifying employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Kalamazoo is a college town in southwest Michigan with its own airport, lakes, nature preserves, art scene, and nightlife. It also is located only 35 miles east of Lake Michigan, 50 miles from Grand Rapids, and 2 hours from both Chicago and Detroit. Kalamazoo offers the Kalamazoo Promise (an independent scholarship program that provides students who graduate from Kalamazoo Public Schools up to 100% tuition for post‑secondary education).