Staff Attorney

Duties Include:

• Provide brief consultations and extended legal services to nonprofits impacted or at risk of being impacted by federal government actions. Counsel may include evaluation of legal risks and liabilities and potential response options, including transactional legal services, administrative appeals, individual litigation, participation in strategic litigation, and legal representation in defense against enforcement actions.
• Assist with identifying and providing legal content for a resource hub and obtaining supplemental expertise and resources as needed.
• Provide training to nonprofits covering corporate governance compliance, executive orders, policies, and litigation developments.
• Build strong relationships with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee member law firms and pro bono counsel through support, training and co-counseling opportunities on transactional legal assistance matters.
• Provide support to volunteer attorneys to deliver high quality legal assistance to eligible nonprofits, small businesses, and social enterprises.
• Support client outreach strategies to expand service levels.
• Participate in significant partnerships, forums, speaking engagements and other external activities to increase the organization’s reach and profile on issues of economic justice and as a capacity-building technical assistance provider.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with client groups, communities served, and other strategic Community Partners for client referrals.
• Collaborate with colleagues to identify intersections and develop integrated advocacy approaches that advance racial equity and economic opportunity for the clients and communities we serve.

• Law degree and admission to the Illinois Bar or eligible for admission by motion.
• 5 years + experience of practice as an attorney, including 3 years + litigation experience.
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills.
• High degree of independence and ability to work autonomously.
• High degree of flexibility, ability to multi-task, and significant initiative.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to details and accuracy.
• Excellent people skills, especially the ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups and individuals.
• Cross-cultural competencies and self-awareness around issues of power, privilege, and difference.

• Experience with drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts. Experience with government contracts.
• Familiarity with employment law, especially diversity, equity, and inclusion matters.
• Experience with advocacy around economic justice, including community investment and economic development.
• Experience working with community organizations, community development corporations, and/or economic development organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategic partnerships and enhance relationships across a wide variety of sectors.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish, including written skills.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in this role description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.