Staff Attorney

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT STAFF ATTORNEY Bilingual English-Spanish Remote-Hybrid Position

Life Spanempowerssurvivorsofdomesticandsexualviolencetodemandsafetyasahumanright through client-centered services and leads social change through accountability, community engagement, and systemic advocacy.

Life Span is a nationally known leader in the provision of services to victims of violence and their children. Our comprehensive services include criminal court advocacy representation in civil protective order cases, expert representation in family law cases, and counseling for survivors and their children. Our work encompass such issues as immigration, employment issues, sexual assault civil nocontact orders, the effects of trauma on clients and their children, teen dating violence, and the criminalization of survivors.

Our agency has two sites, and services are available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Polish and Arabic. All services are free of charge. Our agency provides national leadership in policy work and systemic advocacy, and our staff has trained advocates, lawyers, judges, counselors and other professionals in Illinois and across the country on critical issues and innovative practices.

Life Span values staff who reflect the communities we serve-in strengths, backgrounds and lived experiences. It is essential that our staff and leadership reflect the communities that we serve.

Position Summary: Thestaffattorneywillassistsurvivorswiththeirdomesticrelations(divorces) or parentage(unmarried couples) cases. Theattorneywillgaininvaluableexperienceinnegotiations,settlement conferences,litigation(including drafting,depositions,discovery,pretrial conferences,as wellascontestedhearingsandtrials).Responsibilitiesincludecivilrepresentationinordersofprotection,familylawandcivilnocontactordersforclientswithdomesticviolenceand/orsexualassaultissues. Theattorneywillcollaboratewithcounselingadvocacyandimmigrationstafftoprovideacordinatedresponse toclients’needs. Thestaffattorneywillparticipateinsystemicadvocacyandpolicyreform.

Professional Development Support:

• In-houseandexternaltrainingandCLE’sareencouragedatthestartofemploymentand throughout tenure at Life Span.
• Mentorshipandguidancearegiventoallstaffattorneys,especiallytoentry-level attorneys.

• Provide trauma-informed, client-centered legal representation to survivors of domestic violence,sexual violence,andotherformsofinterpersonalviolenceinfamilylawmatters,includingordersofprotection, divorce, parentage, allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, child support, and related proceedings.
• Conductclientintakeinterviews,assessclientsituationsandlegalneeds,adviseclientsregardingtheirlegal rights and options, and develop appropriate case strategies.
• Assist clients withcreatingasa safetyplanandprovidereferrals tootherneededservices.
• Prepare,review,andfilepleadings,motions,petitions,affidavits,andotherlegal documents,and conduct legal research as needed.
• Represent clients in court hearings, trials, settlement conferences, mediation proceedings, and legal matters.
• Manage an active caseload; maintain accurate and timely case records; protect client confidentiality; and ensure compliance with court dates, filing deadlines, ethical obligations, grant requirements, and organizational policies.
• Work effectively with clients from diverse cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and collaborate with advocates, paralegals, counselors, and…