Job Opening: Staff Attorney – Medical Legal Partnership Program
Pisgah Legal Services is seeking an attorney who will represent the organization in a multidisciplinary team as the primary staff attorney in a medical legal partnership program with RHA Health Services. The position will represent clients who are a part of RHA Health Services’ Comprehensive Care Management (CCM) Program, handling cases with an emphasis on Social Security Disability, SSI Disability and SOAR (Social Security Outreach, Access and Recovery). In addition to these areas of law, the staff attorney will be expected to address civil legal issues involved in the social determinants of health: health care insurance and services through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, housing law, consumer law, and family law. This position will be primarily housed at RHA Health Services in Asheville.
Passion for promoting justice and overcoming barriers facing low-income people, being a creative and zealous staff member and a team-player and demonstrating commitment to achieving lasting results for clients and low-income communities are all important. By ensuring that the lowest-income people in Western North Carolina have access to holistic services we will increase opportunities for positive outcomes at the individual and community levels.
Responsibilities
• Commitment to PLS’ mission, values and vision.
• Experience in handling Social Security Disability, SSI Disability cases and/or NC SOAR trained
• Excellent writing, analytic, interpersonal, and public speaking skills
• Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team in a fast-paced environment – including with non-lawyers;
• Strong organizational skills and adept at managing multiple priorities and deadlines;
• Prior legal experience preferred, particularly experience working on public benefits legal issues,
• A willingness to handle a varied case load;
• An understanding of the civil legal needs of low-income people, including the unique needs of populations that experience particular barriers to access to justice systems;
• Ability to effectively communicate, to motivate others, and to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people with varying perspectives, and experience and expertise
• Ability and willingness to learn and integrate new technologies and methodologies to efficiently perform responsibilities;
• Document all work in Legal Server case management software.
• Organize and conduct outreach and educational presentations.
• Develop and maintain community relationships including other non-profit agencies, government officials, government employees, community leaders and others.
• Travel within our service area and also to meetings or conferences in other parts of NC.
• Adhere to program priorities and case handling policies, procedures and standards of practice, as well as the highest professional and ethical standards.
• Keep abreast of developments in the law and disseminate information to staff, volunteer attorneys and the public.
• Work with volunteers, including volunteer attorneys, on a regular basis.
• Assist in fundraising in coordination with PLS Development Team.
Qualifications
• N.C. licensed attorney.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income people and communities.
• Demonstrated skills at socio-economic and cultural sensitivity and ability to assist upset or ill people.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with teams and independently.
• Fluency in Spanish would be an asset.
Salary/ Benefits
Salary ranges from $49,616 – $94,116 depending on experience. Excellent fringe benefits, including 401(k) retirement plan, as well as life, health, and disability insurance.
To Apply
E-mail resumé and cover letter describing relevant experience to employment@pisgahlegal.org. PLS invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.
Pisgah Legal Services is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
Pisgah Legal Services is a community-based non-profit corporation governed by a local Board of Directors. PLS has an annual budget of $6.4 million from a multitude of funding sources. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina (WNC), Pisgah Legal Services’ provides free civil legal assistance to low-income people in western North Carolina. The organization has offices in Asheville, Hendersonville, Rutherfordton, Brevard, Spruce Pine, Marshall, and Highlands. With a dedicated staff of eighty-three, including thirty-four or more attorneys plus supporting staff, and an active pro bono panel of 300 private attorneys, the program provides free services to more than 19,000 people per year to meet their basic needs, primarily in the poverty law areas of housing, public benefits, domestic violence prevention, health care, immigration, and consumer law.
Contact:
evie@pisgahlegal.org
