Bilingual Staff Attorney

Casa Myrna•Boston, MA

16d•$64,000 - $75,000•Onsite

About The Position

Casa Myrna is seeking a Bilingual Staff Attorney to join its Legal Advocacy Program. This program provides legal services to clients in domestic violence-related family law and abuse prevention matters, immigration relief applications, and operates a Legal HelpLine. The Bilingual Staff Attorney will report to the Managing Attorney and will serve clients by representing them in court, offering legal assistance, and advocating for their needs. This position is open to applicants with experience or interest in either immigration or family law.

Requirements

Committed to Casa Myrna’s mission of ending domestic and dating violence and commercial sexual exploitation and promoting social justice and social change.
J.D. degree; admission to and good standing in the Massachusetts bar required.
Spoken fluency in a second language required (with preference for Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole).
Experience in providing legal services (as a law student or attorney) to survivors of trauma, abuse and/or exploitation required.
Demonstrated ability to utilize appropriate, non-judgmental communication techniques when responding to survivors that illustrates sensitivity to their experiences and needs.
Ability to work and advocate in a collaborative style with diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic groups, as well as diversity based on ability/disability, sexual orientation and religion.
Familiarity with local legal services providers, community agencies, and resources.
Computer literacy and strong data entry skills.
Ability to work independently and in a team with lawyer and non-lawyer colleagues.
Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task.
Promotes an atmosphere of respect and cooperation; maintains confidentiality regarding program participants.
Models and maintains professional boundaries with callers, clients, and colleagues.

Nice To Haves

Some family law and/or immigration experience strongly preferred.
Strong preference for candidates who identify as a member of a marginalized community as Casa Myrna works to be an inclusive and equitable organization.
Prior experience interviewing and counseling survivors of trauma and abuse preferred.

Responsibilities

Provides legal consultations to Casa Myrna program participants, community clients, and Legal HelpLine callers in order to identify and analyze their legal issues.
Educates survivors about their options so they can make their own informed decisions, with the goal of minimizing the risk of outcomes that jeopardize safety and wellbeing.
Provides representation to survivors in 209A proceedings in District Courts; maintains a caseload of either family law or immigration domestic violence-related cases thereby enhancing access to legal remedies for those affected by abuse.
Provides legal assistance in the form of “brief service” to Legal Advocacy Program clients for whom limited or full representation is not offered by assisting them with legal advice and the preparation of court documents and facilitating referrals.
Advocates for clients in collateral legal matters such as housing and benefits.
Seeks and attends relevant professional development trainings, conferences and coalition meetings within Casa Myrna and the community.
Collaborates with Managing Attorney on outreach and legal education for participants in other Casa Myrna programs, community members, law schools, and partner organizations.
Participates in weekly program and case assessment meetings.
Develops own professional development plan and attends trainings, meetings, and conferences within Casa Myrna and in the community.
Performs additional duties as assigned by the Managing Attorney.