Project Attorney Supervisor - Rural Justice Initiative

Disability Rights Texas•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Rural Justice Initiative (RJI) Project Attorney Supervisor is a project-funded attorney position supporting Disability Rights Texas’ participation in a five-year, multiregional initiative to expand civil legal services for low-income Texans with disabilities in designated rural and legal-desert communities. Under the direction of the designated RJI Supervising Attorney, the Project Supervisor coordinates and manages day-to-day implementation across the North, Southwest, and East regions. The role provides operational leadership for regional service delivery, work plans, community engagement, grant deliverables, performance monitoring, partner collaboration, and reporting. It serves as a primary operational point of coordination among regional project personnel, DRTx legal teams, outreach and administrative staff, and external partners. The Project Supervisor monitors progress, identifies barriers and resource needs, and recommends adjustments to the Supervising Attorney. The role operates within delegated authority and established DRTx policies; personnel supervision, institutional grant compliance, final legal oversight, and organizational commitments remain with designated leadership. Unlike attorney positions primarily assigned to one substantive issue team, this role functions as a generalist disability-rights attorney within the RJI. It coordinates legal services for eligible low-income Texans with disabilities and may address special education, disability discrimination and accommodations, public benefits and services, housing-related disability matters, and other project-related civil legal issues. A limited direct-service caseload may be maintained as approved by the Supervising Attorney, provided it does not compromise project management, grant compliance, or implementation deliverables. Legal matters are handled within the attorney’s competence, with consultation, review, or supervision under DRTx policies as appropriate. The position also coordinates regional outreach and partnerships, project evaluation, reporting, referral processes, legal consultation, training, technical assistance, community education, and efforts to build sustainable local legal capacity. Regular travel throughout rural Texas and periodic travel elsewhere in Texas are required for client representation, hearings, trials, clinics, outreach, training, meetings, and related work. Work may take place in DRTx or partner offices, courthouses, administrative hearing locations, schools, libraries, clinics, community organizations, and other rural-community settings. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
Licensed to practice law in Texas and in good standing.
At least five years of relevant legal experience.
Experience providing legal services, advocacy, or representation to low-income or underserved populations, or demonstrated ability to develop such expertise.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage legal matters and provide client representation.
Ability to lead, mentor, and train others.
Ability to foster collaboration among stakeholders and disability groups.
Ability to develop working knowledge across multiple areas of disability-related civil law rather than practicing exclusively in one substantive area.
Knowledge of federal and Texas laws affecting people with disabilities, or ability to acquire that knowledge within a reasonable period.
Ability to analyze complex legal issues and develop effective case strategies.
Strong legal research, writing, negotiation, and oral advocacy skills.
Ability to communicate legal concepts effectively to clients, community members, attorneys, and non-attorney partners.
Ability to build professional relationships and credibility with individuals and organizations in rural communities.
Ability to work independently while communicating and collaborating effectively with supervisors and colleagues located elsewhere in the state.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, judgment, and follow-through.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, substantial travel, client responsibilities, and project deadlines.
Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout rural Texas, including to communities with limited transportation options, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Ability to attend in-person court proceedings, administrative hearings, clinics, outreach events, client meetings, and community activities in the assigned service area.
Ability to maintain Texas law licensure and comply with continuing legal education requirements.
Ability to collaborate with attorneys and staff employed by other RJI partner organizations.
Ability to work effectively with people from diverse socioeconomic, geographic, cultural, linguistic, and disability backgrounds.
Commitment to high-quality legal services for low-income Texans with disabilities and to increasing access to justice in underserved rural communities.

Nice To Haves

Experience in project coordination and team leadership.
Experience in public interest, legal aid, disability rights, special education, housing, public benefits, or other civil legal services.
Experience practicing in rural communities or representing clients in geographically isolated or underserved areas.
Experience developing relationships with community organizations, schools, healthcare organizations, government entities, or other community-based institutions.
Civil litigation and/or administrative hearing experience.
Experience providing community legal education or participating in legal clinics.
Spanish bilingual proficiency, written and spoken.
Existing professional or community ties to the assigned RJI service area.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute, with the Supervising Attorney and project team, a comprehensive RJI implementation and community outreach plan, coordinating regional work plans, timelines, milestones, staffing resources, and deliverables.
Coordinate project accountability with the project manager and facilitate regular project-management meetings, regional implementation meetings, performance reviews, and coordination with key project personnel.
Collaborate on periodic evaluations of the initiative, assessing geographic coverage, legal-service outcomes, outreach-to-intake conversion, referral effectiveness, client access barriers, staffing capacity, and progress toward grant objectives; recommend improvements.
Lead day-to-day RJI implementation under the Supervising Attorney’s direction, coordinating regional teams and project work within delegated authority, monitoring progress, identifying barriers, and recommending corrective actions.
Track program outcomes and maintain systems for monitoring grant deliverables, geographic coverage, performance measures, deadlines, milestones, and expenditures in coordination with administrative and fiscal personnel; review data and report findings and recommendations.
Provide limited direct legal representation and advocacy to eligible clients in designated RJI counties as approved by the Supervising Attorney, including advice and counsel, negotiation, administrative proceedings, or litigation within the attorney’s competence and assigned responsibilities.
Coordinate procedures for assistance requests, eligibility screening, legal-service responses, and referral routing in accordance with DRTx policies, project requirements, funding restrictions, and organizational priorities; monitor referral pathways, barriers, and regional capacity.
Provide advice, direction, technical assistance, and case-strategy guidance to project and organizational staff when appropriate.
Coordinate cross-issue legal consultation, case staffing, training, and technical assistance with DRTx issue teams and legal supervisors, while ensuring substantive legal guidance and case supervision remain with authorized attorneys.
Provide legal services relating to special education rights under IDEA, Section 504, the ADA, and applicable provisions of the Texas Education Code.
Provide appropriate assistance on other disability-related civil legal issues, potentially including disability discrimination, reasonable accommodations, housing, public benefits, Medicaid, access to government programs and services, and disability-related disaster issues.
Research law, analyze facts, identify applicable federal and state law, and develop legal strategies and interventions; prepare legal documents and coordinate project-management documents, operational guidance, implementation reports, and legal-service protocols within delegated authority and review procedures.
Interview clients, witnesses, community members, and other stakeholders and review relevant records and evidence.
Coordinate, monitor, and evaluate services delivered through community-based clinics, mobile or regional outreach, and other RJI service models; coordinate schedules, staffing, referrals, geographic coverage, and performance measures, and participate directly as needed.
Lead project-level regional relationship-building and partnerships with community organizations, schools, libraries, healthcare providers, disability organizations, faith-based organizations, legal aid providers, and other trusted institutions; coordinate with DRTx Outreach leadership.
Collaborate with RJI partners, DRTx attorneys and Advocates, Community Justice Workers, community navigators, intake staff, pro bono attorneys, and other personnel; serve as an operational liaison for implementation, referrals, cross-organization communication, and operational challenges.
Provide legal guidance, technical assistance, training, and mentorship to project staff, community partners, pro bono attorneys, and other legal service providers as appropriate; coordinate training and professional-development needs and work with issue-team leadership on legal expertise and quality assurance.
Develop and deliver community education, Know Your Rights presentations, legal clinics, and other educational programs aligned with the approved RJI plan, regional priorities, accessibility requirements, and outcome measures.
Identify emerging legal needs, recurring barriers, service gaps, and systemic issues affecting low-income people with disabilities in assigned rural communities and communicate them to project leadership.
Support sustainable local legal capacity through referral relationships, pro bono partnerships, community access points, and other resources that improve rural access to justice.
Maintain accurate, timely, and complete case and project records and collect information needed for DRTx and RJI grant reporting, evaluation, and performance requirements.
Coordinate and participate in project training, cross-training, case rounds, coalition activities, and professional development; work with legal supervisors on an RJI training plan and monitor required training and ongoing technical-assistance needs.
Travel regularly throughout the assigned rural service area and periodically elsewhere in Texas for representation, hearings, trials, clinics, outreach, training, project meetings, and other work activities.
Apply relevant laws, regulations, professional rules, DRTx policies, grant requirements, and ethical standards in all aspects of the work.
Manage workload and competing priorities independently while meeting case deadlines, project deliverables, and organizational expectations.
Perform other job-related duties consistent with the scope and level of the position and the purposes of the RJI.