Attorney - Rural Justice Initiative, South/SW, TX

Disability Rights Texas•San Antonio, TX

About The Position

The Rural Justice Initiative (RJI) Attorney is a project-funded, time-limited position with Disability Rights Texas (DRTx), assigned to the South Texas region. The role provides direct legal services to eligible low-income Texans with disabilities in designated rural communities and legal-desert counties. It functions as a generalist disability-rights attorney, handling a range of disability-related civil legal matters, including special education, disability discrimination and accommodations, public benefits and services, and other issues identified through the project. Under the direction of the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator, the attorney is expected to maintain a meaningful professional presence in the assigned service area. The work includes direct representation, community outreach and education, legal clinics, relationship-building with local organizations and institutions, and collaboration with DRTx staff, partner organizations, Community Justice Workers, pro bono attorneys, legal aid providers, and other community stakeholders. The attorney must reside within or sufficiently near the assigned counties and be reasonably available for in-person client services, community activities, proceedings, and project work throughout the region. This is a five-year special-project position funded specifically through the Rural Justice Initiative. Continued employment depends on the continuation of the project, project funding, and organizational need; the position is not intended to be permanent beyond the project or available funding. The position may involve regular travel throughout the assigned rural service area and periodic travel elsewhere in Texas. Work may take place in offices, courthouses, administrative hearing locations, schools, libraries, clinics, community organizations, and other 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 three 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 develop working knowledge across multiple areas of disability-related civil law.
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 people 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.
Residence within or sufficiently near the assigned geographic service area to meet local-presence and community-engagement requirements.
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 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 expanding access to justice in underserved rural communities.

Nice To Haves

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

Provide legal representation and advocacy, including advice and counsel, negotiation, mediation, administrative complaints and proceedings, and litigation in administrative hearings and state and federal courts.
Evaluate requests for assistance and determine eligibility in accordance with DRTx policies, project requirements, funding restrictions, organizational priorities, and case-acceptance and approval procedures.
Maintain an assigned caseload of disability-related civil legal matters while accounting for travel, clinics, education, community engagement, and litigation commitments.
Provide legal services concerning 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 discrimination, accommodations, housing, public benefits, Medicaid, access to government programs and services, and disability-related disaster issues.
Conduct legal research, analyze facts and applicable law, develop legal strategies, and consult the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator as needed.
Prepare legal documents, including pleadings, briefs, memoranda, administrative complaints, discovery, correspondence, and settlement documents.
Interview clients, witnesses, community members, and stakeholders, and review relevant records and evidence.
Provide legal services through community-based clinics, mobile or regional outreach, and other RJI service-delivery models.
Build and maintain productive relationships with community organizations, schools, libraries, healthcare providers, disability organizations, faith-based organizations, legal aid providers, and other trusted local institutions.
Collaborate with RJI partner organizations, Community Justice Workers, community navigators, intake personnel, pro bono attorneys, and other project personnel.
Provide legal guidance, technical assistance, training, and mentorship to project staff, partners, pro bono attorneys, and other legal service providers as appropriate.
Develop and deliver community education, Know Your Rights presentations, legal clinics, and other educational programs in coordination with the project coordinator and approved plans.
Identify emerging legal needs, barriers, service gaps, and systemic issues affecting low-income people with disabilities in assigned communities and communicate them to project leadership.
Support sustainable local legal capacity through referral relationships, pro bono partnerships, community access points, and other resources.
Maintain accurate and timely case and project records and collect information for grant reporting, evaluation, and performance requirements.
Participate in project training, cross-training, case rounds, coalition activities, and professional development, including training in disability and special education law.
Travel regularly throughout the assigned rural service area and periodically elsewhere in Texas for representation, hearings, trials, clinics, outreach, training, meetings, and other work activities.
Apply applicable laws, regulations, professional rules, DRTx policies, grant requirements, and ethical standards.
Manage workload and competing priorities independently while meeting case deadlines, project deliverables, and organizational expectations.
Communicate regularly with the RJI Attorney Project Coordinator about case status, deadlines, legal strategy, community engagement, workload, and matters requiring consultation or escalation.
Perform other job-related duties consistent with the position's scope and the purposes of the Rural Justice Initiative.