Staff Attorney - Medical-Legal Partnerships

Legal Aid Chicago • Chicago, IL

just now • Hybrid

About The Position

Legal Aid Chicago seeks a full-time Staff Attorney to join our Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLP) Group. This group integrates legal, medical, and public health professionals to address social determinants of health and reduce inequities for vulnerable populations. The MLP program collaborates with hospitals and healthcare providers to tackle health-harming social determinants. Current partnerships include Health Forward/Salud Adelante with Cook County Health and Hospitals System and Recovery Legal Care with the University of Chicago Hospital, serving victims of violent crime. The MLP group focuses primarily on public benefits and related stability issues, including SNAP, TANF, AABD Cash, Medicaid, SSI, disability benefits, and Crime Victims Compensation. They also collaborate with other Legal Aid Chicago practice groups on related housing, employment, safety, immigration, criminal records, and consumer/financial matters.

Requirements

• Licensed to practice law in Illinois (preferred)
• Licensed to practice law in another state and eligible to waive into the Illinois bar
• A law school graduate who will take the July 2026 Illinois bar exam and is eligible for a 711 license while awaiting exam results
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Highly developed organizational and case management skills
• Trauma-informed client counseling skills and the ability to manage vicarious trauma
• Demonstrated commitment to and experience with communities impacted by poverty and systemic inequity
• Ability to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary and team-based settings
• Ability to effectively communicate legal concepts to non-legal audiences, including regular presentations to medical partners

Nice To Haves

• Spanish language proficiency is a plus and may qualify for additional compensation

Responsibilities

• Maintain a caseload of individual client matters, with an emphasis on public benefits and related administrative advocacy
• Interview and counsel clients on a wide range of legal issues and provide advice and brief services where appropriate, including some services provided on-site at hospitals or health clinics
• Represent clients before administrative agencies, including the Social Security Administration, Illinois Department of Human Services, and other relevant agencies; court-based litigation for administrative review, petitions for certiorari, and other legal matters when they arise
• Develop and maintain expertise in health-harming legal needs affecting MLP client populations
• Work collaboratively with Legal Aid Chicago colleagues across practice groups to provide holistic legal services
• Engage in more complex litigation or advocacy efforts designed to address systemic issues with supervision and co-counseling support
• Partner and collaborate with medical, care coordination, and behavioral health teams to support the Medical-Legal Partnership service model
• Participate in outreach, legal trainings, and education for health care partners
• Assist with data collection, reporting, and quality improvement activities related to partner and funder requirements
• Maintain accurate case records and timekeeping in Legal Aid Chicago’s electronic case management system
• Participate in additional activities related to legal aid practice, including permissible legislative or administrative advocacy, speaking engagements, and other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Bilingual Staff Attorneys are eligible for an additional stipend
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, effective the first day of employment
• 15 vacation days and 18 sick days accrued within the first year of employment
• 19 paid holidays, including four (4) floating holidays
• Twelve weeks of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of the salary after six months of employment
• 403(b) retirement plan with an employer contribution after one year of employment
• $50,000 Basic Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance, at no cost
• Access to Employee Assistance Program resources, at no cost
• Monthly internet reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed