Staff Attorney

Legal Aid Bureau•Baltimore, MD

just now•Onsite

About The Position

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) is a non-profit organization that advocates for Marylanders experiencing poverty to achieve equity and social justice through free civil legal services, community collaboration, and systemic change. Since 1911, MLA has provided high-quality legal aid to vulnerable, low-income people and communities, helping them remedy civil legal issues, overcome challenges, achieve stability and independence, and reach their goals. MLA also identifies and seeks to remedy systemic barriers. The core work includes eviction and foreclosure prevention, family law, children’s rights, consumer protection, securing public benefits, and access to healthcare. MLA advocates primarily through individual representation of indigent clients in courts, but also engage in impact litigation, public communication and outreach, and policy advocacy. Through this holistic approach, MLA serves to amplify the voices of tens of thousands of economically disadvantaged and vulnerable Marylanders each year and aims to be a leader in the legal services field nationwide. This position is an immediate opening for a housing attorney, primarily working under the Access to Counsel -Tenant Right to Counsel grant. The Housing and Consumer Law unit is located in Baltimore, MD. Staff attorneys will collaborate with other attorneys, law graduates, law clerks, legal assistants, paralegals, social workers, and students on cases or projects, and must maintain all case files according to MLA standards. The Baltimore City Housing and Consumer Law Unit handles various housing and consumer cases, including landlord/tenant cases (private, public, and subsidized tenancies), Mortgage Foreclosure defense, breach of contract, repossessions, bankruptcy, tax sale defense, debt collection, and student loan collection. A staff attorney in this unit will litigate before all state courts and administrative bodies, handling housing-related legal matters from initial intake through client representation in all relevant proceedings. Housing Attorneys throughout MLA also meet regularly through the Housing Law Task Force and with other housing-focused legal services organizations to learn and work on housing issues affecting low-income Marylanders.

Requirements

Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland, or admitted in another jurisdiction and eligible for admission in the State of Maryland.
Out-of-State attorneys must be able and available to take next scheduled bar exam following date of employment.

Nice To Haves

Spanish language proficiency is desirable.

Responsibilities

Screen clients for case acceptance and make referrals, as appropriate.
Represent and Defend clients in Baltimore City District and Circuit Court.
Represent clients in Housing Law matters.
Conduct preliminary and subsequent interviews with clients.
Conduct factual investigation and analysis as well as legal research.
Advise clients of results of investigation and research and counsel clients regarding their options.
Draft pleadings to include complaints, answers, memoranda of law, briefs, etc. as assigned by supervisors and chiefs.
Develop case theory and strategy for the representation of clients.
Prepare cases and represent clients during negotiations and in hearings, trials, and appeals.
Continue professional development and education through attendance at trainings and other programs sponsored by the MLA.
Maintain case records for clients in the Legal Server case management system.
Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the essential functions of the position.

Benefits

health
dental
vision
life insurance
a 401(k)-retirement plan
two weeks paid time off
sick leave
14 annual paid holidays
Future flexibility regarding a hybrid work arrangement is a possibility after the onboarding period.

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume