Civil Rights Attorney - Billings

Most legal jobs operate inside systems.

This job transforms systems.

Every day, disabled Montanans are neglected and abused by care providers, excluded from schools, unnecessarily institutionalized, denied critical services, denied treatment in correctional facilities, separated from their communities, and shut out of decisions that shape their own lives.

Our job is to change that.

Sometimes we negotiate. Sometimes we investigate. Sometimes we build coalitions. Sometimes we educate decision makers. Sometimes we use the media. And sometimes we sue. While being able to bring affirmative, impact litigation is a powerful option, we look to combine it with other advocacy tools to create durable systemic change, not just to tally individual wins.

If that sounds like your kind of lawyering, keep reading.

Who We Are

Disability Rights Montana protects and advances the civil rights of disabled people across Montana.

We are a private nonprofit organization and Montana’s federally designated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system.

That designation gives us authorities and access that no other organization in the state possesses.

We can:

• Investigate abuse, neglect, and rights violations;
• Access facilities where disabled people live, work, learn, receive services, or are incarcerated;
• Obtain records unavailable to the public;
• Monitor government systems, services, and institutions;
• Litigate individual and systemic cases; and
• Deploy virtually every advocacy tool available to create change.

We are not a think tank.

We are not a policy shop.

We are not a traditional legal aid program.

We are a change agent.

When systems harm disabled people, we work to transform those systems.

For more information, visit:

www.disabilityrightsmt.org

What Makes This Job Different

You will practice law.

You will investigate.

You will help shape public understanding.

You will collaborate with advocates, community leaders, families, self-advocates, researchers, policymakers, and national experts.

Most attorneys spend their careers responding to persistent problems.

Our attorneys are expected to discover them, understand them, and help eliminate them.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary advocacy team dedicated to creating meaningful improvements in the lives of disabled Montanans.

We do not expect anyone to arrive already knowing how to do all of this.

We invest heavily in mentoring, professional development, litigation training, advocacy skills, and leadership development because we believe exceptional attorneys are developed, not found.

What You’ll Do

Litigate Cases That Matter

• Represent disabled Montanans in high-impact litigation.
• Build and pursue strategic cases designed to achieve broad systemic change.
• Collaborate with national and local co-counsel.
• Pursue administrative, state, and federal remedies.
• Support impact litigation, class actions, and precedent-setting cases.

Conduct Investigations

• Review records, policies, and practices.
• Visit facilities throughout Montana.
• Interview stakeholders and directly affected individuals.
• Identify patterns that reveal systemic failures.
• Develop evidence that strengthens advocacy and litigation efforts.

The best attorneys here do not simply respond to violations.

They uncover them, strategize on the best way to stop them, and then build and lead teams of lawyers and advocates to stop them.

Turn Individual Stories Into Systemic Change

You’ll encounter recurring problems:

• A child denied services.
• A person unnecessarily institutionalized.
• A jail failing to provide adequate care.
• A community support program that says it offers high quality services on paper but not in practice.

Your role is to connect those dots and help build strategies that address root causes rather than individual symptoms.

Work Across Disciplines

You will work closely with:

• Investigators
• Advocates
• Policy professionals
• Self-advocates
• Families
• National experts
• Partner organizations
• Co-counsel

Because meaningful change rarely comes from one strategy alone.

What Success Looks Like

You will know you’re succeeding when:

• Disabled Montanans experience tangible improvements in their lives.
• Investigations uncover problems that would otherwise remain hidden.
• Litigation advances broader advocacy goals.
• The disability community views Disability Rights Montana as a trusted partner.
• Institutions become more accountable.
• Disabled people have more freedom, autonomy, opportunity, and power than they did before.

Who You Are

You may be:

• A legal aid attorney seeking greater systemic impact.
• A public defender tired of watching the same failures repeat themselves.
• A civil rights attorney looking for more creative freedom and the awesome investigative tools of a Protection and Advocacy system.
• A law firm associate questioning whether billable hours are the measure of a meaningful career.
• A government attorney who wants to work more directly with affected communities.

More important than your résumé is your mindset.

You are someone who:

• Learns quickly.
• Writes persuasively.
• Thinks strategically.
• Handles complexity well.
• Is intellectually curious.
• Is not intimidated by powerful institutions.
• Cares deeply about justice.
• Believes disabled people deserve the same rights, dignity, freedom, and opportunities as everyone else.

Qualifications

Required

• Juris Doctor degree.
• Montana bar admission or the ability to obtain admission within six months of hire.
• Strong legal research and writing skills.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities.
• Ability to manage litigation and advocacy projects.

Helpful But Not Required

• Disability rights
• Civil rights
• Constitutional litigation
• Public interest law
• Education law
• Institutional reform litigation
• Administrative law

We are more interested in outstanding attorneys than perfect résumés.

If you’re mission-driven, intellectually curious, and eager to grow, we encourage you to apply.

Why Montana?

Montana is one of the most consequential places in the country to practice civil rights law.

The issues are real and the opportunities for meaningful impact are significant. Montana is a small town with a long main street which makes it possible for advocacy initiatives to shape systems, institutions, communities, and statewide conversations in ways that are increasingly difficult in larger states. This means you will spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time creating tangible change for real people.

Why Now?

Today, Disability rights are being debated by administrations, legislatures, schools, healthcare systems, courts, workplaces, and communities across the country. The decisions made over the next decade will shape whether disabled people lose the protections that have secured over the last half century or gain greater freedom, opportunity, and autonomy than ever before.

Right now, we are in a pivotal moment in the disability civil rights movement, and by joining us, using our incredible investigatory and advocacy power, you will help bend the arch of the moral universe towards justice here in Montana.

Benefits

In addition to salary, Disability Rights Montana offers:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance fully paid for employees and eligible family members
• Employer-funded 403(b) retirement contribution
• Life insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Vacation leave
• Sick leave
• Hybrid work opportunities
• Flexible scheduling
• Professional development support
• State and national training opportunities
• A collaborative, mission-driven workplace

Additional voluntary employee-paid benefits are also available.

How to Apply

Please submit:

• Cover Letter
• Résumé

to:

Christine Purcell

Office Manager
christine@dr-mt.org

In Your Cover Letter, Please Tell Us:

• Why you want to work at Disability Rights Montana.
• What interests you about disability rights and civil rights.
• How your experience prepares you for this role.
• Your preferred Montana location and any proposed hybrid work arrangement.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.

Résumés submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed.

Summary

• Position Title: Civil Rights Attorney
• Organization: Disability Rights Montana
• Locations: Helena or Billings, Montana
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid options available
• Job Type: Full-Time, Exempt
• Salary: $90,500-$115,000 DOE
• Education Required: Juris Doctor
• Licensure: Montana bar admission or admission within six months of hire
• Application Materials: Cover Letter and Résumé
• Application Review: Rolling until filled

Benefits Summary

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible family members
• Employer-funded 403(b) contribution
• Life insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Vacation and sick leave
• Hybrid and flexible work arrangements
• Professional development and national training opportunities

Pay: $90,500.00 - $115,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Billings, MT 59101

Salary : $90,500 - $115,000