Staff Attorney

Employed By: The Georgia Heirs Property Law Center, Inc. (referred to below as “the Center”)

Immediate Supervisor: Legal Programs Director

Status: Regular Exempt Full-time Employee

Job Location: Georgia (Hybrid Work Option)

Experience Sought: Two years or more preferred but the Center is open to applicants with a wide range of experience.

Relevant Legal Fields: Real estate, estate planning, probate and/or litigation

Special Characteristics: Passionate about the Center’s mission; compassionate towards the clients being served; tireless in the pursuit of social justice; eager to secure and preserve property rights, to remediate heirs property, and to provide estate planning services as a means to address generational poverty and build wealth in low- and moderate-income communities; able to work with grassroots leaders and build trust in underserved communities; ready to be part of a team in the creation of a lasting legacy.

Job Application Close Date: Until position is filled.

About the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center

The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm, the only one of its kind in Georgia, with the mission to increase generational wealth, economic value, and community stability by securing and preserving property rights of low and moderate-income Georgians. In advancing this mission, the Center assists heirs property owners in remediating fractured title, increasing equity in their home or land, and transferring wealth to the next generation. Our technical assistance includes title clearing, wills creation, estate planning, education, and facilitating access to government, private sector, and nonprofit land management/home improvement programs. The Center has an office in Atlanta and remote staff in Atlanta, Athens, Brunswick, and Columbus. Staff work collaboratively throughout the state, with targeted outreach in Atlanta and South Georgia. The Center is committed to workplace diversity.

Summary of the Staff Attorney Role

The Staff Attorney is a full-time position and reports to the Center’s Legal Programs Director. Responsibilities include working on title clearing, probate, and estate planning matters for clients throughout Georgia. The Staff Attorney represents clients in matters before courts statewide; maintains client case files and works with referral organizations; educates low- and moderate-income communities about heirs property remediation and prevention, property ownership and preservation, economic development, and land management/home improvement programs; works in partnership with stakeholders, nonprofits, governmental agencies, and municipalities in the communities served; and collaborates with all Center staff as well as pro bono volunteers. Occasional travel and evening/weekend work is required. A successful applicant will be patient, compassionate, even-tempered, and have good people and problem-solving skills.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Direct Legal Services (75%)

• Maintain an active caseload of heirs property title clearing, probate, and estate planning matters.
• Summarize facts of cases and discuss cases with staff.
• Conduct preliminary title research and review title search results.
• Assist families with heirs research, utilizing tools such as Ancestry.com, GenealogyBank.com, Westlaw PeopleMap, Google, etc.
• Calculate ownership interest in land based on applicable intestacy statutes.
• Lead family meetings to discuss heirs property issues and facilitate agreements regarding property goals.
• Negotiate resolutions with opposing parties, attorneys, and guardians ad litem.
• Perform legal research and prepare petitions, memoranda, court pleadings, motions, and briefs.
• Occasionally appear in superior and probate courts for motions, trials, hearings, and conferences.
• Prepare and record deeds and property related affidavits.
• Prepare estate plans, including wills, advance directives for health care, and financial powers of attorney.
• Organize and maintain client files and records of a confidential, complex, or otherwise sensitive nature.
• Maintain client files, client information, case notes, case strategy, case expenses, case deadlines, and timekeeping in case management database.
• Implement organizational systems to achieve effective workloads and case flow.
• Keep the Legal Programs Director fully informed on client cases and all important external factors influencing them.
• Establish sound working relationships with all Center staff.

Communications, Outreach, and Education (25%)

• Coordinate and present outreach, education, and technical assistance about heirs property issues for property owners, attorneys, nonprofits, and municipalities.
• Coordinate Heirs Property Prevention and Estate Plan Signing Days, including pro bono volunteers, with support of Center staff.
• Establish sound working relationships and cooperative arrangements with community organizations.

Qualifications

Candidates must already have a JD from an accredited law school and be a member in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia. Candidates must be passionate about the Center’s mission. It is preferred that the candidate has some experience in the practice of real estate law, estate planning, litigation, and/or probate, but it is not a requirement. A candidate who is a quick and dedicated learner can also thrive at the Center. Personal experience with heirs property is a desirable asset but not required.

Candidates should be excited about public speaking and community education, working in diverse communities, building trust with individuals and grassroots groups, and understanding the special values and challenges of rural life and poverty issues. Candidates should also be prepared to work as part of a team in a professional and collaborative manner, to set priorities and meet deadlines, and to maintain a positive mindset. Humor and expertise in laughter are a plus.

Candidates must live in Georgia. Occasional travel is required, and candidates must have reliable transportation and a valid Georgia driver’s license. Must be able to work from home and/or in shared office space with little administrative support. Preferred experience in Microsoft 365 and excellent computer skills.

Compensation

Salary is competitive based on a non-profit scale and begins at $59,000 and escalates commensurate with experience. As a nonprofit organization, employment at the Center is a qualifying job for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The Center has a telecommuting policy that allows full-time employees to work remotely unless they live near an office and elect to work from the office.

The Center’s 35-hour workweek offers flexibility so that employees can maintain a work-life balance while serving the Center’s clients and mission. The Center offers 37 days of paid time off, including 11 holidays; the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day; 13 vacation days for first- and second-year employees (increases to 15 for third-year employees); and 9 days of sick leave days that rollover annually for a maximum of 60 days. Additionally, the Center offers bereavement leave and 12 weeks of parental leave for employees who have been with the Center for over one year.

The Center values the health and financial well-being of its employees and provides a monthly Benefits stipend for expenses that meet the needs of the employee and their family including premiums for health, dental, or vision insurance for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and/or dependents; co-pays, deductibles, and wellness costs; childcare; student loan repayment; or estate planning. In addition, employees have access to a pre-tax 403b retirement savings plan.

The Center covers Georgia Bar dues and reasonable CLE expenses. The Center’s leadership and staff are committed to creating a work environment that is supportive of employee personal and professional development during and outside of business hours.

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter, including any experience in real estate law, estate planning, litigation and/or probate, reasons for your interest in resolving injustices arising from heirs property, and any other pertinent information, along with a resume, writing sample, and list of references in a single PDF to Will Worley, Legal Programs Director, via email at info@gaheirsproperty.org. Only applications submitted via this email address will be considered. No phone calls please.