Veterans' Legal Services Attorney

The Veterans’ Legal Services Attorney will work with veterans’ service providers, including VA medical centers. to screen for health-harming legal needs and treat those needs by providing legal services to positively impact a client’s health. This attorney provides representation to clients in matters relating to civil legal needs such as housing, family law, public benefits, consumer debt, and civil rights. Representation includes legal advice, limited scope assistance, and full representation.  The attorney will be housed in one of MLSA’s three offices and will also conduct regular outreach and remote office hours to provide direct services to clients and interface with veterans’ service provider staff. 
 
Specific Duties

•    Conduct training, hold regular office hours, and provide legal services to address patients’/clients’ needs from veterans’ service providers.
•    Provide orientation and training activities for veterans’ service providers, including how to make appropriate referrals.
•    Interview, advise, and represent eligible clients in civil matters.
•    Develop and maintain specialized knowledge of the health-harming legal needs of patients.
•    Consult with veterans’ service provider personnel on the health harming legal needs of patients.
•    Provide services ranging from brief counsel and advice to more extended representation on core legal issues affecting patients or clients of veterans’ service providers.
•    Coordinate and support the medical legal partnership, including organizing regular partnership meetings, and assisting with evaluation and data collection.
•    Compose correspondence, pleadings, and other documents.
•    Research the law and prepare memoranda.
•    Work with other MLSA staff to recruit, train, and support pro bono attorneys when appropriate.
•    Participate in MLSA’s statewide initiatives, impact work, and implement grant and contract requirements through casework.
•    Other duties as assigned by the Supervising Attorney, Deputy Director, Director of Advocacy or MLSA Executive Director.

Required Skills & Attributes
•    Law Degree.
•    A willingness to assume a varied case load.
•    Ability to effectively communicate with and motivate others.
•    Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people with varying perspectives, experience and expertise.
•    Ability and willingness to learn and integrate new technologies and methodologies to efficiently perform responsibilities.
•    A willingness to establish and maintain effective relationships with clients, the public, judges, court personnel,  medical personnel, veterans’ service provider, and the bar.
•    Ability and willingness to work cooperatively and collegially within a decentralized statewide law firm.
•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
•    Excellent attention to detail.
•    Ability to work independently in a deadline-oriented environment.
•    A “can do” attitude and a willingness to pitch in where needed.
•    Strong commitment to insuring equal access to justice.
•    Proficient at the use of technology, including, but not limited to, word processing, spreadsheets, internet-based programs, and computer-based legal research.
•    Ability to conduct overnight travel within the state of Montana.
•    Ability to travel out of state for conferences, training or other meetings as required.

Preferred Skills & Attributes
•    At least 3 years’ experience in the practice of law.
•    Current license to practice law in Montana.
•    An understanding of the civil equal justice legal needs of low-income people, including the unique needs of populations that experience particular barriers to access to justice systems, and of effective approaches and methods for addressing those needs.
•    Experience working collaboratively and empathetically with diverse groups of colleagues, firm partners, and clients who have varying cultural backgrounds, perspectives, experience, and expertise.
•    Knowledge of substantive legal areas affecting low-income people.
•    VA accreditation or willingness to become a VA accredited representative.

MLSA is an equal opportunity employer, and we consider the diversity of our staff to be vital to our organization's success. We strongly encourage and welcome people of all cultures, races, educational backgrounds, life experiences, socio-economic classes, sexual orientations, ages, genders, and physical abilities to apply.