Iowa Legal Aid is hiring staff attorneys for the Elder Justice Innovation Project.

background: Founded in 1977, Iowa Legal Aid serves clients in all 99 Iowa counties with offices in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Mason City, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Waterloo. Learn more about legal aid in iowa at www.iowalegalaid.org.

Staff attorney position: Through free legal assistance and community legal education, our working lawyers bring hope, dignity and justice to low-income and other vulnerable Iowans. Legal assistance at Iowa Legal Aid ranges from brief advice and service to full representation before administrative agencies, state and federal courts, and appellate courts. In our diverse practice, we prioritize work spanning housing, domestic violence, income maintenance, health care, individual rights, and consumer issues to help secure our clients’ most critical needs. Our court-based attorneys frequently appear and serve clients in the community through expungement and divorce clinics, Eviction Diversion Project help desks, and targeted outreach events. Staff attorneys also play a critical role in systems change and justice through advocacy and impact.

Elder Justice Innovation Project: The staff attorney will support Iowa Legal Aid’s new Elder Justice Innovation Project. The project will focus on preventing, identifying and responding to financial exploitation of older people by developing and implementing improved screening techniques and providing comprehensive services in a wide range of consumer and debt-related cases for clients aged 60 and over. The project’s goal is to intervene urgently in cases of potential elder abuse and provide additional support services to help mitigate the risk of future harm. The staff attorney will be involved in all aspects of the project, including providing direct legal services in elder financial exploitation cases and consumer cases involving older Iowans.

Project staff attorneys can work in any of Iowa’s 10 legal aid offices.

Applications: To apply, submit a letter of application (specify geographic preference), resume, law school transcript (recent graduates only), recent representative writing sample, and names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three professional references.

Qualifications: Applicants must be law school graduates and licensed to practice law in the state of Iowa, eligible for admission on the move, or available to take the next scheduled bar exam. Previous legal experience preferred. Applicants must possess a demonstrated interest in poverty law and have a strong commitment to providing the full range of legal services to low-income people. Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced team environment is required. Individuals with Spanish or other language skills are encouraged to apply.

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