Atlanta Legal Aid Society (“Legal Aid”) seeks a Staff Attorney to work in its Disability Integration Project, a specialty unit located in its DeKalb County, Georgia office. The Disability Integration Project represents adults and children with significant disabilities who are in institutions or who are at risk of entering institutions. We advocate for our clients to receive publicly funded home and community-based services and supports so they can live full lives in the community. Our work is based on the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C., which affirmed that the unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities is discrimination under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Currently, the staff consists of a managing attorney, a staff attorney, and a paralegal.
Responsibilities:
- Representing individuals with mental illness, physical disabilities, intellectual and developmental disabilities in administrative hearings, juvenile court proceedings, Individual Education Plan meetings, administrative agency complaints, and federal court
- Employing innovative advocacy strategies to ensure true community integration for our clients, including working with state agencies to secure cross-agency benefits for clients, media advocacy, and community education
- Working with law students enrolled in a legal clinic at Georgia State University College of Law.
Qualifications:
- Active member in good standing in the State Bar of Georgia (strongly preferred), or eligible to sit for the next Georgia Bar exam, with a preference for several years of legal experience
- Strong work ethic and adaptability
- Excellent legal writing and oral advocacy skills
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, listening, and organizational skills
- Ability to balance compassion and pragmatism
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a collaborative, hybrid team model, with an appreciation for diversity
- Eagerness to learn and openness to feedback
- Demonstrated commitment to public service, participation in law school clinics or trial advocacy courses, familiarity with poverty law, and previous work with low-income people are strongly preferred
- Commitment to serving people with disabilities
- Proficiency in languages other than English is highly valued
Salary and Benefits:
- The salary is $61,000 for a new attorney who was recently admitted to the Georgia Bar and may be higher depending on relevant legal experience. The salary for a new attorney pending admission to the Georgia Bar is $56,000 and will be adjusted upon admission.
- Salaries are reviewed and adjusted annually, depending on funding.
- Generous fringe benefits, including 18 paid holidays in 2025, 6 weeks of paid time off (accruing at 2.5 days per month) in the first two years, and 6 weeks of parental leave (12 weeks after one year)
- Individual health insurance, including optional dental and vision coverage, with partial payment for dependent health insurance
- Life, and long and short-term disability insurance
- Salary reduction option for a flexible spending account
- Educational loan reimbursement up to $600 per month (after a set off of other loan reimbursement amounts
- Voluntary tax-sheltered annuity with 3% match
- State Bar of Georgia dues and CLE expenses
- This position may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.
- Legal Aid offers a hybrid work schedule that allows staff to work 2 days remotely subject to management approval and a probationary employment period
Application Requirements: Submit a letter of interest; resume; writing sample (advice letter, legal memorandum or brief); official law school transcript (a copy is acceptable pending your order of an official transcript); and the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three professional references (preferably individuals who have supervised or managed your work) with a brief statement as to the connection to the applicant, as one (1) PDF using our online application system at the following link: Atlantalegalaid.org/jobs. Only applications with all the requested documents will be considered for an interview.
Your application will be acknowledged. No phone calls please. For technical difficulties in submitting your application, please email [email protected].
ALAS considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other legally protected status.