Staff Attorney - HELP MLP

Widener University Delaware Law School is currently seeking a Staff Attorney within the medical-legal partnership (MLP) in Chester, Pa. This role reports to the Managing Attorney and Director of HELP MLP, and provides support to The Foundation of Delaware County.

Widener University is committed to fostering an environment in which faculty, staff, and students from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and personal experiences are welcomed and can thrive. The division of Academic and Student Affairs holds a deep commitment to an inclusive culture that supports the work of faculty and staff members across the institution, and works closely with the Chief Diversity Officer to facilitate that commitment. Faculty and staff are active participants in our work to enhance diversity, equity, & inclusion, including representation on the Faculty Council Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and the Diversity Leadership and Inclusion Council.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (including, but not limited to):

Essential duties:

• Provide direct legal services to clients experiencing poverty. Including, but not limited to, housing, related issues involving public benefits and consumer matters.
• Work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team to improve the lives of families living in poverty in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
• Provide legal consultations to health care partners.
• Develop training materials and presentations for health care partners and community members.
• Engage in systemic advocacy efforts to improve community-wide policies.
• Contribute to the development of publications and reports.
• Participate in staff, coalition, partner, and community meetings.
• Assist in drafting and analyzing legislation, regulations, and policies.
• Supervise law students

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (education/training and experience required):

Required:

• Admission to the Pennsylvania Bar.
• Minimum of one year with experience providing legal services to clients.
• Must be willing to travel within Delaware County and Philadelphia area as responsibilities require.
• Excellent organizational skills and initiative.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Broad range of advocacy skills, including administrative and courtroom litigation.
• Willingness and ability to perform duties in health care settings with professionals from other disciplines.
• Must exhibit patience, tact, and respect when interacting with the public, clients, and partners.
• Must be flexible since priorities and areas of emphasis may change depending on our funding and client needs.

Preferred:

• Fluency in Spanish
• Subject matter expertise and experience resolving housing and related matters, including landlord-tenant conflicts, public housing, eviction prevention, lead abatement, consumer, and bankruptcy, and assisting clients who are experiencing homelessness.
• Minimum of three years experience providing civil legal services to clients experiencing poverty.
• Experience working in a medical-legal partnership or interdisciplinary setting.
• Lived experience that facilitates understanding, empathy, and connection to our clients and the challenges presented by poverty, racism, and bureaucracies.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR UNUSUAL HOURS:

• Nights and weekends may be required as needed

Qualified candidates must submit resume and cover letter for consideration. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only those selected to interview will be contacted.

Widener has a strategic commitment to building an inclusive university community whose diversity enriches the lives of all members and where our students are prepared for living in a pluralistic and ever-changing world. As a leading metropolitan university, Widener strives to embody the values that are inherent in our mission: civic engagement, access, inclusion, academic excellence, innovation and leadership.

Widener University, an independent, metropolitan, doctoral-intensive university, connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention and experiential learning are key components of the Widener Experience. Located in Chester, PA, Widener's main campus is nestled between Philadelphia, PA and Wilmington, DE, with Law Schools located in both Harrisburg and Wilmington. For more information about the university, please visit our website at www.widener.edu.

EOE M/F/V/D

Advertised: 26 May 2021 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: