Description
STAFF ATTORNEY POSITION – PHOENIX OR TUCSON
About Defenders of Children:
Founded in 2007, Defenders of Children (https://www.defendersofchildren.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm that provides comprehensive, trauma informed, dignity affirming, and culturally appropriate legal services to vulnerable children and families throughout Arizona. We are specialists in family and juvenile law, with a nationally unique focus on litigating complex, high-conflict, and otherwise cost-prohibitive child custody cases, with an emphasis on protecting and promoting the legal rights and physical, emotional, and economic safety and healing of victims of child abuse and neglect and their protective parents and guardians.
Defenders of Children is the only Arizona Supreme Court Rule 38(d) approved legal services organization that represents clients in court, including in crisis-responsive/emergency cases, in each of Arizona’s 15 counties and in a majority of the state’s Tribal Nations.
In family court, we represent parents and guardians in divorce, paternity, modification, and thirdparty rights actions. We also serve as court-appointed Best Interests Attorneys in coordination with presiding judges and at the request of individual judicial officers. We also represent plaintiffs at contested hearings on orders of protection and injunctions against harassment.
In juvenile court, we represent minor children in emancipation actions and adults concerned for the well-being of minor children in guardianship, private dependency, and termination of parental rights actions. We also help the protective parents and guardians of vulnerable children in a limited number of civil rights, education, employment, and housing matters.
In criminal court, we represent children as victim’s counsel, either directly or through their parents or other lawful representatives. We also serve as court-appointed Guardians ad Litem for child victims in coordination with and at the request of federal, state, municipal, and Tribal prosecutors in cases in which the defendant is a parent or other close relative.
About the Position:
Defenders of Children is seeking another Staff Attorney to join our growing litigation team. The Staff Attorney’s primary focus will be the direct representation of clients all over the state in challenging family law matters. However, the Staff Attorney will also have an opportunity to work in other areas of the law that commonly impact our clients, including juvenile, civil rights, and education law, as well as in criminal cases as victim’s counsel.
As the vast majority of our clients are low-income survivors of family violence, the Staff Attorney will be expected to provide patient, empathetic, and trauma-informed legal advice, representation, and advocacy to individuals facing significant personal barriers. Thus, the Staff Attorney must be comfortable working with clients who may be experiencing such challenges as poverty, housing insecurity, unemployment, mental illness, and substance abuse. Defenders of Children provides ongoing training to ensure that all members of our team, lawyers and nonlawyers alike, are best positioned to address our clients’ diverse needs.
The Staff Attorney may be based, as they prefer, at our offices in Phoenix or Tucson.
Required Skills:
- Either (1) Active license to practice law in Arizona; or (2) If not licensed in Arizona, must commit to applying to waive into practice in Arizona after two years of bar licensure in any jurisdiction, under Rule 38(d), Ariz. R. Sup. Ct.
- At least one year of experience in the practice of family law in Arizona (close equivalent may be considered)
- Strong desire to practice law in the public interest
- If not already licensed to practice in one or more of the federally recognized Tribal Nations in Arizona, a willingness to obtain admission to and engage in regular practice in at least two Tribal courts
- Demonstrated commitment to working with low-income and other marginalized populations
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
- Demonstrated capacity to conduct legal research, draft substantive legal pleadings, and represent clients in court
- Ability to work under pressure and problem-solve in urgent situations
- Willingness to travel throughout Arizona to appear in person at trials and other court proceedings outside Maricopa and Pima Counties. Successful candidates must currently possess, or be able to obtain, a valid Arizona driver’s license by the time of hire.
Job Expectations:
Defenders of Children offers a wide range of legal and supportive services to our clients depending on their circumstances. However, approximately 75% of the Staff Attorney’s time will involve advising, representing, and advocating for clients in complex, high-conflict child custody cases throughout Arizona.
Defenders of Children does not have a billable hours requirement. In addition, due to the difficult nature of the work we perform, all staff, both lawyers and non-lawyers, are strongly encouraged to set and maintain boundaries to ensure a healthy work-life balance. However, the Staff Attorney will be required to contemporaneously log their time and will be expected to work a full forty hours every week at our offices in Phoenix or Tucson.
Benefits:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 403(b) retirement plan
- Reimbursement for state and Tribal bar dues and fees
- Accrued paid time off
- 12 paid holidays
- Paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s, as well as for voting, bereavement, and jury duty
- 8 weeks’ family medical and parental leave (unpaid, but with continued insurance coverage)
- Eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
- Collaborative, collegial, and supportive work environment
- Flexibility to work out of either our Phoenix or Tucson offices
Annual Starting Salary:
$105,000+ depending on experience (increase if Spanish bilingual)
Start Date:
Defenders of Children is seeking to fill this new position as soon as possible.
Application Process:
Please send your resume, a letter of interest, and a list of three pertinent references to [email protected]. All applications will be held in strict confidence, and will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Equal Opportunity Policy:
Defenders of Children is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetics, disability, age, familial status, or veteran status.
