Attorney, Intake Unit

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing legal assistance and advocacy for low-income individuals and families. We work to ensure access to justice and fair treatment in the areas of housing, consumer rights, family law, and other essential legal services.

Job Summary

JALA seeks a full-time attorney for its Intake Unit in our downtown Jacksonville office. Applicants should have 1 to 4 years of legal experience in housing, consumer, family law, estate planning, and/or employment law. This job is a hybrid position with days of remote work and in-office coverage rotation, after an in-office training period.

What you get when you come to JALA

JALA is the premier litigation legal aid firm in the Southeastern United States. We are mission-driven, and our team makes a difference in our community. As a JALA employee, you can expect immediate hands-on experience interviewing and counseling clients as well as litigating cases in Federal and State courts. Staff are expected to take on challenging cases for our at-risk clients while being mentored and supported in taking on such cases. While there is a premium placed on initiative and self-motivation, you can expect to be supervised by lawyers who are recognized as subject matter experts in their field (JALA is the only law firm in Florida with three Florida Bar Consumer Protection Lawyers of the Year on staff, for example). Our lawyers and paralegals regularly serve on local and statewide committees, and our lawyers have gone on to become hearing officers, magistrates, judges, and administrative law judges. In addition to the opportunity to litigate early, our lawyers and staff are trusted as professionals - we have adopted a hybrid work environment (although not all positions are able to work remotely). Regardless of what others may prefer, we embrace diversity and inclusion as a way to ensure we are the most prepared to offer the best and highest level of representation for clients, as this is what they deserve from us.

Salary/Benefits

Salary commensurate with experience. Sign-on bonus. Benefits package include, but are not limited to, hybrid work model, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability insurance, group life insurance, 401(k) (match 100% of deferrals up to 6% of compensation), generous leave policy (13 paid holidays plus 22 personal leave days in first year, one-month sabbatical every four years), and membership in Access Perks, a private discount network.

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is an Equal Opportunity Employer

$63,050 yearly minimum; DOE

• Assist with daily administration of walk-in applicants and emergencies, perform intake interviews in person and by phone for applicants, and assist in screening of clients for eligibility for full representation.
• Support units with rotation on intake calendars on dedicated days and times.
• Provide counsel for individuals seeking legal assistance on a myriad of legal issues.
• Handle a personal injury referral calendar and refer matters to partner agencies.
• Rotate to offsite locations as needed to handle in person intake appointments or outreaches and the ability to travel within our 17-county area.
• Direct and monitor activities of support staff, paralegals, and volunteers as requested by supervisor and/or management.
• Assist clients with brief services matters such as advanced directives, simple wills, name changes, identification issues, sealing and expunction of arrest records.
• Monitor legislative developments in areas affecting the low-income community.
• Support, promote and participate in community education, outreach and developing good public relations with client community, state and local bar and other community groups.
• Comply with all applicable regulations, policies and grant requirements.
• Assist with various projects, as needed.
• Perform other duties and projects as required by supervisor and/or management.

• Member in good standing of The Florida Bar.
• One (1) year civil practice experience.
• Computer literate includes proficiency in Google and Microsoft 365 applications.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing with applicants, clients, and/or staff, as necessary.
• Able to follow policies and procedures of department and organization.

The mission of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. is to provide high-quality legal assistance to low-income and special needs groups, to empower them to accomplish energetic and affirmative advocacy, all to alleviate the circumstances, incidents, and causes of poverty and discrimination.

Developed during the Great Depression and subsequent recession of 1937, the organization that has become Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. JALA was born when a group of Jacksonville Bar attorneys banded together to provide legal services to those in need.

Called different names over the years, including Duval County Legal Aid Association, it was officially named Jacksonville Area Legal Aid in 1973. The organization achieved 501(c)3 status in 1976. JALA now serves 17 counties of North Florida, including Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Nassau, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, and Union.