Southeast Louisiana Legal Services seeks full time staff attorneys for its New Orleans offices and a half-time contract attorney for its Hammond office.

Background

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services is a nonprofit civil legal aid program that represents low-income persons in Southeast Louisiana in landlord-tenant, consumer, family, income security, employment, health care, tax and education cases. We help the poor with individual and law reform cases. Our firm is known as New Orleans Legal Assistance in New Orleans.

65% of our attorneys have more than 10 years experiene--mostly in poverty or public interest law.  Our program and staff have received numerous awards for their work.

Hurricane Katrina has created unique challenges to the representation of New Orleans area residents. We are looking for attorneys with the commitment and creativity to respond to the new challenges posed by the Katrina disaster.  Much of our legal work for the next several years will be related to legal problems caused by the Katrina disaster.

Pre-Katrina, New Orleans was one of America's most charming and culturally unique cities with excellent music, architecture, cuisine and a lively arts scene. The City is in the process of rebuilding after Katrina and is still a fascinating place to live and work . The older areas of the City such as the French Quarter, Uptown and Algiers were left relatively undamaged by Katrina.

Responsibilities

There are several staff attorney positions available in our New Orleans office. They are expected to involve disaster related legal work and other traditional practice areas such as predatory lending, social security, housing and family law. 

The part-time contract attorney position in our Hammond office will involve intake and advice.

Qualifications

Commitment to legal services to the poor in the challenging post-Katrina environment. Louisiana bar admission required with possible exception of a Social Security specialist position for our homeless advocacy project.

Salary

Beginning salary is $29.5K to $43K DOE for the full-time staff positions. Excellent fringe benefits: employer paid health insurance, pension, short-term and long-term disability insurance and life insurance.  Flexible working hours and liberal vacation leave. By federal law, all full-time staff attorneys are prohibited from any outside practice of law.

Application Procedure

Given the problems with mail, it is highly recommended that you send your resume by e-mail. Due to lack of secretaries, we will acknowledge receipt by reply e-mail

Send cover letter and resume t

Mark Moreau

New Orleans Legal Assistance

1010 Common St., Suite 1400A

New Orleans, LA 70112

mamoreau@nolac.org

Fax: 504-529-1008

Closing Date

January 20, 2006 or until filled.