Home Defense Program Staff Attorney

The Atlanta Legal Aid Society seeks a staff attorney to work in its Home Defense Program (HDP), a specialty unit within Atlanta Legal Aid Society which focuses on predatory mortgage lending and servicing cases, foreclosure defense, and home purchase and sale scams.  The Home Defense Program is housed within Legal Aid’s Decatur office, and is currently comprised of four full-time attorneys, one part-time attorney, two housing counselors/paralegals, and a paralegal.

The selected attorney will engage in a range of activities to assist low-income individuals and families to prevent the loss of the home through foreclosure, predatory lending, or home sale scams.  The attorney will screen, investigate, evaluate, refer, and directly represent low-income persons in danger of losing their homes.  He or she will use a variety of advocacy methods, including brief service, advice and referral, negotiation, mediation, litigation, community education, and work with the media.  Attorneys are encouraged to participate in local bar and social service associations involved in home protection.

Qualifications: Excellent legal writing, analysis, advocacy, and work ethic are required. Communication and listening skills, ability to work in a team and alone, adaptability to changing work pressures, and appreciation of diverse staff and clientele are required.  Candidates must be licensed in Georgia or be eligible to sit for the next bar exam.  Legal experience after law school graduation is preferred.  Demonstrated commitment to public service, clinical experience, familiarity with consumer protection statutes, and previous work with low-income persons are strongly preferred.  Knowledge of Spanish or an Asian language is also valued.

Benefits: The salary for a licensed attorney is $50,000+, depending upon legal experience. This is a grant-funded position for ​2​ years, with the possibility of continuation dependent on funding. The program provides generous fringe benefits, including paid holidays, vacation, sick, and paid parental leave; health, life, and long and short-term disability insurance; partial payment for dependent health insurance; a salary reduction option for a flexible spending account; educational loan reimbursement up to $600 per month (after a $65 deductible and set off of other loan reimbursement amounts); voluntary tax-sheltered annuity with 3% match; CLE expenses; and Georgia Bar dues.

To apply: A complete application packet must include a letter of application, résumé, transcript, a recent writing sample that demonstrates your ability to perform legal research and analyze a fact pattern, and the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses  of three references.  Please e-mail your application as one PDF document using our online application system:

https://jobs.atlantalegalaid.org/careers/index.php?m=careers&p=showJob&ID=36

EOE: ALAS considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity,
veteran status, or any other legally protected status.