Staff Attorney II: Substance Use Disorder Discrimination Project

 

Kentucky Equal Justice Center (KEJC) has an immediate opening for a full-time Staff Attorney II for a project designed to combat discrimination in healthcare against individuals with Substance Use Disorder, including Opioid Use Disorder. The Staff Attorney II will provide individual and systemic legal representation to enforce the civil rights of people with disabilities. The project is funded and supported by Vital Strategies. The successful candidate will work in partnership with Vital Strategies, Legal Action Center, VOCAL-KY, and Dream.org to protect the rights of people with substance use disorder. 

 

Experience and an interest in civil rights and/or health law is preferred. 

 

About KEJC

KEJC believes every Kentuckian has the right to health care, housing, fair pay, food, education, and safety. KEJC is a mid-sized poverty law advocacy nonprofit with a staff of 30 and a budget in excess of $2 million with the aspiration to continue growing to serve the people of the Commonwealth. Our team makes a difference using their voice in Kentucky’s capital, in courtrooms, and in communities all across the Bluegrass and beyond. Maxwell Street Legal Clinic, an essential program of KEJC, provides immigration law services in downtown Lexington and leads regional conversations aimed at compassionate action for those most in need of support. Our organization is fortunate to have a wide network of community partnerships. We work both internally and externally representing our mission on teams and as part of coalitions across the state. Thus, our work not only involves but also deeply values the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

 

About the Position

In tandem with an Outreach and Investigations Paralegal, the Staff Attorney II will work in the following ways as a multi-forum (courtrooms, capitol, community) advocate for Kentuckians who use drugs: 

 

Duties and Priorities

• Impact litigation, direct services, and community lawyering

  • Represent individual clients consistent with project parameters, including all phases of outreach, training, self-advocacy assistance, direct individual advocacy, systemic advocacy, and litigation

  • Identify potential plaintiffs for impact litigation

  • Develop and maintain self-advocacy materials for use by clients and constituents

  • Provide advice and assistance to KEJC clients, including writing letters and memoranda and drafting pleadings on behalf of clients

  • Analyze and interpret federal and state laws, rulings, and regulations to stay abreast of legal developments in disability law, and other related law/ethical fields

  • Analyze statutes, regulations, and agency policies/procedures and draft analyses and comments, as appropriate, in collaboration with KEJC staff

  • Provide technical assistance to attorneys and advocates regarding the rights of individuals with disabilities, including assistance to pro bono attorneys

  • Monitor institutions and other service providers, agencies, or settings as required

  • Maintain complete and accurate records in KEJC’s case management system consistent with agency policies and procedures

• Communications, outreach, and coalition building

  • Prepare written materials and conduct activities for the education and training of consumers, coalition partners, professionals, KEJC staff, members of the public, and others consistent with project parameters

  • Coordinate with KEJC communications staff to obtain feedback from and share information with the disability community regarding the rights and experiences of people with SUD/OUD

  • Cultivate, develop, and maintain relationships with subject area professionals and advocates, including state officials and agency staff, service providers, advocacy organizations, pro bono attorneys, and community advocates

  • Represent KEJC at coalition meetings, public hearings, stakeholder groups, and/or task forces 

 

Qualifications

• Active member of the Kentucky Bar

• A minimum of five years’ experience as an attorney with a strong preference for candidates with 7+ years of experience including civil litigation

• Demonstrated interest and commitment to public interest law

• Strong preference for lived experience with Substance Use Disorder or other disability

• Experience in a legal services, nonprofit, or public interest environment

• Proficiency in a second language preferred but not required

• Ability to travel, including overnight

• Ability to interact with people with disabilities

• Comfort speaking in front of groups

• Excellent interpersonal skills; KEJC works internally and externally in teams and coalitions and therefore seeks a Staff Attorney II who will help establish and maintain a healthy culture of collaboration

• Comfort working in a multicultural setting, with sensitivity to language and cultural issues

• Excellent organizational and problem-solving and skills

• Facility with social media and web-based communications tools

• Ability to be a self-starter in developing and carrying out activities, to take initiative and work independently, as well as in a team

• Knowledge of low-income issues

• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

​​

Location 

Hybrid - Flexible arrangements will be needed given the scope of work and program needs. Some in-person, some remote, and some travel expected. 

 

Salary and Benefits 

The salary range for this position is $70,000- $80,000 commensurate with experience and with the opportunity for annual increases for years of service and if approved by the board. Generous fringe benefits include health and retirement, dental, life and disability coverage. KEJC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, but we provide health and retirement benefits through participation in state employee plans.

 

Starting Date: Jan 6, 2025

 

Grant Funded Position with Potential Renewal

This position is funded by a grant from Vital Strategies through June 2025 with a possibility of renewal for additional years based on success in meeting deliverable deadlines and identifying a plaintiff for impact litigation. Over time, sustainability will depend on locating new sources of support.

 

Application Instructions

To apply, please email the following documents to Heather Darby (heather@kyequaljustice.org): 

• a cover letter

• your resume

• three references (with their phone numbers and email addresses), and 

• 2-3 examples of recent work that you feel is generally relevant to this position

 

Recent work materials might include: 

• legal briefs

• policy papers

• videos or slides of presentations you are proud of

• one-pagers explaining an issue to lay people, and/or

• op-eds or blog posts

 

If these materials are available online, you may provide them by linking to them in the cover letter or in a separate document as a single .pdf upload. 

 

If you need accommodation or assistance to submit your application and materials, please email jackson@kyequaljustice.org. 

​

Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. 

​

Application Deadline: This application is open until the position is filled.    

 

Diversity Statement

KEJC welcomes your application. Employees shall be selected entirely on a nondiscriminatory basis with respect to age, ancestry, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity, limited English proficiency, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status and all other categories provided nondiscriminatory treatment by law, statute, or ordinance.

​

 

Staff Attorney II: Housing Justice Team

 

Kentucky Equal Justice Center (KEJC) is seeking its next Staff Attorney II to lead our Housing Justice team. This attorney will be considered a team leader with the opportunity to serve on the management team. This role requires a minimum of 5+ years of experience. Key functions include but are not limited to mid-level legal, policy, and administrative duties. This position will have program oversight and be evaluated on the overall performance of the Housing Justice Team, which includes supervision of outreach coordinators and collaboration with support staff as needed. This is a full-time salaried position (40 hours/week). 

 

The Staff Attorney II will be an integral part of KEJC's work to provide eviction defense to people in Fayette County facing eviction. While KEJC recognizes the value of and seeks a geographically diverse staff, the Staff Attorney II will be expected to appear in Fayette County District Court five days a week.

 

About KEJC

KEJC believes every Kentuckian has the right to health care, housing, fair pay, food, education, and safety. KEJC is a mid-sized poverty law advocacy nonprofit with a staff of 30 and a budget in excess of $2 million with the aspiration to continue growing to serve the people of the Commonwealth. Our team makes a difference using their voice in Kentucky’s capital, in courtrooms, and in communities all across the Bluegrass and beyond. Maxwell Street Legal Clinic, an essential program of KEJC, provides immigration law services in downtown Lexington and leads regional conversations aimed at compassionate action for those most in need of support. Our organization is fortunate to have a wide network of community partnerships. We work both internally and externally representing our mission on teams and as part of coalitions across the state. Thus, our work not only involves but also deeply values the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. 

 

About the Position

The purpose of this team at KEJC is to ensure every Kentuckian experiences safe, stable housing as a human right, so the Staff Attorney Il will play a critical role in establishing a vision for that goal and executing SMART strategies that achieve progress.  

 

This attorney will be responsible for supervising a team of outreach staff leading KEJC’s response to critical poverty work across the state, including but not limited to housing inequality, legal and technical barriers to fair housing practices as a result of legislation, policy dissemination, eviction, and basic rights issues as they emerge. They will be a key stakeholder responsible for working across organizations, coalitions, and geographies to ensure that all Kentuckians facing eviction have access to rental assistance, legal assistance, support services, education, and representation. This position will have direct support from the Director of Legal Programs and the Executive Director.

 

Please note, due to the nature of our work as legal advocates the focus, scope of duties, and goals of this position may require adjustment at any time to meet client needs and serve our mission, so it requires a high degree of adaptability to work on a variety of cases and projects. 

 

Duties and Priorities

• Delivering direct services to Kentuckians facing eviction 

  • Includes representation in Fayette County Eviction Court, cases generated through the Eviction Help Desk, and housing case opportunities that emerge across the state for KEJC involvement

• Growing productive and collegial attorney relationships both internally and externally

• Serve in a supervisory capacity for a multi-function team that includes an Outreach Coordinator and multiple Housing Outreach workers

• Supporting Louisville Tenants Union under the Louisville Bar Association grant 

• Observing and executing best practices with our partners, including legal aid organizations and other community service providers who are also producing deliverables towards a similar mission

• Building systems (internal to KEJC and with our organizational partners) that allow Kentuckians to access legal assistance and rental assistance more easily and reliably

• Due to current guidelines from various funding streams, this position will not be permitted to lobby at this time

 

Additional Functions and Competencies

• Develop detailed knowledge of policy options and best practices for preventing evictions of Kentuckians

• Monitor proposed changes in local, state, and federal law, regulations, and practices related to eviction and rental assistance programs

• Develop state, regional, and national peer and expert networks for advice, counsel, and development and evaluation of proposals and initiatives

• Prepare a variety of written materials including briefing papers on promising options, best practices, and current issues; and compelling public-facing communications on housing, evictions, and rental assistance

• Help plan and conduct meetings of the statewide legal services Consumer and Housing Task Force

• Assist Kentuckians in accessing rental assistance

• Defend Kentuckians that legal aid organizations cannot represent who are facing eviction in court

• Identify and pursue impact litigation opportunities on key issues and handle a small caseload of individual matters

 

Communication and Development

• Work collaboratively with our Communications, Development, Operations, and Executive teams to build a sustainable legal program focused on fund seeking, grants, storytelling, budgeting, and reporting

• Work with KEJC staff to identify additional funding opportunities to ensure the sustainability of KEJC’s housing justice work as a key priority of our mission

• Participate in meetings, conference calls, and activities of local, state, and national public interest partners, including but not limited to LFUCG, Kentucky Housing Corporation, National Low Income Housing Coalition, ThriveKY, and coalitions of organizers and directly impacted Kentuckians with a focus on ensuring every Kentuckian who needs rental assistance gets it and every Kentuckian facing eviction experiences zero days of homelessness

• Participate in annual forecasting, budget preparation and management, performance evaluations, impact reporting to funders, and regular program reports to the board

 

​

Qualifications

• Active member of the Kentucky Bar

• A minimum of five years’ experience as an attorney with preference for candidates with 7+ years of experience, including housing litigation and experience working across organizations to deliver housing stability services to Kentuckians

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, including demonstrated public policy communications

• Strong preference for jury trial experience

• Comfort speaking in front of groups

• Excellent interpersonal skills and conflict management

• Comfort working in a multicultural setting, with sensitivity to language and cultural issues

• Excellent organizational and problem-solving and skills

• Facility with social media and web-based communications tools

• Ability to be a self-starter in developing and carrying out activities, to take initiative and work independently, as well as in a team

• Knowledge of low-income issues

• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

• Proficiency with data tools and work tracking platforms

• Proficiency in a second language preferred but not required

​

Location 

Hybrid - Flexible arrangements will be needed given the scope of work and program needs. Some in-person, some remote, and some travel expected. 

 

Salary and Benefits 

The salary range for this position is $70,000- $80,000 commensurate with experience and with the opportunity for annual increases for years of service and if approved by the board. Generous fringe benefits include health and retirement, dental, life and disability coverage. KEJC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, but we provide health and retirement benefits through participation in state employee plans.

 

Starting Date: Jan 6, 2025

 

Application Instructions

To apply, please email the following documents to Heather Darby (heather@kyequaljustice.org): 

• a cover letter

• your resume

• three references (with their phone numbers and email addresses), and 

• 2-3 examples of recent work that you feel is generally relevant to this position

 

Recent work materials might include: 

• legal briefs

• policy papers

• videos or slides of presentations you are proud of

• one-pagers explaining an issue to lay people, and/or

• op-eds or blog posts

 

If these materials are available online, you may provide them by linking to them in the cover letter or in a separate document as a single .pdf upload. 

 

If you need accommodation or assistance to submit your application and materials, please email jackson@kyequaljustice.org. 

​

Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. 

​

Application Deadline:  This application is open until the position is filled. 

 

Diversity Statement

KEJC welcomes your application. Employees shall be selected entirely on a nondiscriminatory basis with respect to age, ancestry, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity, limited English proficiency, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status and all other categories provided nondiscriminatory treatment by law, statute, or ordinance.

​