Position Summary:

The Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) team works onsite with health care clinicians to promote physical, mental, and emotional health through integrated legal services with a primary focus on working directly with patient-clients to help solve a wide range of legal issues. Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC) MLPs are based on the national MLP model of increasing access to justice while mitigating socio-legal determinants of health—such as lack of access to care, financial and food insecurity, housing instability, and personal uncertainty. Attorneys are expected to work in-person both at the TLSC office and on-site at the clinic with the health care team to detect, address, and prevent health-harming legal issues for patients and communities.
 

This position will be involved in all aspects of the MLP program while addressing the health-harming legal needs of patient-clients at a Federally Qualified Health Center with locations in Austin, Texas and the surrounding area.
 

This attorney in this position is expected to:

Maintain the highest ethical and professional standards as a member of the State Bar; adhere to the American Bar Association Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid; embrace and support TLSC’s overall mission; and comply with all grant requirements, regulations, standards, policies, and confidentiality requirements.

This is a grant funded position.

Essential Functions:

• Provide      high-quality legal advice, assistance, referrals, and representation,      where applicable, to eligible clients in a compassionate, culturally      appropriate, and trauma-informed manner.
• Execute      intake interviews with potential clients, confirm eligibility for      services, and check for conflicts of interest according to TLSC policy.
• Perform      high-level legal research and factual investigation. 
• Write      complaints, petitions, motions, memos, and briefs on behalf of clients.
• Communicate      with third parties to advocate on behalf of clients.
• Prepare      for, attend, assist, argue, and conduct depositions, hearings, trials, and      appeals.
• Analyze      legal and social problems and devise strategic plans to address      health-harming legal needs through creative means and interprofessional      collaboration.
• Seek      and act on opportunities for healthcare transformation by bringing      structural competency to bear on relevant clinical committees, workgroups,      and taskforces.
• Cultivate      working relationships and partnerships, both internally at partner clinics      and externally with health care professionals, students, and other social      services agencies in the community and statewide, to advance program and      organizational goals.
• Present      complex, relevant legal topics to lay members of the community and health      professionals.
• Lead or      assist with promoting health and legal education efforts statewide and in      local programs.
• Travel      to locations outside of Austin, Texas, occasionally to neighboring towns      and counties and potentially further once or twice annually for outreach,      continuing legal education, or other opportunities.
• Assist      with funding for, reporting on, and evaluation of the MLP.
• Perform      other duties as assigned.

  Competencies:

• Ability      to develop a sophisticated understanding of the MLP model and its approach      to civil legal services as well as its place in the U.S. healthcare      system.
• Ability      and willingness to learn how to represent and advocate for patients with      health-harming legal needs in two or more of the “IHELP” categories, which      are:
  • Income,       including public benefit appeals or consumer law;
  • Insurance,       including eligibility for and coverage by public and private plans;
  • Housing,       including eviction, habitability, landlord-tenant disputes, and       utilities;
  • Education,       including IDEA and Rehabilitation Act §504;
  • Employment,       including the Family and Medical Leave Act;
  • Legal       Status, including name and gender-marker change, credit history,       expunction/nondisclosure, and immigration; and
  • Personal       Stability, including guardianship and alternatives, advance directives,       and wills, or family law.
• Current      knowledge of the law and legal system, especially in areas that affect      low-income and marginalized communities. 
• Excellent      legal research and advocacy skills.
• Strong      analytical skills and attention-to-detail.
• Exceptional      listening, written and oral communications skills.
• Proficiency      with Adobe, social media tools, and Microsoft Office products.
• Proficiency      with or ability to learn TLSC’s case management system and the clinic’s      electronic health record and enterprise practice management system.
• Ability      to understand grant requirements and associated reporting needs.
• Ability      to learn new technologies to carry out job functions.
• Ability      to work with clients in a patient, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental      manner.
• Ability      to travel to out-of-town locations.

Minimum Education and Experience:

J.D. Degree.

Licensure and/or Certification: Licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas.