Full-Time and Exempt Employee
Reports to the Directors of Community Inclusion and Services Program and Treatment Facilities Program
Disability Rights Washington (DRW) seeks to fill an attorney position in our Legal Advocacy program.
People with disabilities, African American, Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and those from other oppressed groups and all protected classes are strongly encouraged to apply. Disability Rights Washington looks forward to reviewing all applicants.
Disability Rights Washington (DRW) seeks an Attorney to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities.
An expectation of all employees is participation in DRW’s race equity work.
This position will be based in either our Olympia, Seattle, or Spokane office. There may be some opportunity to work remotely part of each week.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION AVAILABILITY
DRW is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are applicants or employees. Applicants for DRW employment seeking reasonable accommodations for the application process should contact the HR & IT Manager by calling (800) 562-2702 or (206) 324-1521 or by emailing info@dr-wa.org.
JOB OVERVIEW
DRW’s Legal Advocacy Team seeks a litigation attorney with a demonstrated interest in conducting impact litigation and other systemic advocacy to enforce the legal rights of individuals suffering from abuse, neglect, or other human and civil rights violations. This position will require a licensed attorney, or an individual who will soon become a licensed attorney, with the ability to conduct systemic investigations, develop complex advocacy strategies, and represent both classes and individuals.
The ideal candidate would have lived and/or professional experience relating to DRW’s practice areas, which include, but are not limited to: addressing discrimination, accessing public benefits or long term care services, community re-entry from institutionalization or incarceration, resolving housing instability, and/or ending abuse and neglect. The attorney for this position must have a commitment and capacity to produce high quality legal analyses and to provide effective advocacy through complex civil litigation as well as informal and alternative dispute resolution. All DRW attorneys must demonstrate dedication to DRW’s values of inclusion, diversity, and equity as well as the values of individual autonomy, community integration, universal accessibility, freedom from restraint, and respectful language. DRW seeks applicants who enjoy working in a team environment and are seeking to join in our mission to “advance the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities.”
This job involves unsupervised contact with children and vulnerable adults.
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Legal Advocacy
- Conducts legal research and gathers relevant information
- Helps clients define problems
- Provides legal advice and counseling
- Designs action plans for advocacy on behalf of clients
- Designs advocacy plans for systemic impact on behalf of clients
- Takes assertive action to implement action plans
- Provides appropriate follow-up once matters are resolved
- Represents people with disabilities on issues pertaining to service requests, advocacy projects, and litigation
Educating Policy Makers
- Engages in policy analysis/advocacy
- Prepares public comment or policy reports/writing
Monitoring/Investigation
- Conducts monitoring of community based settings were people with disabilities are served
- Conducts investigations into abuse, neglect, and rights violations
- Collects accurate and sufficient information regarding complaint allegations, as well as relevant written policies, regulations, directives, and client records
- Interviews witnesses and other involved parties as necessary to ascertain facts
Technical Assistance
- Conducts interviews service recipients to define problems, understand relevant information, and design action plans to provide self-advocacy support
- Carefully researches information for the purpose of assisting a service recipient in resolving their issue
- Provides written and oral information and appropriate referrals to service recipient
Conflict Resolution
- Effectively utilizes conflict resolution and advocacy skills to resolve both internal and external conflicts
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
- Contributes substantively to the pursuit of DRW’s goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Actively engages in agency and team work to practice anti-racist advocacy
Timely Paperwork and Reporting
- Submits all required reports, timesheets, and other documentation in an accurate and timely manner
WORK CONDITIONS
- Works both at home and in an office environment as coordinated with supervisor and co-workers and has extensive local and statewide work-related travel.
- Works a standard workweek consisting of 35 hours, generally between the hours of 8:30 am – 5:00pm daily (unless an alternative schedule is approved), but must be willing to work evenings, weekends, or extended hours when necessary.
- Maintains clear background check status as required by assigned Program (e.g., for AVID Program, maintains clear DOC background check status)
WORKLOAD MONITORING
- Maintain a reasonably ambitious workload and keep their immediate supervisor informed when there is insufficient work to perform and when there is a risk that work won’t be completed on a timely basis.
REQUIREMENTS
Employee Commitment
All DRW employees are expected to have a commitment to the values expressed in DRW’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Philosophy Statement
Education
It is required that a DRW Attorney have a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited school of law and be a member in good standing of a state bar association and a member in good standing with the Washington State Bar Association within one year of assuming the position.
Experience Specific to the Position
It is desired that a DRW Attorney have:
- Lived and/or professional experiences involving disability rights issues or public interest law
- Experience working in a non-profit, public interest, or public relations setting
- Deep roots in the disability community with knowledge and experience in the independent living and self-advocacy movements
- Zero to five years’ experience as a practicing attorney
Abilities Specific to the Position
A DRW Attorney will have:
- Demonstrated ability and desire to litigate
- Demonstrated skills in the areas of investigation, interviewing, legal research, case strategy, case review, administrative law, and advanced advocacy techniques
- Demonstrated ability to discuss a range of current issues facing the disability community including issues related to the disability delivery systems and disability law
- Demonstrated ability to effectively present information to a wide variety of audiences using a variety of media
- Demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings and discussions
- Demonstrated ability to maintain ethical and organizational standards, communicate a position well, respectfully consider other positions, and treat people of different positions and backgrounds with respect and dignity
- Demonstrated knowledge of the disability service delivery systems and disability law
- Demonstrated ability to perform all of the responsibilities set forth in this position description
- Demonstrated understanding of anti-racist concepts and a working knowledge of disability justice principles
General Abilities
An employee in this position is expected to have these general abilities:
- Be an effective team member
- Effectively communicate verbally
- Effectively relate to people with all kinds of disabilities
- Exercise initiative, ingenuity, and sound judgment
- Organize and manage time
- Set work goals and create work plan of activities
- Take direction and coordinate work with others
- Use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, and Internet
- Work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
- Work independently
- Perform basic math functions
It is desired that an Attorney have:
- Multi-lingual ability in languages common to Washington State residents
Transportation
- Given the people we serve live in communities all over the state, the attorney must be able to get to various locations around the state, many of which are not served by public transportation and some of which may not have access to taxi or ride-hailing services.
ABOUT DISABILITY RIGHTS WASHINGTON (DRW)
DRW is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. DRW encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including individuals of all races, colors, religions, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, ages, national origins, marital statuses, disabilities, and veteran status backgrounds.
DRW is a private nonprofit organization that advances the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities. We work to pursue justice on matters related to human and legal rights. We are designated by the governor as the independent federally-mandated protection and advocacy system for Washington State. As such, DRW promotes, expands, and protects the human and civil rights of people with disabilities.
For information about us, please visit: http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/.
TO APPLY
Please send a cover letter, resume, and three contacts for employment verification via the online application below. You may also mail your items to: Disability Rights Washington, 315 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 850, Seattle, WA 98104 Attn: Jodi Rose. Reasonable accommodations for any portion of the application or interview process are available at request.
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be accepted until the position is filled.
- Position Title: Attorney
- Company Name: Disability Rights Washington (DRW)
- Location: Remote to start and then in the either our Seattle, Spokane, or Olympia office
- Posted: May 26, 2022
- Education and Experience required: Document review and/or interview skills to conduct investigations, see full description for more detail.
- Job Category: Program
- Job Type: Full-time, Exempt
- Salary $66,800-76,690
- DRW offers a generous benefits package including a 35 hour work week, employer paid Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance, Long Term Disability and Life Insurance, Health and Dependent Care Spending Accounts, 401k with 5% employer contribution, Paid Parental Leave, Paid Holiday, Vacation, and Sick leave, Employee Assistance Program, Costco Membership, transit benefit, and more!