Description
BILINGUAL INTAKE ATTORNEY POSITION
About Defenders of Children:
Founded in 2007, Defenders of Children is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm that provides free, expert, comprehensive, trauma-informed, healing-focused, and dignity-affirming legal services to vulnerable children and families throughout Arizona, with an emphasis on protecting and promoting the legal rights and physical, emotional, and economic safety and recovery of victims of child abuse and neglect and their protective parents and guardians.
In addition to representing clients in federal, state, local, and Tribal court, Defenders of Children partners with family advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, residential treatment centers, immigrant and refugee organizations, other community-based nonprofits, and federal, state, local, and Tribal government agencies that share our concern for the welfare of children and our goal to promote healthy families. Through administrative agency advocacy, impact litigation, and trainings for non-lawyer staff at victim advocacy organizations across the state, we work to expand access to justice for children and families in all 15 Arizona counties, including, especially, those from underserved and underrepresented regions and populations.
About the Position:
Defenders of Children is seeking a bilingual (English/Spanish) Intake Attorney to join our growing legal team. The Intake Attorney will work alongside our non-attorney Intake Specialists, under the supervision of our Managing Attorney, to serve as the first lawyer point of contact for individuals seeking our services. Due to the high need for pro bono legal assistance in the area of family law, especially, throughout Arizona, Defenders of Children receives far more applications for services than we are able to provide. The Intake Attorney will review applications and provide initial consultations to clients in non-emergency situations then make recommendations to our litigation team about whether and how we can and should move forward with providing additional services.
The Intake Attorney will interact continuously with our clients. Through 60-minute initial consultations, the Intake Attorney will identify the key issues in a case, determine the type of legal assistance the client requires, and provide additional guidance, referrals, and resources to those clients whose cases may not warrant additional intervention by our team. Many individuals have relatively simple legal issues that can be resolved during an initial consultation; for this reason, the Intake Attorney should have a strong grasp of Arizona family law and should feel comfortable providing guidance on basic family law concepts and court procedures during the initial consultation. The Intake Attorney should also demonstrate a willingness to learn about other areas
of the law, such as juvenile law and victims’ rights, to better assist clients who need assistance in those areas.
The Intake Attorney position is especially well-suited for newer attorneys who may not be prepared to assume the responsibility of a litigator with a full caseload. This role necessarily involves significant interaction with our client base, so the attorney will develop interpersonal skills in working with high-needs individuals. Furthermore, the Intake Attorney will learn to consider each client’s overarching goals from a strategic perspective and will be compelled to think creatively about the most effective ways for each client to reach their goals. Although the Intake Attorney will not carry a caseload, the skills developed in this role will be invaluable to their long-term career development, and promotion to the litigation-focused role of Staff Attorney will be considered if desired.
As the vast majority of our clients are low-income survivors of family violence, the Intake Attorney will be expected to provide patient, compassionate, and trauma-informed legal information and advice and must be comfortable working with clients who may be facing such challenges as poverty, housing insecurity, unemployment, mental illness, and substance abuse. Defenders of Children provides ongoing training to ensure that all members of our team, lawyers and non- lawyers alike, are best positioned to address our diverse clients’ needs.
Required Skills:
- Either (1) Active license to practice law in Arizona; or (2) If not licensed in Arizona, must commit to applying to waive into practice in Arizona after two years of bar licensure in any jurisdiction, under Rule 38(d), Ariz. R. Sup. Ct. (Applicants who have recently sat for the Bar Exam and are pending admission are encouraged to apply, and they can work under the supervision of our Managing Attorney as a Law Clerk until they are licensed)
- Experience in the practice of family law in Arizona (Applicants who lack the requisite family law experience will be strongly considered if they can demonstrate a commitment to public interest legal work, especially in the areas of domestic violence or victims’ rights)
Fluency in Spanish is required for this position
- Desire to practice law in the public interest
- Demonstrated commitment to working with marginalized populations
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to work under pressure and problem-solve in urgent situations
Job Expectations:
Defenders of Children offers a wide range of legal and supportive services to our clients depending on their circumstances. The Intake Attorney’s role will consist of a combination of the following:
- Reviewing intake applications, which may involve in-depth review of the case docket and related documentary evidence (police reports, DCS records, etc.)
- Providing one-on-one consultations with clients
- Identifying cases that warrant additional legal services and presenting summaries of those cases to our litigation team
- Referring clients to other community partners and resources when the client has needs (both legal and non-legal) that others are better positioned to address
- Responding to non-case-specific inquiries from community partners and lay legal advocates
- Facilitating trainings and community information sessions about family law, orders of protection, and other relevant areas of interest
Defenders of Children does not have a billable hours requirement. In addition, due to the difficult nature of the work we perform, all staff, both lawyers and non-lawyers, are strongly encouraged to set and maintain boundaries to ensure a healthy work-life balance. However, the Intake Attorney will be required to contemporaneously log their time and will be expected to work a full forty hours every week.
Benefits:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Reimbursement for bar dues
- Accrued paid time off
- 12 paid holidays
- Paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s, as well as for voting, bereavement, and jury duty
- 8 weeks’ family medical and parental leave (unpaid, but with continued insurance coverage)
- Eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
- Collaborative and collegial work environment
Annual Starting Salary:
$85,000 - $90,000, depending on experience
Application Process:
Please send your resume, letter of interest, and list of three references to [email protected]. All applications will be held in strict confidence, and will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Expected start date is October 1, 2025.
Equal Opportunity Policy:
Defenders of Children is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
