Disability Rights Washington (DRW) seeks to hire an attorney in its Seattle office to advocate for people with intellectual, sensory, mental health, and physical disabilities across Washington.
Responsibilities:
The attorney will spend a significant amount of time educating individuals with disabilities about legal rights and self-advocacy strategies. The attorney will respond to calls and letters from individuals seeking assistance from DRW and will travel to facilities serving these individuals to provide in-person services. The attorney will provide services that empower people with disabilities to advocate for themselves through concise interviews, focused research, provision of information, referrals and advocacy tips, and development of informational publications. The attorney also will monitor, investigate and advocate for individuals and groups who are abused, neglected, or have had their civil rights violated. This position requires frequent travel throughout Washington State to monitor facilities and provide in-person technical assistance services. This position will not have a primary focus on litigation, but the attorney will from time to time work on systemic litigation brought by DRW.
Requirements:
DRW strives to be an inclusive and diverse organization. Therefore, attorneys with disabilities, diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, other protected classes, and bilingual fluency, in particular Spanish fluency, are all strongly encouraged to apply. DRW works to pursue justice on matters related to human and legal rights. We do this to further our mission, which is to advance the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities. Therefore, the ideal candidate has personal and professional experience working on behalf of marginalized communities generally or for people with disabilities specifically. This could, for example, be through civil rights advocacy or experience with the criminal justice system, civilly committed individuals, or immigrant rights. A law degree from an accredited school of law and current good standing with the Washington State Bar Association at the time of assuming the position are required. The attorney must be an organized, self-motivated professional who is able to work collaboratively with other DRW staff to engage in creative, multimodal advocacy strategies to achieve social justice for people with disabilities. The attorney may potentially supervise non-attorney staff, including legal interns. Strong research, writing, and oral communication skills are required.
About DRW:
DRW is a private nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities across Washington. DRW is 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 DRW, visit http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/.
To Apply:
Please send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and three reference contacts to the attention of Kaitlin Nicolls at Disability Rights Washington, 315 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 850, Seattle, WA 98104 or at kaitlinn@dr-wa.org. The first deadline for submissions is February 24, 2017. We would like to fill this position as soon as possible. Submissions will be accepted until the position is filled.
· Position Title: Attorney
· Company Name: Disability Rights Washington
· Location: Seattle (International District)
· Posted: January 26, 2017
· Job Function: See description
· Entry Level: pay commensurate with experience
· Education and Experience required: A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited school of law and a member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association at the time of assuming the position.
· Job Type: Full-time
