Staff Attorney

Kids Matter Inc. is seeking a full-time staff attorney to serve low-income clients in need of civil legal aid. 

Responsibilities include: 

• Represent and advise clients in matters related to issues impacting children and kinship/foster families, including but not limited to:  safety, placement, permanency, legal guardianship, adoption, visitation, public benefits, SSI/SSDI, and education of foster/kinship youth.
• The Staff Attorney will have the opportunity to build relationships with community partners and participate in advocacy on the state and national levels.
• The Staff Attorney may supervise a law student or assist with pro bono attorney projects, depending on overall allocation of legal team duties.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated commitment to justice for low-income individuals and communities;
• A high degree of initiative and ability to manage a caseload, as well as provide occasional community outreach sessions and/or presentations on legal issues;
• Excellent written and verbal skills; ability to think creatively about clients’ legal issues;
• Experience working with low-income clients, victims of violence, or experience working with children and intergenerational families a plus.
• Member in good standing of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
• Demonstrated experience working with colleagues to find solutions to complex situations; ability to process information quickly and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Knowledge of child welfare and family court desired, but not required. 

Proficient Spanish speakers are strongly encouraged to apply.

Part-time and full-time applicants will be considered.  Full-time salary ranges from $65,000 to $80,000 depending on experience, plus benefits.  Benefits include health, dental, vision and short-term disability insurance, life insurance, employer funded Health Reimbursement Account; employee assistance programs and generous paid time off.

Kids Matter Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

About Us:

KIDS MATTER INC. was founded by kinship and foster families, social workers, and others who saw gaps in services for children who experienced abuse and/or neglect and the families who take them in to help them heal. KIDS MATTER INC. exists to open doors of promise and opportunity for foster and kinship children and their caregivers and all children impacted by crime. We help children heal and thrive. We do this by putting the needs of children first, building collaborative child-centered systems of support, and holding accountable those who fail to act in the best interests of children. We advocate for systemic improvements in child services. We build community partnerships, and our child-centered work has been recognized by agencies as diverse as the WI Department of Corrections to the Attorney General’s office, from the Public Defender’s office to the District Attorney’s office. Our programs, youth, volunteers, and staff have received numerous statewide awards.