Eviction Defense Attorney
Eviction Defense Attorney
Date posted: July 1, 2026
Pay: $70,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year
About the role
The Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom (HCJF) is a nonprofit legal organization that enforces housing and workplace rights for low-wage workers. We believe that working people of all races and backgrounds will have the power and influence to ensure that everyone can live a full life free of abuse, exploitation, and poverty. It is the mission of HCJF to create opportunities for tenants and workers to learn and exercise their rights, realize their collective power, and develop the leadership skills necessary to advocate for a racially and economically just society.
Responsibilities
- Defend tenants against eviction lawsuits by asserting defenses (based on the warranty of habitability, reasonable accommodation, notice requirements, procedural defects, etc.) negotiating settlement agreements, and connecting tenants to resources that will keep them safe and housed.
- Try cases in court, craft legal pleadings, work to establish pro-tenant legal precedents.
- Collaborate with other legal aid organizations defending tenants and attend trainings to develop rigorous legal skills.
- Collaborate with interns, volunteers and fellow staffers.
Requirements
- Licensed in Missouri
- Able to work with diverse populations in crisis
- Manage a fast-moving caseload
Qualifications
- Experience and/or a second language proficiency is a major plus but not required
Skills
- Strong courtroom advocacy skills
- Ability to work with diverse populations in crisis
- Management of a fast-moving caseload
Benefits
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Retailer plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location
In person
Job Type
Full-time, in person position at our office located in Midtown Kansas City (Westport area), with frequent travel throughout Kansas City, MO and occasional travel to Springfield, MO and other cities where HCJF has active litigation. This position is non-exempt.
Equal Opportunity Employer
HCJF is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, gender identity, or gender expression.
Contact Information
Please submit your resume, a cover letter describing relevant experience and commitment to this work, and a list of no less than three references to: andrewzonoozi@jobsandfreedom.org.