Staff Attorney

About the role

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) is the largest provider of civil legal services in Texas and one of the largest legal aid organizations in the country. Our attorneys serve low-income clients and communities across 68 counties in Texas, as well as migrant and seasonal farmworkers throughout Texas and six other southern states. We practice in more than 40 areas of civil law, including housing, consumer protection, domestic violence and family law, public benefits, employment, education, environmental justice, veterans advocacy, disaster recovery, and community economic development. Our work ranges from individual representation to complex litigation and systemic advocacy. We represent clients facing serious legal challenges, including tenants fighting to stay in their homes, workers seeking the wages they’ve earned, survivors seeking safety, families navigating public benefits and education systems, and communities working to overcome barriers and protect their rights.

Responsibilities

• Represent low-income clients in civil legal matters from intake through resolution.
• Conduct client interviews and investigations.
• Research and analyze complex legal issues.
• Draft pleadings, motions, briefs, discovery, transactional documents, and other legal materials.
• Negotiate with opposing counsel, government agencies, landlords, employers, creditors, and other parties.
• Represent clients in hearings, trials, administrative proceedings, and other contested matters.
• Develop litigation strategies and pursue affirmative and defensive litigation in state and federal court.
• Work with community organizations and other partners to identify legal needs and develop solutions.
• Conduct community legal education and outreach.
• Collaborate with attorneys and advocates across TRLA's practice areas.
• Manage a caseload while balancing competing priorities and deadlines.

Qualifications

• A J.D. from an accredited law school.
• A Texas law license, eligibility to waive into Texas, or the ability to pass the next available Texas Bar Exam.
• Strong legal research, writing, analytical, and oral advocacy skills.
• The ability to manage multiple cases and competing priorities.
• A willingness to learn new areas of law and take on challenging cases.
• Strong interpersonal and client communication skills.
• A demonstrated commitment to public interest law, legal aid, or serving communities with limited access to justice.
• A willingness to work collaboratively while taking responsibility for your own cases and projects.
• Spanish language proficiency is strongly preferred for many positions.
• Experience working with low-income clients, communities of color, rural communities, or other historically underserved populations is also valued.
• Prior legal aid experience is not required.
• We are interested in good lawyers who are ready to learn, willing to fight