Staff Attorney – Family Law

House of Ruth Maryland’s Domestic Violence Legal Clinic provides free legal services to survivors of intimate partner violence, helping them gain safety and independence from abusive partners.

About the role

The Staff Attorney – Family Law represents survivors in family-law proceedings across Maryland jurisdictions (Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County) and related civil matters such as protective-order cases. We seek an attorney with strong civil-litigation experience and a genuine passion for family law who wants to make a difference in the lives of survivors. HRM provides in-depth training and mentorship on trauma-informed advocacy and family-law practice specific to intimate-partner-violence cases.

Responsibilities

• Provide trauma-informed, client-centered legal representation to survivors of intimate-partner violence in protective-order and family-law matters, including related contempt, modification, and appellate proceedings.
• Conduct intake consultations, including abuse history, lethality assessment, safety planning, and referrals.
• Deliver prompt, compassionate service from initial contact through case resolution.
• Maintain current knowledge of relevant law and court procedure, and comply with all ethical and legal requirements for attorneys.
• Maintain client files and the Clinic’s database, and meet reporting requirements set by the Clinic Director and funders.
• Build relationships with courts, criminal-justice agencies, the legal community, and pro-bono partners to improve services for survivors.
• Represent the Clinic through community education, training, and speaking engagements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Licensed to practice law in the State of Maryland; able to pass a criminal background check.
• At least two years’ experience practicing intimate-partner violence, domestic relations, or criminal law, with strong courtroom advocacy on behalf of survivors.
• Demonstrated ability to litigate civil protective orders and related contempts, modifications, and appeals, and to handle increasingly complex family-law/IPV cases.
• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.

Skills

• Current knowledge of family law, criminal law, and court procedure.
• Strong writing, time management, and multitasking abilities in a fast-paced environment.
• Computer literate (MS Word, email, internet).
• Ability to build effective working relationships across diverse clients, staff, and community members, and to travel among HRM and courthouse offices.
• Spanish language preferred but not required.