Staff Attorney | Housing Group

Austin

Posted 11/16/2022

$61000 - $83000 / year

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid seeks a Housing Attorney to represent low-income tenants facing eviction in Austin. The Housing Attorney will join an eviction defense project focused on representing tenants in the City of Austin and Travis County and ensuring that tenants are able to effectuate their rights under applicable tenant protections. TRLA operates one of the largest legal services programs in the country and is nationally recognized for high quality, zealous advocacy for its clients.  

Duties and responsibilities: 

  • Represent low-income tenants facing eviction by advising tenants of their rights under federal, state, and local laws; negotiate with landlords to resolve eviction cases; connect tenants to financial and other resources; and represent tenants in court. 

  • Maintain a full caseload of clients.  

  • Create and conduct Know Your Rights trainings to educate Austin tenants about protections against eviction and other housing practices – currently, those trainings will be virtual;  

  • Work with and support project paralegals in providing legal advice and limited representation.      

About Texas RioGrande Legal Aid: 

  • Founded in 1970 to represent Texas farmworkers, TRLA has grown into the nation’s second-largest legal aid provider and the largest in Texas. TRLA provides free civil legal services to residents in 68 Southwest Texas counties and represents migrant and seasonal farm workers throughout Texas and in six other southern states. TRLA also operates public defender programs that serve 10 Texas counties representing low-income people accused of felonies, misdemeanors, and juvenile crimes. With more than 185 attorneys, TRLA serves about 23,000 clients each year.   

  • TRLA has offices in Alpine, Austin, Beeville, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Edinburg, El Paso, Hallettsville, Harlingen, Mercedes, Nashville, Rio Grande City, San Antonio, Sinton, and Victoria.  

  • TRLA attorneys specialize in one or more practice area teams addressing important issues such as civil rights, criminal defense, denial of the ability to vote, defense of border wall acquisition, disaster assistance, environmental justice, housing rights, family violence, consumer rights, farm labor, international child abduction, access to benefits, sexual assault, LGBTQA+ issues, and employment discrimination. There are more than 45 teams in total. Attorneys often work on several teams and specialize in various areas of the law depending on their professional development goals. 

Compensation and benefits: 

  • Salary is commensurate with experience and includes an excellent fringe benefits package in addition to a law school loan repayment program.  

Qualifications and preferences: 

  • Must be licensed to practice law in Texas, able to waive into the Texas bar, or willing to take the next available bar exam. TRLA will accept UBE that will transfer the score to Texas  

  • Experience representing clients in court is preferred but not required. 

  • Preferred applicants have demonstrated an interest in providing justice to those who need it most, have strong academic credentials, and are functionally fluent in Spanish.  

Application process: 

  • Step Two -- Selected applicants will be contacted for a telephone interview, or an in-person interview depending on a variety of factors. 

  • Step Three -- Depending on the circumstances, some selected applicants will be invited to visit some specific TRLA offices and meet with staff, and tour the local community. TRLA will provide travel, accommodations, and food throughout the visit. 

  • Step Four -- Selected applicants will be offered a position.. 

TRLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.