Staff Attorney (Bilingual-Arabic)

Life Span empowers survivors of domestic and sexual violence to demand safety as a human right through client-centered services and leads social change through accountability, community engagement, and systemic advocacy.

Life Span is hiring an Arabic speaking bilingual staff attorney with 0-5 years of experience to join our Family Law team at our Chicago Loop office location or alternately, at the Life Span Des Plaines office.

Life Span is a nationally known leader in the provision of services to victims of violence and their children. Our comprehensive services include criminal court advocacy representation in civil protective order cases, expert representation in family law cases, and counseling for survivors and their children. Our work encompasses such issues as immigration, employment issues, sexual assault civil no contact orders, the effects of trauma on clients and their children, teen dating violence, and the criminalization of survivors. Our agency has two sites, and services are available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Polish and Arabic. All services are free of charge. Our agency provides national leadership in policy work and systemic advocacy, and our staff has trained advocates, lawyers, judges, counselors and other professionals in Illinois and across the country on critical issues and innovative practices.

Life Span values staff who reflect the communities we serve-in strengths, backgrounds and lived experiences. It is essential that our staff an leadership reflect the communities that we serve.

Position Summary: The staff attorney will assist survivors with their domestic relations (divorces) or parentage (unmarried couples) cases. The attorney will gain invaluable experience in negotiations, settlement conferences, litigation (including drafting, depositions, discovery, pretrial conferences, as well as contested hearings and trials). Responsibilities include civil representation in orders of protection, family law and civil no contact orders for clients with domestic violence and/or sexual assault issues. The attorney will work with counseling and advocacy staff to provide a coordinated response to clients’ needs. The staff attorney will participate in systemic advocacy and policy reform.

• In-house and external training and CLE’s are encouraged at the start of employment and throughout tenure at Life Span.
• Mentorship and guidance are given to all staff attorneys, especially to entry-level attorneys.

Hybrid Remote Position: This is a hybrid remote position following a period of onboarding and orientation training.

Qualifications:

o Licensed to practice law in Illinois.

o 0-5 years of relevant legal experience.

o Experience working with domestic violence victims in family law cases.

o Public interest law experience including hearing or trial experience.

o Arabic language skill at the bilingual level is required for this position.

Location and Hours: The Bilingual Arabic Staff Attorney position is a full-time 40 hours/week position. This position may be based in either the Chicago office or in the Des Plaines office per applicant preference. If a Des Plaines based office is preferred, regular travel to the Chicago office and Chicago courthouses will be required to attend court dates, in-person client appointments, and legal meetings.

Chicago Office Accessibility:

Life Span offices are steps away from the CTA El station pink line, orange, and green lines, and also accessible via the Metra railway, Union or Ogilvie stations.

Des Plaines Office Accessibility:

Life Span is located in downtown Des Plaines, steps away from the METRA station, and accessible via the Blue Line/Pace transit. Des Plaines is a Northwest Chicago suburb, near O’Hare, Park Ridge, Mount Prospect, Norridge, and Arlington Heights suburbs. Free building parking is available.

Life Span values staff as our most important resource, we offer a competitive salary and generous benefits. Starting salary is $70,000 commensurate with experience. Bilingual staff may receive an additional $2,000 per year. Benefits include generous PTO and holidays, Summer Fridays, life/disability insurance; 403b plan, health, dental, vision insurance, pre-tax public transit, FSA and DCA benefit plans and an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP).

Loan Forgiveness Benefit: Life Span is a qualifying employer for the federal PSLF program.

Arabic language skill at the bilingual level is required for this position.