Staff Attorney / Welfare Law Unit

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) is committed to fair employment practices. We are proud to employ a staff with the cultural and linguistic competency to work within a variety of communities. 

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) seeks to hire a staff attorney with 0 to 5 years of legal experience to join our Welfare Law Unit (WLU). The WLU uses a range of legal advocacy to enforce legal rights to cash welfare benefits, food assistance and childcare benefits. The WLU’s legal advocacy includes direct representation of individual clients and their families; systemic administrative advocacy directed at targeted state and federal agencies; class action and other impact lawsuits; and legislative advocacy campaigns to expand, improve, and defend income, food, and childcare programs. The WLU's clients include parents with children and single adults with disabilities. Many of our clients have experienced domestic violence or other traumas, have disabilities and/or children with disabilities, are unhoused, and are immigrants.  

Core Responsibilities: 

• Provide high-quality direct representation and manage caseload involving cash assistance benefits; SNAP food assistance benefits; subsidized childcare; and disability and language access rights within these programs.
• Provide services to culturally and linguistically diverse clients in an inclusive, respectful, and trauma-informed manner.
• Specific tasks include written and oral advocacy, legal and other research, communicating effectively with clients, attention to detail, and documenting case work in the client's GBLS case record.
• Engage in the WLU’s systemic advocacy, including using individual cases to promote systemic change. 
• Depending on years of experience, may supervise staff attorneys, paralegals, legal interns and volunteers as needed.

Qualifications:  

• Law degree and admission to the Massachusetts bar, or eligible for admission.  
• 0 to 5 years legal experience. 
• Ability to work effectively and inclusively with diverse clients in an accessible manner.  
• Strong written and oral communication skills.  
• Demonstrated capacity to analyze and work with complex materials.  
• Prior relevant experience is preferred, including experience with welfare law or another area of administrative law, or prior work in legal services or other social justice organizations. Lived experience with poverty and/or navigating safety net systems is also recognized.
• Ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines. 
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with other advocates, staff and community partners. 
• Preferred, but not required: fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole or another language prevalent among our clients.  

At GBLS, we recognize our strength comes from the unique contributions of each team member. We invite candidates from all walks of life and backgrounds to apply.