Staff Attorney - Farmworker Rights Project

Iowa Legal Aid’s Farmworker Rights Project is recruiting a staff attorney. This statewide position will focus primarily on labor and employment issues faced by migrants, seasonal farmworkers, and temporary agricultural workers in Iowa under the H-2A visa program. Through outreach, education, and direct representation, our dynamic and collaborative farmworker rights team advocates for agricultural workers as they experience challenges related to low wages, workplace safety issues, substandard housing, sexual harassment and discrimination, and labor trafficking. The ideal applicant has a strong commitment to public service and is comfortable and competent practicing law in both English and Spanish.

Background

Founded in 1977, Iowa Legal Aid serves clients in all 99 counties through offices in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Mason City, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Waterloo.

Through free legal assistance and community legal education, Iowa Legal Aid brings hope, dignity, and justice to low-income and other vulnerable Iowans. Legal assistance at Iowa Legal Aid ranges from advice and brief service to full representation before administrative agencies and state and federal trial and appellate courts. In our diverse practice, we prioritize work involving housing, domestic violence, income maintenance, health care, individual rights, and consumer issues to help secure our clients’ most essential needs. Iowa Legal Aid attorneys appear in court frequently and serve clients out in the community through our expungement, pro se divorce, and ID clinics, as well as through targeted outreach events. Learn more about Iowa Legal Aid at www.iowalegalaid.org.

The Farmworker Rights Project provides civil legal assistance to low-income agricultural workers throughout Iowa. Our clients include migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families. Farmworkers face many legal problems related to their status as agricultural workers, including issues related to employment, wages, health and safety, housing, education, domestic abuse, harassment, and public benefits. The Farmworker Rights Project has a robust outreach presence during the summer months. Currently, farmworker project staff are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Des Moines. We seek to expand our physical presence in Western Iowa to increase contact with our client population. Iowa Legal Aid will consider more than one office to house this position. However, Western and Central Iowa geographic locations are strongly preferred.

Position: The farmworker rights staff attorney position involves providing a broad range of legal services to clients , including advice and brief service, as well as litigation at all levels, ranging from administrative to state and federal court, as well as direct outreach to farmworkers. In addition to legal representation, the attorney hired for this position will travel to areas where farmworkers live and work. The majority of outreach may occur on evenings or weekends during the summer months, although there are opportunities to conduct outreach year round.

Qualifications: Applicants must be law school graduates licensed to practice law in Iowa, be eligible for admission on motion, or be available for the next scheduled bar examination. Prior experience practicing in federal courts or with poverty law issues is preferred. Due to the composition of Iowa’s agricultural workforce, the ability to speak fluent Spanish is strongly preferred.

Opening/Closing Date: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Salary/Benefits: Entry level salary is $59,000. Non-entry level salaries depend on experience. Excellent fringe benefits are available, including a generous leave, insurance, and retirement package. Iowa is a great place to live and to work for a non-profit. See Looking at where to live in US? Consider Iowa, which ranked in top 10 best states in 2024

Applications: To apply, submit letter of application (including geographic preferences), resume, law school transcript (recent graduates only), recent representative writing sample, and the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least three professional references.

Excellent fringe benefits are available, including a generous leave, insurance, and retirement package.

The ability to speak fluent Spanish is strongly preferred.