Staff Attorney in Kansas City, Missouri at Legal Aid of Western Missouri

The Neighborhood Development Office of Legal Aid of Western Missouri is seeking a full-time attorney for its Paseo Office in Kansas City. In this role, you will serve as counsel to neighborhood associations to revitalize and strengthen Kansas City's neighborhoods. Your clients are the organizations closest to the ground, and your legal work directly advances blight remediation, affordable housing preservation, and community reinvestment. It is a chance to use a transactional and litigation practice to help neighborhoods reshape their own blocks. Because the work is rooted in the community, the role involves significant time in Kansas City neighborhoods, including local travel and some evening and weekend work.

Key Responsibilities

• Represent neighborhood associations and work with nonprofit community development corporations in real estate transactions that advance blight remediation, affordable housing preservation, and community reinvestment.
• Handle civil land-use litigation on behalf of community clients, including matters related to distressed and vacant property.
• Advise community partners on the legal aspects of targeted improvement initiatives, from acquisition and title issues through project completion.
• Draft and negotiate transactional documents such as purchase agreements, deeds, leases, and related real estate instruments.
• Build and maintain working relationships with neighborhood associations, community development corporations, and other local partners in the neighborhoods served.
• Work directly in and with Kansas City neighborhoods, including local travel and some evening and weekend availability for community meetings, outreach, and events.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the Neighborhood Development Office and Legal Aid to deliver high-quality, coordinated legal services.

Required Qualifications

The qualified candidate must have the following:

• Active Missouri Bar license or eligible for licensure in Missouri through reciprocity
• Computer proficiency
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Desire and commitment to assist in the delivery of high-quality legal assistance

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to speak a second language
• Courtroom experience
• Experience handling community development cases

Location

This role is an in-person role based in Legal Aid's Neighborhood Development office. Regular in-office attendance is the expectation for this role, and Legal Aid offers flexible work arrangements to support employees in maintaining schedules that enable them to perform at their best

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $71,750 - $106,400 on Legal Aid’s formal salary scale. Placement on the range will be based on factors such as years of relevant experience, budget, and internal equity. Employees who demonstrate fluency in a second language are eligible for an annual salary supplement of $3,600.

Legal Aid offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical Plans with PPO or HSA options
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• Long-Term Disability
• Accident Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical or dependent care
• Health Savings Accounts
• Paid CLE and Bar Dues
• Paid Time Off: Vacation, Sick, Personal and Holidays
• Qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
• Travel and parking reimbursement
• 401k and up to 3.5% employer match

Please submit your application, resume, and cover letter at http://www.lawmo.org/careers/current-openings.

LAWMO is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Those applicants requiring accommodation to the interview/application process should contact the Human Resources Department at?EEO@lawmo.org.