[blindlaw] FW: [DRBA] Attorney Position at Disability Rights Connecticut (CT P&A)

Tue Apr 30 19:17:00 UTC 2019

fyi

From: Disability Rights Bar Association <DRBA at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> On Behalf Of Kasey Considine
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2019 10:05 AM
To: DRBA at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [DRBA] Attorney Position at Disability Rights Connecticut (CT P&A)

Hi everyone,

Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) is hiring a staff attorney. The application deadline is May 31, so please feel free to share widely :)

I’ve attached a PDF with the job description, a link to the website https://www.disrightsct.org/job-openings and have included the information below. 

Thank you!

JOB OPENINGS

Staff Attorney -  <https://www.disrightsct.org/s/AttyJobDescription42919.pdf> Click here for the position in a .pdf format

The Staff Attorney advocates on behalf of children and adults with disabilities. This position reports to the Legal Director of Disability Rights Connecticut, Inc. (“DRCT”).  This is a full time position.

About DRCT

Disability Rights Connecticut, Inc. (“DRCT”) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the civil and human rights of persons with disabilities in Connecticut. DRCT’s mission is to advocate, educate, investigate and pursue legal, administrative, and other appropriate remedies to advance and protect the civil rights of citizens with disabilities to participate equally and fully in all facets of community life in Connecticut. DRCT is a statewide organization authorized by federal law and funded by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and Social Security Act and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The responsibilities of the person in this position will include:

*      Individual and systemic advocacy or representation to ensure protection of the rights of eligible clients in formal and informal legal and administrative proceedings, including conducting client and other interviews, identifying issues, determining course of action, developing and implementing appropriate legal strategies both within DRCT and with outside counsel, negotiating solutions to problems, and/or encouraging self-advocacy, when appropriate. Emphasis of this position will be on systemic advocacy so as to benefit the most individuals.

*      Supervise advocates with oversight from the Legal Director.

*      Analyze existing cases and other complaints and materials to determine if they present systemic issues which may be appropriate for DRCT to address systemically, and, with the Legal Director, formulate broad strategies for their prevention, reduction, elimination or promotion. This includes significant participation in developing and conducting class action litigation in state and federal court, and the use of media and other strategies in support of such litigation.

*      Analyze existing cases and other situations to determine if they present systemic issues which may be appropriate for DRCT to address, and, with the Legal Director, formulate strategies for their prevention, reduction or elimination.

*      Work with outside counsel to develop and act as co-counsel in class action and systemic impact litigation.

*      Act in accordance with identified mission, priorities and goals of DRCT.

*      Consult with professionals such as attorneys, physicians, psychologists, therapists, educators, and others to identify options and barriers for individuals and groups and prepare cases for litigation.

*      Assist people with disabilities in advocacy and systems change efforts.

*      Create and participate on task forces, coalitions and committees as assigned, as well as conduct training and outreach activities.

*      Supervise advocates, assist with facility monitoring, address allegations or complaints of abuse and neglect from people with disabilities, family members, friends or other concerned parties in state and private facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and community facilities.

*      Maintain accurate, confidential files that document legal services provided.

*      Assist in preparing reports to funding sources.

*      Maintain accurate time records and client records, including accurate use of the Disability Advocacy Database (DAD), which is necessary for DRCT to meet its programmatic and fiscal responsibilities, and to obtain prevailing party attorney fees when appropriate.

*      Perform related tasks consistent with skills, abilities, and general responsibilities as required to support DRCT.

*      Travel throughout Connecticut and outside Connecticut as necessary to perform assigned job tasks.

Minimum qualifications for this position include:

*      Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school or other law school approved by the Connecticut Supreme Court.

*      Active Connecticut law license or at least five years’ practice while admitted to the bar of another state.(Admission to the Connecticut Bar within 12 months of employment is required and is the responsibility of the applicant)

*      A minimum of five 5 years of substantial litigation experience (or significant experience in class action civil rights or disability law litigation) representing plaintiffs. Legal clerkships may be counted as up to one year of litigation experience.

*      Ability to take a lead role in case planning and management.

*      A demonstrated ability to handle routine and complex litigation in state and federal courts

*      Experience in working with and for people with disabilities.

*      Knowledge of the disability services system in Connecticut.

*      Excellent oral and written communication skills.

*      Ability to work efficiently, independently and collaboratively. Demonstrated interest and commitment to public interest law.

The Staff Attorney should also demonstrate competence in the following:

*      Behave ethically

*      Support diversity

*      Build relationships

*      Communicate effectively

*      Focus on client needs

*      Demonstrate professionalism

*      Make decisions

*      Organize priorities, work, progress, data and activities

*      Work collaboratively, including with outside counsel employed by other organizations

*      Solve problems

DISCLAIMER

This position description serves as a general summary and overview of the major duties and responsibilities of the job. It is not intended to represent the entirety of the job nor is it intended to be all-inclusive. Management reserves the right to modify, or rescind, this position description at any time, with or without prior notice.

TO APPLY

Applications must include: (a) a letter expressing your interest in the position, your qualifications, and how you might contribute to the future of DRCT; (b) a current resume including the names and contact information of three references.

Materials should be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Applications must be emailed to Catherine Cushman, DRCT Legal Director, by 4:00 PM on May 31, 2019. Her email address is  <mailto:Catherine.Cushman at disrightsct.org> Catherine.Cushman at disrightsct.org.

**************************************

DRCT is a fair employment practices/equal opportunity/disability accessible employer committed to maintaining a diverse workplace. We value diversity of culture, disability and other life experiences and are an equal opportunity employer by choice. Qualified candidates from diverse personal, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. DRCT also complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.

Job Type: Full-time

Updated 4/2/2019

Kasey Considine

Pronoun: she/her

Staff Attorney

(860) 297-4300 ext. 113

 <mailto:Kasey.Considine at disrightsct.org> Kasey.Considine at disrightsct.org

 <http://www.disrightsct.org> Disability Rights Connecticut

846 Wethersfield Ave.

Hartford, CT 06114

Telephone: (860) 297-4300 (voice) | (800) 842-7303 (toll-free CT) | (860) 509-4992 (videophone)

Fax: (860) 296-0055

FRAGRANCE FREE: Disability Right Connecticut (DRCT) is a Fragrance Free Environment. Thank you for not using cologne, aftershave lotion, perfume, perfumed hand lotions, perfumed deodorants and/or other similar products when coming to the office or attending DRCT sponsored events.

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information contained in this electronic message is confidential and solely for the use of the recipient(s) and Disability Rights Connecticut. Its contents may be protected from disclosure by attorney-client privilege, the work-product doctrine, or federal law governing confidentiality of information held by the Protection and Advocacy system. See, e.g., 45 C.F.R. sec. 1326.28; 42 U.S.C. 10806(a); 42 C.F.R. 51.45(a). Please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. 

REMINDER: The DRBA listserv is intended to facilitate open discussion and sharing of ideas. Members need to feel confident that their discussions will not be distributed beyond the group unnecessarily. PLEASE CONSULT WITH THE SENDER(S) BEFORE FORWARDING ANY LISTSERV DISCUSSIONS BEYOND THE DRBA GROUP. 
DONATE: The DRBA is a valuable free resource to its members. But the DRBA does have expenses for management, web and listserv services. PLEASE DONATE TODAY any amount you wish Online at http://GiveToSU.com Select “Burton Blatt Institute Fund” from the “My gift is designated to” drop down menu and indicate “DRBA” in the “Gift is to be used for” box. 
BRIEF BANK: Are you sharing briefs, interrogatories, decisions or other non-confidential resources on this listserv? ARCHIVE them for all present and future members by logging in to the DRBA website, going to the MEMBERS AREA and selecting ONLINE DOCUMENT DATABASE for further instructions. Contact DRBA-Law at law.syr.edu <mailto:DRBA-Law at law.syr.edu>  for login credentials and related help. 

 <http://disabilityrights-law.org>  <https://www.facebook.com/DRBALaw>  <https://twitter.com/DRBALaw> 

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 10648 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190430/445462fe/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: AttyJobDescription4.29.19.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 474864 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190430/445462fe/attachment.pdf>