Job o' the Day: EJW Fellow in Joplin, Missouri
By Lauren Forbes
The AmeriCorps Legal Fellows will serve in the Joplin office of Legal Aid providing direct legal services to low-income and elderly people affected by the devastating tornado that struck Joplin on May 22, 2011. Casework will include representing: tenants in eviction proceedings, buyers on contract for deed disputes, homeowners in foreclosure and other mortgage-related problems, victims of domestic violence in family law matters, consumers in contract and debt cases, and individuals in guardianship actions, beneficiary deeds, and other legal matters as they arise. In addition, the AmeriCorps Legal Fellows will increase student awareness of volunteer opportunities by recruiting at law schools and Missouri Southern State University’s paralegal program. The Fellows will collaborate with Legal Aid’s Volunteer Attorney Project (VAP) director to recruit and use new pro bono attorneys to represent eligible clients impacted by the storm. The AmeriCorps Legal Fellows report to the Managing Attorney in Joplin. Some local and overnight travel is required, including attendance at national conferences and training opportunities.
The Legal Aid AmeriCorps Legal Fellows in Joplin will:
- Provide legal representation to eligible clients who have been impacted by the May 22 tornado and its after-effects.
- Conduct outreach to increase service to hard-to-find client communities, such as immigrants and others unlikely to ask for help.
- Conduct “know your rights” outreach on prevalent legal problems.
- Recruit law students and paralegal students for volunteer opportunities.
- Recruit volunteer attorneys in conjunction with VAP to represent eligible clients to increase our impact in disaster relief legal services.
- Arrange practical training for students and attorneys, including collaborating with other community based organizations; and
- Act as a community resource for other organizations who wish to collaborate on solving the vast array of legal problems clients are facing in Joplin.
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