Attorney - Community Integration/Healthcare Special Projects

POSITION TITLE:                                  Community Integration/Healthcare Special Projects

                                                            Attorney

REPORTS TO:                                       Supervising Attorney

SUPERVISES/CO-SUPERVISES:             None

FLSA EXEMPTION STATUS:                  Exempt

UNION-ELIGIBLE:                                Yes

NEW OR UPDATED:                             Updated

UPDATED:                                           August 2019

Position Summary

The CI/Healthcare Special Projects Attorney is responsible for receiving rights violations complaints, providing legal services and determining eligibility for Disability Rights Texas client services within agency policies and priorities – as it generally relates to the assigned team.  This includes interviewing clients, reviewing records, conducting legal research, negotiating outcomes, and representing clients in administrative hearings and in state and federal judicial proceedings.  This position provides legal assistance, direction and supervision of the Advocate’s case work, when appropriate.  The Issue Team Attorney also provides education and training sessions about the legal rights of people with disabilities for people with disabilities, parents, advocates, and professionals/service providers and the community. 

This attorney position is solely funded by a 2-year time limited contract beginning September 1, 2019, that is subject to specific terms imposed upon the organization relegating its operations. As such, the continuation of this position’s availability past the duration of this funding is not guaranteed.  Staff in this position are in the individual Special Time Limited Project workgroup.

Physical/Mental Requirements

1. Uses personal computer approximately 6-7 hours per day.
2. Uses telephone and email to communicate with clients and other professionals, approximately 3-5 hours per day.
3. Spends approximately 1-6 hours in meetings up to several days per week.
4. Sits approximately 6-7 hours per day.
5. Requires working under a moderate degree of stress (time constraints; deadlines; multi-tasking high-level projects and issues; complex issues; and conflict resolution).
6. Moderate travel, generally within a region of Texas, is required (40%).

Essential Functions

1. Provide legal services and advice to students with disabilities and their parents which may include legal advocacy, negotiation, mediation, litigations and handling of administrative and court proceedings.
2. Respond to requests for assistance and determines eligibility for services. 
3. Provide direction and technical assistance to Advocates, when appropriate. 
4. Implement agency's client services policies and procedures regarding client interviews, case records, investigations, case advocacy and case files. 
5. Develops and/or maintains ongoing caseload within the level established by the agency's client services policies and procedures and meets expectations for litigation.
6. Provide technical assistance on an on-going basis to private attorneys representing students with disabilities
7. Develop materials for and conducts a selected number of education and training (E&T) presentations on Disability Rights Texas's services and legal rights issues.

8. Conduct outreach in the El Paso/Hudspeth Metropolitan to 1) identify underserved Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities to maintain Medicaid benefits so that they may remain in the community; and 2) facilitate enrollment of eligible persons with disabilities into appropriate Medicaid programs to allow them to move into or remain in the community.

1. Conceptualize case strategies and develops case work based on proper legal concepts and established precedents.  Is creative in finding solutions and reaching outcomes. 
2. Maintain effective communications.
3. Travel as needed to provide services.
4. Appropriately prioritize tasks as needed and to multi-task numerous responsibilities in a timely manner. 
5. Establish personal credibility throughout and outside the organization, in order to be an effective partner and advisor.
6. Effectively and regularly communicate with employees, clients, and the public at the individual, team and organizational levels.
7. Maintain thorough and complete records.
8. Develop and maintain collaborative, cooperative relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including clients, the community, and employees at all levels of the organization.
9. Apply the principles of the organization’s vision and values in all work-related business and interactions.
10. Perform other duties as requested or required.

Required Qualifications

1. Law Degree plus Texas Law License.
2. A minimum of three (3) years previous related experience, legal or otherwise, preferably working with persons with disabilities. 

3. Bilingual in English/Spanish – both written and spoken word

1. Demonstrated legal skills including the ability to develop and evaluate facts and apply knowledge to client outcomes; the ability to analyze and apply legal rules and principles in order to develop case strategies; the ability to conduct legal research and apply information to case strategy; the ability to conduct an investigation and gather all pertinent facts; and being able to form logical and legal conclusions from the information.
2. Demonstrated effective written and oral communication skills including the articulation of well thought out arguments; drafting complaints, briefs, memorandums of law and other pleadings; conducting depositions and other discovery methods; engaging in negotiations and settlement discussions; writing demand letters and other correspondence.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of complex state and federal rights protection statutes, laws and regulations related to the education of students with disabilities.
4. Awareness and knowledge of problems experienced by persons with disabilities in public schools.
5. Ability and willingness to travel regularly, including overnight trips, and travel to rural communities.
6. Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and collaboration skills to be able to work effectively with others inside and outside of the organization.  
7. Demonstrated public speaking skills to conduct education and training sessions.
8. Comply with organizational standards regarding legal case development and management
9. Maintain licensure to practice law in Texas
10. Proven ability to lead, mentor and train others.
11. Experience working with county and state government entities.
12. The ability to take direction and independently follow through on all instructions.
13. The ability to create collaboration among stakeholders and other disability groups. 
14. Excellent detail-orientation, follow-up skills and organizational skills plus the ability to multi-task and work under challenging conditions while meeting deadlines.
15. Demonstrated ability to manage workload so services are delivered timely and appropriately. 
16. Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and ability to quickly learn to use legal case management software (LegalFiles).
17. High level of commitment to service excellence, plus high degrees of integrity, ethics and judgment are a must.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Direct healthcare experience such as prior practice in the medical field
2. Demonstrated knowledge of human physiology, medications, and medical terminology.
3. Ability to critically interpret, review, analyze, and summarize medical records using nursing experience and knowledge, particularly nursing and physician assessments, vital signs, lab reports, diagnostic test results, and nursing and physician progress notes.