Job Description
based on years of relevant experience
Employment and Trafficking Staff Attorney: Join the dynamic and committed team at Farmworker Legal Services (FLS) in Kalamazoo, Michigan as a bilingual (Spanish/English) staff attorney. This position will focus on farmworkers' trafficking and employment cases, collaborating with community partners to provide civil legal services to migrant and seasonal agricultural workers throughout Michigan.
H1: Employment and Trafficking Staff Attorney at Farmworker Legal Services in Kalamazoo, Michigan
H2: Bilingual Staff Attorney Position at Farmworker Legal Services in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Organization: Farmworker Legal Services (FLS)
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Department: MAP Farmworker Legal Services
Employment Type: Full time
Salary: Starting at $63,672 based on years of relevant experience
Benefits: Generous benefits package including health, vision, dental, and retirement plans, as well as a generous leave policy and eligibility for loan repayment assistance.
Job Description:
- Provide civil legal services to migrant and seasonal agricultural workers in Michigan, with a focus on farmworkers' trafficking and employment cases. - Collaborate with local and national community partners engaged in anti-trafficking and farmworker advocacy. - Union supported position with a flexible remote work schedule option. - Must be licensed to practice law in Michigan, qualify for admission by waiver, or able to take the next available bar exam in Michigan. - Prior experience or a demonstrated commitment to advocating in low-income or immigrant communities. - Willingness to occasionally work a flexible schedule, including travel and evening or weekend outreach. - Demonstrated success working effectively in teams with diverse identities. - Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills. - Committed to social, racial, and economic justice and FLS's mission.
Required Qualifications:
- Must be licensed to practice law in Michigan, qualify for admission by waiver, or able to take the next available bar exam in Michigan. - Prior experience or a demonstrated commitment to advocating in low-income or immigrant communities. - Willingness to occasionally work a flexible schedule, including travel and evening or weekend outreach. - Demonstrated success working effectively in teams with diverse identities. - Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills. - Committed to social, racial, and economic justice and FLS's mission.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience litigating at state or federal levels. - Working knowledge in employment and labor law, farmworker advocacy, or legal services. - Spanish and English communication skills. - Proficiency in Haitian Creole or indigenous languages native to Mexico or Central America. - Familiarity with or interest in learning immigration laws and labor-based immigration relief. - Demonstrated success working effectively in teams and independently to meet multiple deadlines. - Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Description of Organization:
Farmworker Legal Services (FLS) is the statewide division of the **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW*** (MAP) that fights for justice and dignity alongside the farmworker community through systemic, multi-forum legal advocacy, community engagement, and direct legal representation. FLS provides a full range of civil legal services to Michigan's eligible population of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, prioritizing cases related to wage theft, trafficking, discrimination, sexual harassment, workplace health and safety, housing, civil rights, and labor-based immigration relief. MAP has been providing civil legal aid to those unable to afford an attorney for over 50 years and has a staff of about 220 people in offices throughout Michigan.
Benefits:
- Starting salary of $63,672 based on years of relevant experience. - Generous benefits package including health, vision, dental, and retirement plans. - Flexible work schedule and remote work options. - Generous leave policy and eligibility for loan repayment assistance. - Qualifying employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. - Unionized program.
Location:
The position is based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a college town in southwest Michigan with its own airport. Kalamazoo is located 35 miles east of Lake Michigan, 50 miles from Grand Rapids, and 2 hours from Chicago and Detroit. Kalamazoo also offers the Kalamazoo Promise, a scholarship program for students who graduate from Kalamazoo Public Schools.
To Apply:
To apply, please complete the application and submit your resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please describe your level of Spanish competency and how your personal background or experiences have prepared you to work effectively alongside diverse colleagues and the farmworker community. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
The **MEMBERS ONLY**SIGN UP NOW*** is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
