Legal Aid Careers in Chicago: Opportunities and Insights
Everything You Need to Know About Legal Aid Jobs
Legal aid organizations are vital components of the justice system, helping to fill the enormous access to justice gap experienced by low-income and vulnerable populations. They provide legal services to those in need while pursuing reforms in the areas of community education, policy, and regulation. In this way, legal aid groups serve to redress individual wrongs while also strengthening the civil and criminal justice systems. Legal aid organizations in Chicago are no exception. Around the metropolitan area, legal aid groups serve as an essential lifeline to those unable to afford legal representation. Through direct services and a variety of law student training programs, these entities accomplish important ends while also providing their employees with a wealth of professional development opportunities. Working in a legal aid organization is a chance to litigate alongside seasoned lawyers, gain experience in various practice areas, and develop valuable legal research and writing skills. While the role of legal aid attorneys can vary greatly from organization to organization , legal aid careers also necessitate a willingness to assume an array of non-attorney duties. These tasks may include any number of administrative activities such as performing data entry or filing forms, meeting with docket facilitators or clerks, and exploring client benefits eligibility. When housed within larger organizations such as universities or hospitals, legal aid entities may require that their staff plan and coordinate inter-office trainings. Sometimes formed from teams of paralegals and law students, clinical programs must similarly train their participants, replete with conducting job readiness exercises, introducing clients to lawyers, and maintaining office systems used to track the progress of pending cases. Attorneys embarking on a career in legal aid will likely be housed within a clinical program or a legal services organization. Regardless of the type of institution, however, most law students report that their legal aid experiences greatly help them learn the practice of law, as well as develop important professional skills such as networking, relationship building, and institutional outreach.
Positions Available in Legal Aid Chicago
The range of positions within legal aid jobs in Chicago are vast and varied, and are typically filled through an organization’s online job portal. Analyzing Chicago legal aid job descriptions can give you a wealth of information on available roles in the sector. Below are some examples of the specific titles and types of work available:
Experienced litigation attorneys – this is someone with a strong background in litigation and preferably several years of experience working within a litigation area.
Advocacy writers – a job in advocacy writing is often something that requires a strong academic background in writing and policy analysis.
Caseworkers – this is often a specific role that handles a particular type of case. A caseworker should have a strong understanding of the particular subject-matter of the case.
Paralegals – many paralegals are needed as there is often a load of procedural and communications oriented work that is needed in legal aid organizations.
Office workers – often legal aid offices are non-profit and operate like a regular corporation does, meaning they need support staff to manage the daily operations.
Directors – directors are high-level staff, typically found in larger organizations and overseeing the direct operations of the legal aid organization.
Qualifications and Skills for Legal Aid Positions
To apply for legal aid jobs in Chicago, one must typically possess a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school in the United States. Alternatively, foreign-educated candidates with an LLM may be considered. Additionally, licensure by the Illinois Bar is generally required, though exemplary candidates without licensure may be considered depending on particular circumstances. Students nearing completion of their JDs or LLMs are welcome to apply for many positions, including clerkships.
In terms of experience, legal aid employers are often willing to consider entry-level or recent law school graduates for many positions, including clerkships. For staff positions, particularly those related to advocacy, pro bono attorneys and those with three to five years of experience in the field are ideal candidates. Successful applicants should exhibit devotion to the mission and goals of the organization, as well as a strong interest in serving low-income and traditionally marginalized communities in the Chicago area.
Strong research and writing skills are essential for any legal aid attorney, and computer proficiency in Microsoft Office and case management software programs is a plus for staff positions. Applicants are required to submit a writing sample with their cover letters and resumes; this should generally be a short bench memo or other legal writing sample.
Apply Now for Legal Aid
When applying for legal aid opportunities in Chicago, it is important to first identify potential employers. The Legal Aid and Defender Association of Michigan offers a Legal Aid Network, which lists working legal aid programs across the country. The American Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association websites both list legal aid organizations. (The Chicago Bar Foundation also provides additional information.) Once you identify an organization of interest, visit its website and review the entire site, especially the "About Us" and "Careers" pages. If it is a large organization, you may be able to find an attorney recruitment page. You can also sign up for email alerts or follow the organization on social media for alerts on new position announcements. In addition to looking at national programs, you should also consider local legal aid organizations such as the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Chicago Legal Aid Foundation, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and volunteer programs at local law schools.
Once you have identified a position of interest, prepare application materials and submit those materials in a timely fashion. Read the position description carefully so that you can address specific qualifications in your application. Include a thoughtful cover letter explaining your qualifications and why you are specifically interested in working at that organization. You should also consider including a sample legal writing. When possible, follow any application instructions set out by your potential employer. Some legal aid programs accept online applications.
Be aware that competition for legal aid positions is considerable. Some applicants go through many interviews before actually landing a position. Try not to get discouraged – remember that your diligence and persistence will eventually pay off. Keep in mind that the interview process is not one-sided. You should also use interviews to determine whether the organization is a good fit for you. Before the interview, it may be helpful to review the organization’s website and materials and be prepared to ask several questions about the organization and position.
All not-for-profit and government agencies are encouraged to interview from 12 to 15 candidates for every position. If your resume is strong, you may be invited for an interview.
Legal Aid Work in Chicago and its Impact
In addition to the intellectual stimulation and experience gained through working in legal aid, there is also an understanding that what you do makes a difference for the people you are trying to help. It is not uncommon to hear Circuit Court judges say that they want to take the pro bono attorneys aside and thank them for making a difference in the lives of their clients. Legal aid lawyering is not always about the law, but it is about the people you are serving. Recently, during a recent training for new Illinois bar applicants, a young man gave a beautiful description of the pro bono work he does – whether at a domestic violence clinic or through a bar association – as "bonding with fellow Americans."
My husband is from Norway, and I still remember his reaction to seeing a Star Wars movie shortly after moving here to Chicago . At the end of the movie, Chewbacca is heartbroken at being left alone again after losing the Korean War. As he howls at the loss, my husband, who had never seen a "spaghetti" western before, said, "This movie is not called "Star Wars" – it is called a "Star ‘Conflict’!"
While I realize my husband was joking and engaging in a bit of exaggeration, there is a kernel of truth to that. Many lawyers get into this profession because of a desire to help those who otherwise can’t get representation. We want to make "conflicts" more beautiful in a country where the rule of law is aspired to. And as Judge Easterbrook once wrote, citing Frederick Schauer, "Without the rules of law, we have only the conflicts of men." Legal aid helps make those conflicts more beautiful, and helps ensure that those who have the most to lose are represented in that process.
Challenges and Rewards of Working in Legal Aid
Like many jobs in the legal services field, working for a legal aid organization has its challenges. Those who work in legal settings have to manage the stress of long hours and high caseloads, and experience emotional pressure when confronted by clients facing difficult and often times traumatic situations. Many legal aid attorneys have reported feeling manipulated, disillusioned, and powerless to help their clients as a result of the extreme poverty their clients are attempting to escape. Nevertheless, morale tend to be high in legal aid offices, and employees report that the work is meaningful and rewarding. Legal aid attorneys are particularly fond of the opportunities they have for professional development and on-the-job learning. From the vantage point of experienced legal aid workers, they have the opportunity to work on high-impact pro-bono projects that they would not otherwise be able to do as sole practitioners, and they find working with other incredible legal professionals to be a huge plus. Legal aid organizations also allow attorneys the flexibility and professional independence to choose areas of practice they care about while giving them the support, resources, and training necessary to become effective advocates.
Getting Help: Resources for Legal Aid Careers
For those who are considering a career in legal aid, the following resources may provide valuable insights and networking opportunities:
The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) – The CBF has been serving the public through the civil legal aid community in Chicago for more than 70 years. The CBF’s resources, including up-to-date legal aid job listings, are contract attorneys, law students and recent grads to find the right fit for their commitment to public service law.
The Grant Funders of Chicago – Many legal aid organizations rely on public and private funding. Having an understanding of the funders in your area is important, and the Grant Funders of Chicago provides a primer on legal aid foundation and other grant funders in the city.
The Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) – The PILI offers a variety of programs including summer internships , pro bono opportunities, scholarships for students attending Illinois law schools, and fellowships to train new attorneys and make a critical contribution to closing the access to justice gap.
Legal Aid Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (LAFCM) – The LAFCM is a leader in providing legal services to low income residents of the city and nearby suburbs and includes information on education, judicial and other internship opportunities.
Law Students – The Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section offers members below 36 years of age a number of networking opportunities and online education options. The Young Lawyers Section also provides Chicago-area law students with access to Chicago attorneys for a variety of events. Joining the general lawyers listings for the Chicago Bar allows for contact with other public service practitioners in the area.