POSITION: Michigan Advocacy Program (MAP) is seeking applicants for the position of Law Clerk for the Legal Services National Technology Assistance Project (LSNTAP). LSNTAP is a national program that helps nonprofit legal aid programs across the country improve client services through effective and innovative use of technology through providing technology training, hosting community forums, and serving as a clearinghouse for technological tools, policies, and strategies. MAP has a dedicated LSNTAP manager as well as other staff who collaborate regularly on projects. We are seeking a Law Clerk to be part of the LSNTAP team. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the planning and reinvigoration of this important national resource for legal aid programs. The LSNTAP Law Clerk will also work closely with several other departments within MAP, including the IT department and Michigan Legal Help.
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM: Michigan Advocacy Program (MAP) is founded on the belief that equal justice is a right, not a privilege. MAP’s mission is to advance the safety, independence, and economic stability of those most affected by poverty, racism, and other structurally oppressive systems by increasing access to justice and working for systemic solutions. MAP has provided civil legal aid for those unable to afford an attorney for more than 50 years. Today, MAP’s Legal Services of South Central Michigan (LSSCM) has five legal aid offices in south and central Michigan serving 13 counties. In addition to LSSCM, MAP manages six statewide programs serving immigrant communities (Michigan Immigrant Rights Center), vulnerable older adults (Michigan Elder Justice Initiative), victims of domestic violence and elder abuse (Crime Victims Legal Assistance Program), migrant and seasonal farmworkers (Farmworker Legal Services), providing training and litigation support to Michigan’s legal aid community (Michigan Poverty Law Program), and providing access to legal information to self-represented litigants (Michigan Legal Help Program). MAP has a staff of about 200 people in offices in Battle Creek, Detroit, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Monroe, and Ypsilanti. Visit miadvocacy.org for more information.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The LSNTAP Law Clerk’s role is to support and collaborate with the LSNTAP manager with the goal of improving the technology capacity (and therefore, operational efficiency and quality of services) of legal aid programs across the country through education, training, and technical assistance. Specific responsibilities include:
- Assisting the LSNTAP Manager in creating and cultivating rich and diverse training and educational resources that meet the needs of many different types of legal aid programs across the country
- Assisting the LSNTAP manager in engaging the legal services community to identify their legal needs, and to raise their awareness of and involvement in LSNTAP’s activities and in one another’s replicable technology projects
- Assisting the LSNTAP manager in providing technical assistance to legal aid programs encountering technology challenges, planning new technology-related projects, comparing options between technology vendors or solutions, and grappling with other technology issues
QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must have at least one year of law school completed by June 2023. It is helpful if applicants have a commitment to assisting underserved populations. Applicants must reside in the state of Michigan while working for MAP.
PAY: $15/hour
TO APPLY: Please complete this application and submit your resume and cover letter. You can also access the application by copying and pasting the following web address into your browser: https://miadvocacy.bamboohr.com/careers/57. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
The Michigan Advocacy Program is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.