Description

WHO WE ARE
TeamChild achieves impact through three main program strategies: civil legal services, community engagement, and policy advocacy. Our broad impact goals include (1) decriminalization, decarceration, and abolition, (2) expanding and investing in community-led and community-based alternatives and resources, (3) increasing equitable access to education, healthcare and housing supports, and (4) shifting power and repairing harm in BIPOC communities.

At the core of our work is our legal services program, which reaches youth 12-24 years old in four of Washington’s largest counties as well as youth incarcerated in our state’s juvenile prison and detention facilities. Our clients are youth and young adults entangled in our juvenile court and child welfare systems who deserve quality civil legal advocacy to achieve housing security, access education and employment, and get their basic health and other needs met. 

THE ROLE
TeamChild is seeking a full-time staff attorney in our Yakima County office. The Community Staff Attorneys in King, Pierce, Spokane, and Yakima counties work as part of a collaborative statewide team that is dedicated to youth-centered legal advocacy and working to continually reflect and improve our client services, office, and program practices. Primary job duties include providing holistic civil legal representation to youth who are involved in the juvenile court system or highly at risk for involvement. Advocacy involves breaking down legal barriers to a wide array of community-based services and support, prioritizing education and stable living situations, and including behavioral health care, postconviction (record sealing/restitution), and other civil rights issues. Activities include legal advice and/or representation in administrative or judicial proceedings, negotiations or other dispute resolution processes, advocacy in juvenile court in partnership with public defenders to promote alternatives to secure detention, and collaboration with and referrals to community providers. The staff attorney is also responsible for developing a network of local partnerships with social service programs, juvenile court staff, and community advocates/leaders. The attorney participates in other advocacy activities, including community training, outreach, and policy work on behalf of our client base.

An essential part of the role is to have multiple in-person (not virtual) contacts with clients, community partners, stakeholders, and other partners in your community on a weekly and monthly basis. That can include appearing at court hearings for clients, attending in-person community meetings, creating meeting opportunities with key partners, stakeholders, and resource providers, presenting trainings or outreach about our work, and other opportunities that allow for the community to know you as the community staff attorney, know our work at TeamChild, and for our staff to know and understand the nature of our collaborators and partners.

There is flexibility in this position for remote work from another location in Washington State or hybrid remote/work from our Yakima Office. This position involves regular travel to meet with clients and the community. If living elsewhere, traveling to Yakima would be at least weekly. Reimbursement for travel is
available. 

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Represent a full caseload of clients in a variety of civil legal needs;
  o This means 20-35 active cases, totaling 45 or more per year, unless litigation cases require a downward adjustment of total cases;
• Work effectively with youth and young adult clients ages 12 to 24, many of whom are impacted by juvenile court involvement and incarceration;
• Present cases competently in superior court, administrative hearings, juvenile court, and possibly federal court and appellate court;
• Comply with RPCs in providing high quality legal advice and representation;
• Develop content expertise in substantive areas of law that we regularly practice, including education, legal actions for housing stability, civil rights, juvenile/criminal law and procedure, post-conviction, access to services and public benefits, and Medicaid/health law;
• Maintain contemporaneous timekeeping in statewide electronic database on cases and community engagement work;
• Maintain coherent and clear electronic case files:
  o Including detailed notes of case and client activities and time spent in the case file;
  o Uploading all related documents, correspondence, records, and court paperwork to the legal file;
  o Updating the case file with new information, contact information, change of circumstances; and
  o Documentation of training, outreach, and community activities.
• Write retainer agreements on active representation and brief services cases with youth to ensure understanding and agreement of the scope of representation; and send closing correspondence when legal representation is completed;
• Work effectively with all program staff on case planning and representation, intakes, strategy development, community engagement and other projects;
• Close cases in a timely manner;
• Conduct intakes as needed to screen new referrals;
• Review other TeamChild attorney work and provide peer feedback;
• Co-counsel cases with other TeamChild staff;
• Conduct outreach and build relationships in community to better understand the needs of impacted community, build collective strategies, and understand resources available for clients;
• For client case work and community engagement, be physically present for 1-2 days per week in community or in the office for in-person connection;
• Provide substantive training on a variety of legal areas to youth, families, professionals, community members, and other lawyers;
• Provide professional consultation with other attorneys, service providers, or community who seek advice and support in the areas of youth law;
• Work on individual and collective policy advocacy areas as they are developed - local, county, and statewide (sometimes federal);
• Thoroughly review applicable funding contracts in order to work with team to understand deliverables and ensure compliance

Other Duties, Developed in Collaboration

• Participate in client storytelling aligned with organizational values.
• Participate in sharing issues/case examples to contribute to TeamChild’s policy advocacy work.
• Participate in internal work groups at TeamChild regarding budget, hiring, policies, retreats, and other internal functions and collective agency work.
• Other tasks may be assigned based on organizational needs, professional development opportunities, and the supervisor's request. 

IDEAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

We are seeking candidates who are committed to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression and are passionate about supporting young people. Candidates should work well both independently and as a team member, enjoy creative problem solving, and value the creation of relationships across disciplines.
Additional qualifications include:

• Member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association or eligible for reciprocity or limited admission to practice pending admission to the Washington State Bar Association;
• Must have a valid driver’s license and ability to travel throughout the county to meet client and agency needs (TeamChild provides mileage reimbursement or car rental options for travel);
• Must live and be authorized to work in Washington State and proximate to one of TeamChild’s offices;
• Exceptional legal skills, preferably in the relevant areas of law including school discipline/special education, public health care, public benefits, re-entry issues, delinquency, child welfare, or other areas of youth related law;
• Demonstrated competence working with young people, especially adolescents, and diverse people and communities;
• Compassion and empathy in working with youth from all backgrounds and situations;
• High level of integrity; commitment to following the Rules of Professional Conduct and upholding ethical standards, including client confidentiality and zealous advocacy for client-directed goals
• Demonstrated alignment with TeamChild values: Centering Youth, Anti-Racism, Wholeness, Accountability;
• Anti-racist analysis and commitment to undoing institutional racism and other forms of oppression;
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups of people with varying perspectives, experience, and expertise;
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with community stakeholders (other advocates and social service providers) and co-workers. Our attorneys must be adept at forging relationships with our clients, our client communities, and the various advocates and social providers our clients access;
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to clearly document and maintain all legal work in a timely basis (within 3 days) on electronic case management system;
• Strong organizational, technology (case management systems, Microsoft Suite), and project management skills;
• Strong preference for staff who have personal connection with our client communities, including lived experience with juvenile court, criminal court, foster care, homelessness and special education, and experience living or working in the geographic community they are serving.
• Strong preference for staff who have oral Spanish language proficiency (listening and speaking) strongly preferred, written skills recommended.

CULTURE
TeamChild is a unique, values-driven organization that is boldly committed to creating and maintaining a work environment that supports collaboration, inclusion, shared-accountability, distributed power and nonhierarchical operations. At its core, TeamChild fights for effective solutions and community-driven strategies
that nurture and develop the health and wellbeing of young people, instead of exclusion and incarceration.

Individuals who work for TeamChild are naturally aligned with the following:

• A commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression, intersectional equity analysis.
• A focus on relationship building.
• An ability to listen with an open mind and a deep commitment to including and respecting diverse
  viewpoints.
• Values collaboration and inclusive decision-making.
• A proactive, passionate, and collaborative attitude.
• A foundation of self-awareness that provides space for learning and growth. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT
TeamChild has offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and Yakima that are generally open on weekdays between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The physical demands and work environment described below represent those required and encountered by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Able to input information into a computer for long periods of time.
• Able to remain stationary for extended periods.
• Able to assess information communicated through a computer.
• Able to work some evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours in occasional emergent circumstances.
• Able to travel locally as needed.

This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. TeamChild reserves the right to change the job description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
This is a full-time salaried, exempt position that is not eligible for overtime pay. TeamChild’s work week is 35 hours.

TeamChild is committed to providing employees with a competitive salary and benefits package. Compensation is based on the TeamChild Attorney salary scale and the candidate’s years of relevant experience. The salary range is $80,000 to $110,000. For example, a candidate with 0 years of relevant experience would start in this position at $80,000 per year, and a candidate with 10 years of relevant experience would start in this position at $98,750 per year. The place where a candidate starts on the salary scale may be increased based upon their lived experience with systems of oppression reflective of our clients’ experiences.

TeamChild offers full benefits including medical, dental, vision, employee assistance program (EAP), generous paid time off, long- and short-term disability, life insurance, and options to set-up a flexible spending account (FSA) and 403b retirement account. TeamChild typically offers an annual well-being benefit of $1,000/year. We offer a pay bump for Spanish language fluency. If someone relocates for this position, we can offer $5,000 to assist with relocation expenses. Additionally, TeamChild is a qualifying employer for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

TO APPLY

Please email a concise letter of interest, resume, and a legal writing sample to [email protected] using the following file naming convention: “[Last Name] - Letter” and “[Last Name] - Resume” and “[Last Name] - Writing Sample.” Please write “Attorney—Yakima County.” Also, please note if you will be located in
Yakima or prefer to work remotely from elsewhere, and how you learned of this opportunity.

Position open until filled, with review of all submitted applications beginning on August 20, 2025.

All interested individuals, including people of color, women, persons with disabilities, and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or intersex are particularly urged to apply. TeamChild is an Equal Opportunity Employer. TeamChild is committed to promoting an environment free of barriers and discriminatory practices for its clients, Board, and staff.