Staff Attorney – Housing & Consumer Law Full Time

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) advocates with and for Marylanders experiencing poverty to achieve equity and social justice through free civil legal services, community collaboration, and systemic change. Since 1911, Maryland Legal Aid has provided high-quality legal aid to vulnerable, low-income people and communities – helping to remedy their civil legal issues and become empowered to overcome challenges, achieve stability and independence, and reach their goals. MLA also identifies and seeks to remedy systemic barriers. MLA’s core work includes eviction and foreclosure prevention, family law, children’s rights, consumer protection, securing public benefits, and access to healthcare. MLA advocates operate primarily through the courts, via individual representation of indigent clients, but also engage in impact litigation, public communication and outreach, and policy advocacy. Through this holistic approach, Maryland Legal Aid serves to amplify the voices of tens of thousands of economically disadvantaged and vulnerable Marylanders each year and seeks to be a leader in the legal services field nationwide.

MLA announces an immediate opening for one staff attorney in the Housing and Consumer Law unit located in Baltimore, MD. This position handles housing and consumer-related legal matters including all functions related to casework, from initial intake through representation of clients in all relevant courts and proceedings. Staff attorneys will be expected to work with other attorneys, law graduates, law clerks, legal assistants, paralegals, social workers, and students on cases or projects. They must maintain all case files in accordance with MLA standards. The Baltimore City Housing and Consumer Law Unit handles the following types of cases: Landlord Tenant, Subsidized Housing, Failure to Pay Rent, Tenant Holding Over, Breach of Lease, litigation before administrative agencies, Collection and Debt Defense, Bankruptcy- Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, Contracts/Warranties, Tax Sales, Mortgage Foreclosures Defense, Debt Collection Defense, Student Loan Collection, Repossessions and Preservation of Homeownership for Senior Citizens in Baltimore.

In addition, Housing and Consumer Law Attorneys throughout MLA meet regularly through the Housing Law Task Force and the Consumer Law Task Force and with other housing or consumer-focused legal services organizations to learn and work on income and housing issues that affect low-income Marylanders.