Employment Opportunities
We would love for you to join our team! Please see below for available employment opportunities.
Legal Council for Health Justice is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Legal Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer: We welcome and strongly encourage people of color, women, persons with disabilities, older workers, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, and veterans to apply.
It is Legal Council’s policy to provide employment, training, compensation, promotion and other conditions or opportunities of employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, veteran status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Legal Council for Health Justice (Legal Council) seeks an enthusiastic attorney to work with our Homeless Outreach Program. The Homeless Outreach Program provides civil legal assistance to people who are experiencing homelessness (both sheltered and unsheltered), most of whom have chronic medical issues including mental illness and physical impairments resulting from chronic stress, adverse childhood experiences, and trauma exposure.
The staff attorney will focus on assisting individuals who are unable to work due to medical issues in qualifying for public benefits to increase and stabilize income, improve housing opportunities, and access medical and behavioral health care. Work will be performed on‐site with Chicago area social services agencies and medical clinics, and with outreach teams serving populations who are homeless as well as at our downtown office. Some remote work is also allowed.
Interested applicants should read the full job description, including job responsibilities and requirements, here. Applicants should email a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and two professional references to Lisa Parsons, Legal Director of the Homeless Outreach Program at job@legalcouncil.org.
Legal Council invites applicants to share in their cover letter any relevant experience; including but not limited to professional advocacy on behalf of others and also personal experience with poverty, chronic illness, HIV, mental illness, racism and its consequences, public housing or other issues affecting our client population.
Legal Council for Health Justice (Legal Council) seeks a bilingual (Spanish) Intake Specialist to work directly with our clients. The Intake Specialist will work with Legal Council case-handlers to conduct outreach, do initial interviews, and handle some case follow up with clients served by our AIDS Legal and Children’s Programs.
The Intake Specialist will work in the Legal Council office in Chicago’s Loop, with periodic opportunities for outreach at our partner organizations and in the community. Pursuant to Legal Council’s hybrid work policies, the Intake Specialist may also be able to work remotely for up to 3 days a week, depending on schedule.
Interested applicants should read the full job description, including job responsibilities and requirements, here.
Applicants will please email (no phone calls, please) a resume, compelling cover letter, and two professional references with the subject line: "Intake Specialist" to: job@legalcouncil.org, Attn: Katie Shelton, Legal Director, Children and Families Program.
In your cover letter, Legal Council invites you to share how your lived experience may make you a better advocate for the families and communities we serve.
Legal Council for Health Justice (Legal Council) seeks a legal advocate to work in our Medical-Legal Partnership with a local children’s hospital. The legal advocate will work with a staff attorney to do outreach and intake, and handle legal matters under the supervision of the staff attorney for patients served by the children’s hospital.
The Legal Advocate will work in the Legal Council office in Chicago’s Loop, with periodic visits to the hospital. Pursuant to Legal Council’s hybrid work policies, the Legal Advocate may also be able to work remotely for up to 3 days a week, depending on the schedule.
Interested applicants should read the full job description, including job responsibilities and requirements, here.
Applicants will please email (no phone calls, please) a resume, compelling cover letter, and three professional references with the subject line: "Legal Advocate, Children’s Hospital MLP" to: job@legalcouncil.org, Attn: Katie Shelton, Legal Director, Children and Families Program.
Legal Council invites you to share in your cover letter how your lived experience may make you a better advocate for the families and communities we serve.
Legal Council for Health Justice sponsors law students and current judicial clerks for fellowships funded by the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, Equal Justice Works, the Borchard Fellowship in Law & Aging, and other fellowship programs (including those funded directly by law schools). Fellows work closely with our attorneys and legal advocates. Fellows will carry their own caseloads and gain valuable experience in providing legal assistance. Fellows will also have the opportunity to work on policy and systemic advocacy work with our legal team.
Interested applicants are encouraged to consult with us if they have an idea for a fellowship proposal. Please reach out to Caroline Chapman, Senior Director of Litigation and Advocacy at cchapman@legalcouncil.org.
Legal Council for Health Justice seeks 1L and 2L law student interns to join us this summer. Students are expected to work full-time for 8 to 10 weeks. We do provide hybrid work options, but at least two weekdays per week of on-site work is required.
We’re looking for dynamic applicants dedicated to racial justice, trauma-informed advocacy, and health policy to join our team.
Legal Council is home to three projects:
- The AIDS Legal Council program provides legal assistance in cases where an individual’s HIV
status—real or perceived—is the cause of their legal difficulties. - The SSI Homeless Outreach Project specializes in providing trauma-informed, legal advocacy to persons who are experiencing homelessness and have disabling medical conditions, many of whom are survivors of significant adverse childhood experiences and other traumas.
- The Chicago Medical-Legal Partnership for Children partners with pediatric medical providers and uses legal advocacy to improve access to a full-range of social, educational, developmental, medical, and income-support services, removing systemic barriers for patients with significant health challenges.
Our work centers the voices of our clients through direct legal services, community engagement and education, and policy advocacy targeted at systemic injustice. You can learn more about our work here.
To Apply:
All applicants are required to submit a resume and a cover letter expressing their interest in contributing to our work. Please specify in your cover letter which program(s) you’re applying for (if you have a preference). Applications are due by January 3, 2023 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Law student summer interns may be eligible for funding through PILI and therefore we strongly encourage all interested students to apply through that program by submitting their cover letter and resume through the PILI website.
Interested applicants who have secured funding to support their summer or who plan to seek course credit may apply to Legal Council either through PILI or by emailing a cover letter and resume to: PILIapplication@legalcouncil.org.
Legal Council is dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and accommodation. We strongly encourage people of color, women, persons with disabilities, older adults, LGBTQ+, and veterans to apply. We also invite you to share how your lived experience may make you a better advocate for the families and communities we serve.
Legal Council for Health Justice generally hosts 4-6 service corps members each year. Past partnerships have included AmeriCorps VISTA, Avodah, and National Health Corps. These opportunities are a great way for individuals to gain exposure to life-changing experiences that will prepare them for potential careers in law, medicine, social work, and nonprofit service.
We encourage interested applicants to consult with us if they want to discuss the work of service corps staffers at Legal Council. For inquiries, please contact Ruth Edwards at redwards@legalcouncil.org.
Pro bono legal experts and other volunteers are essential to advancing Legal Council’s mission of using the power of law to secure dignity, opportunity, and well-being for people facing barriers due to illness or disability.
We accept non-law student volunteers including high school, undergraduate, paralegal, social worker, and other professional interns. Pro bono and volunteer opportunities will be based on the needs of Legal Council, your skills, and availability.
To apply to be a volunteer, email volunteer@legalcouncil.org.
To share interest in pro bono legal opportunities, email Ruth Edwards at redwards@legalcouncil.org.