Staff Attorney – Reentry Program
Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (PLSE) is looking to hire a full-time attorney to provide services in North Philadelphia as part of the JEVS/Temple Reentry Workforce Development Program, which begins this month. The attorney should be in their first or second year of practice.
** NOTE: PLSE expects to be able to hire a second attorney, requiring similar credentials, for a staff position in the Pardon Project beginning in August. Candidates should indicate whether they would also like to be considered for the second position when its funding is secured.
About JEVS/Temple Reentry Workforce Development Program JEVS Human Services and Temple University are joining forces to bring a full-service Reentry Initiative to service people returning from prison and those trying to navigate the challenges and barriers of a criminal past. Participants who successfully participate in the JEVS/Temple Reentry Workforce Development Program are intended to have the opportunity to complete targeted high-demand, sector-based training programs, be guided to sustainable employment opportunities, and receive peer mentoring and other wrap-around services. The expungement, record sealing, and pardon services offered by PLSE will be part of the services offered by the program.
About PLSE Founded in 2010, PLSE provides free legal representation to low income residents of Philadelphia whose criminal records are holding them back from achieving their potential as productive, contributing citizens. The services include seeking expungements in criminal court and pardons from the Governor, educating elected and community leaders, creating community-based Pardon Hubs, and empowering under-resourced communities to seek a greater voice and needed systemic reforms. PLSE is a fast-growing organization that has significantly expanded in staff, volunteers and budget within the last two years. Other information about PLSE’s staff and programs may be found on its website, www.plsephilly.org.
About the Position
The Reentry Program Staff Attorney will be embedded in the JEVS Program in North Philadelphia, and have direct contact with clients and program staff on a daily basis. The Staff Attorney will:
Help prepare and provide community education around criminal record histories and pathways to pardons
Participate in client intake sessions and explain criminal record histories and the expungement and pardon processes to potential clients
Draft, review, file and argue expungement petitions
The Staff Attorney will likely be required to supervise a paralegal, whom PLSE expects to hire for the program within six months of the attorney’s hiring. The Staff Attorney will also participate in the development of PLSE’s new Pardon Project, which was launched in the fall of 2018. The Staff Attorney willreport directly to the Director of the Criminal Records Expungement Project and be responsible for additional duties as assigned by that Director.