Disability Rights Jobs in Indiana (NOW HIRING)

About Indiana Disability Rights (IDR): 

Indiana Disability Rights (IDR) is the designated protection and advocacy organization for the state of Indiana. We provide direct legal advocacy to people with disabilities across the state and covering a wide range of civil rights including access to education, health care, employment, community living, public access, self-determination, and freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Learn more about who we are by visiting www.indianadisabilityrights.org.

Role Overview: 

The Senior Attorney serves as the agency’s lead subject-matter expert in one of four designated practice areas: Civil Rights; Health Care; Employment and Vocational Rehabilitation; or Education and Self-Determination. The Senior Attorney carries an active caseload concentrated in the assigned subject area, advises the Legal Director on case strategy and systemic priorities, represents clients in court and administrative proceedings, and serves as a non-supervisory mentor and internal consultant to other agency attorneys and advocacy staff. This is a leadership role grounded in legal excellence, professional generosity, and a genuine investment in the development of others, designed for experienced attorneys who want to focus their energy on substantive legal work and the growth of their colleagues.

 
Salary Statement: 

The salary for this position traditionally starts at $85,020.00 but may be commensurate with education or work experience.

A Day in the Life:

The essential functions of this role are as follows:

• Carries an active caseload of complex matters in the assigned subject area, including matters involving litigation, administrative proceedings, systemic advocacy, and impact representation;
• Serves as the agency's designated subject-matter expert in the assigned practice area, providing internal consultation to associate attorneys and advocacy staff handling matters that fall within or intersect with the assigned subject area;
• Provides non-supervisory subject-matter mentorship to associate attorneys assigned cases in the Senior Attorney's practice area, including consultation on legal strategy, substantive issues, and case planning;
• Serves as primary attorney for matters of significant complexity, novel legal questions, or substantial systemic impact within the assigned subject area, as designated by the Legal Director;
• Represents clients in state and federal court, in administrative proceedings, and in informal negotiations and mediations;
• Drafts and files pleadings, motions, briefs, and other legal documents;
• Conducts discovery, including depositions, written discovery, and document review;
• Performs legal research and drafts internal and external legal memoranda;
• Advises the Legal Director on potential litigation, systemic projects, and significant case decisions, including recommendations regarding the offer of a Legal Representation Agreement, settlement, appeal, and case closure;
• Participates in the weekly Case Review Committee and contributes subject-matter expertise to case selection decisions across the agency;
• Represents the agency in coalitions, workgroups, advisory committees, and stakeholder meetings within the assigned subject area;
• Drafts publications, public-facing legal resources, and policy comments within the assigned subject area as assigned;
• Develops and presents continuing legal education and staff training within the assigned subject area;
• Engages with the Investigations Coordinator, Monitoring Coordinator, and Intake Coordinator on matters within the assigned subject area that involve investigations, monitoring activities, or intake operations;
• Assists or leads systemic projects within the assigned subject area, with Legal Director and Executive Director approval;
• Maintains contemporaneous time records, particularly for matters with potential attorneys' fees recovery;
• Maintains all case documentation in the agency's litigation management system in accordance with agency case management policy.

What You'll Need for Success:

Individuals in this role should minimally be able to articulate or demonstrate the following:

• A Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school;
• Current admission in good standing to the Indiana bar;
• Admission, or eligibility for admission, to the United States District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana, with admission to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals preferred;
• A minimum of seven years of post-bar legal experience, with demonstrated experience and competencies at an advanced level in at least one of the four subject-matter areas: civil rights, health care, employment and vocational rehabilitation, or education and self-determination;
• Demonstrated litigation experience in both court and administrative proceedings, including experience independently managing matters from intake through resolution. This experience must include drafting and filing pleadings and motions, conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, participating in mediations and settlement conferences, and conducting hearings or trials;
• Specialized knowledge of federal and state disability rights law applicable to the assigned subject area;
• Specialized knowledge of Indiana state law, regulations, and administrative practice within the assigned subject area;
• Ability to identify, investigate, and develop systemic projects with potential for broad impact on the rights of people with disabilities in Indiana;
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound legal judgment, and manage a complex caseload under pressure of competing deadlines;
• Ability to provide effective subject-matter consultation and mentorship to less experienced attorneys and advocacy staff;
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally, both in person and in virtual environments, including the ability to conduct hearings, mediations, depositions, client meetings, and coalition work over video conferencing platforms with the same skill and presence demonstrated in traditional in-person settings;
• Ability to maintain client confidentiality and adhere to the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, video conferencing and virtual meeting platforms, the agency's litigation management system, and electronic court filing systems, with a willingness to adopt new technology tools as the agency evolves;
• Commitment to the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence tools in legal practice, consistent with IDR policy and applicable professional responsibility standards;
• Possession of a valid driver's license or the ability to travel throughout the State of Indiana by alternate means.

Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:

The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees which includes: 

• Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans
• Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards
• Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution
• Deferred compensation 457(b) account (similar to 401(k) plan) with employer match
• Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options
• A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:
  • 150 hours of paid New Parent Leave and up to eight weeks of paid Childbirth Recovery Leave for eligible mothers
  • Up to 15 hours of paid community service leave
• Combined 180 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off
• 12 paid holidays, 14 on election years
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Group life insurance
• Referral Bonus program
• Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits
• Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Free Parking for most positions
• Free LinkedIn Learning access

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individual ability and job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process as well as perform the essential functions of a role. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at jobs@spd.IN.gov.