Employment Opportunities
Current Employment Opportunities
Disability Rights Attorneys in central and southern illinois
Equip for Equality, an Illinois civil rights organization providing legal advocacy services to people with disabilities, seeks a full-time attorney for its Central Illinois office located in Springfield and a full-time attorney in Southern Illinois to be located in either Carbondale or the Metro East area. The attorney will represent people with disabilities in a wide range of areas, including discrimination, community integration, guardianship defense, and abuse and neglect. Attorneys not located in Springfield, Carbondale or Metro East will still be considered as the agency is expanding opportunities for staff to work remotely.
REQUIREMENTS AND PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
- A law degree
- Litigation experience, including in federal court
- Demonstrated commitment to the civil rights of people with disabilities.
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Excellent organizational skills
- Experience with and/or commitment to the civil rights of people with disabilities in the prison systems
- Experience with and/or commitment to working with diverse client populations and incarcerated people
- Personal or professional experience with people with disabilities
Equip for Equality encourages qualified candidates of all backgrounds and identities to apply for this position. People with disabilities and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application Deadline, How to Apply, Compensation and Benefits
Applications will be accepted until July 16, 2021. Please include salary expectations in cover letter. Salary is commensurate with experience and EFE offers excellent benefits.
Send resume and cover letter to:
La June Davis-Willey, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Director, Human Resources
hiring@equipforequality.org
Apply online: Disability Rights Attorney
Resumes without cover letters will not be considered.
Because Equip for Equality is a community-serving organization and safety is of the utmost importance, Equip for Equality requires a background check for employees and others who volunteer or perform services for us depending on the role. The background check is run for employees once a conditional offer of employment has been extended. Background checks are conducted in accordance with all applicable laws, EFE’s policy, and paid for by EFE. A disclosed record may not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment.
Do you need a reasonable accommodation for our application process?
Equip for Equality is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application process, please contact La June Davis-Wiley at lajune@equipforequality.org and let her know the nature of your request and your contact information. Disability related information that is disclosed via the application process will be kept confidential.
We have volunteer opportunities!
Did you know you can volunteer or have an unpaid internship with EFE? Students and professionals can volunteer by providing general office help or through internships with our technology department, human resources and other areas of our state-wide non-profit organization. (If you’re an attorney, law student or law school graduate, please read about our Pro Bono Attorney and Law Student Initiative which offers an opportunity to help with our disability rights cases and obtain hands-on legal advocacy experience. You can also learn about Public Interest career opportunities at Illinois Legal Aid OnLine.) For information about our volunteer and unpaid internship opportunities for non-attorneys, please contact LaJune Davis-Wiley (see contact information below).
Learn about our Voting Access Chicago project and help us make Chicago’s polling places ADA accessible for people with disabilities and older adults. For volunteer opportunities, please contact Bebe Novich.
Organizational Background
For nearly 35 years, Equip for Equality has been advancing the human and civil rights of people with disabilities across Illinois. Among our many accomplishments, Equip for Equality has made Chicago public transportation more accessible, helped tens of thousands of people with disabilities move from institutions into the community, increased inclusive education and educational outcomes for students with disabilities, and enhanced safety and quality of care in a variety of settings. We have offices throughout Illinois.
Equip for Equality has three Programs: the Civil Rights Team, the Special Education Clinic, and the Abuse Investigation Unit. EFE has a dedicated staff of 59 attorneys, social workers, and administrative staff working every day to advance our mission. As we work to improve society’s inclusion of individuals with disabilities, we also strive to be an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming workplace.
Background Checks
Because Equip for Equality is a community-serving organization and safety is of the utmost importance, Equip for Equality requires a background check for employees and others who volunteer or perform services for us depending on the role. The background check is run for employees once a conditional offer of employment has been extended. Background checks are conducted in accordance with all applicable laws, EFE’s policy, and paid for by EFE. A disclosed record may not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment.
We are an equal opportunity employer.
We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to disability, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. View the Department of Labor’s “EEO is The Law” poster for more information about how employers must comply with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws.
Do you need a reasonable accommodation for our application process?
Equip for Equality is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application process, please see the Contact Person below to let them know the nature of your request and your contact information. Disability related information disclosed via the application process will be kept confidential.
LaJune Davis-Wiley, Human Resources Manager
Equip for Equality
20 N. Michigan, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-895-7333
Fax: 312-541-2378
- Learn about our Pro Bono Attorney and Law Student Initiative, which provides volunteer opportunities for attorneys, law students and law school graduates.
- Read about some of our case work involving employment discrimination, guardianship, abuse and neglect or special education.
- Sign up for our newsletter.
Last updated: July 13, 2021