Staff Attorney Fellow

Job Description

Staff Attorney Fellow | Center for Public Partnerships & Research

The Tone:
This is a regular, full-time, limited term Staff Attorney Fellow position, ending August 10, 2029, and is located on the KU Medical Center main hospital campus in Kansas City, Kansas. While primarily in-person, a hybrid schedule can be negotiated. The KU School of Law Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) provides free legal representation to low-income, mental health, and marginalized patients and clients, collaborating with healthcare partners to integrate legal care for improved health outcomes. This role offers new or recent law graduates a vital opportunity to directly address civil legal issues that pose barriers to health, ensuring optimal outcomes for a high-needs client population.

The TL;DR
• Role: Staff Attorney Fellow
• Type: Regular, Full-time, Limited Term (ends August 10, 2029)
• Location: In-person, Kansas City, Kansas
• Pay: $72000 yearly
• Team: Reports to the MLP Managing Attorney, working collaboratively to supervise law students.
• Mission: To assist clients with civil legal issues that present barriers to health outcomes, providing legal care that improves health at multiple levels.
• Tech Stack: Microsoft Office suite, commercial client management software

What You’ll Actually Do
• Direct Representation: Conduct applications with and provide direct legal representation to clients concerning legal needs that impact their health.
• Student Supervision: Supervise, train, and mentor law students participating in the MLP externship experience in their direct legal representation of clients.
• Teaching Assistance: Serve as a teaching assistant to the Managing Attorney, specifically regarding the supervision of student intern work that involves conducting applications for services.
• Provider Relations: Foster relationships with new and existing health providers to raise awareness of patient-client legal needs and facilitate referrals to the MLP, maintaining these relationships throughout direct legal representation.
• Special Projects: Undertake other duties and special projects as assigned to support the MLP’s mission and operations.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Juris Doctor degree; eligible to practice law in the state of Kansas (holding a license or a temporary permit/certification pending bar results, or a reciprocal state license for application to the Kansas Bar).
• Experience: Current KU Law 3L/upcoming KU Law graduate (December 2026, May 2027) or recent KU Law graduate (Class of 2026 or 2025). Demonstrated experience working with people from low-income communities, those with mental health needs, or individuals from vulnerable patient-client identities.
• Skills: Strong communication and interpersonal skills, complemented by excellent oral advocacy and writing skills. Proficient computer and word processing skills, including use of Microsoft Office suite and commercial client management software.
• Bonus: Participation in the MLP field placement at KU Law. Demonstrated commitment to public service, advocacy, and social justice. Law license to practice (or bar exam score eligibility to apply) in Missouri. Second-language fluency in Spanish, Arabic, Nepali, Somali, or Burmese.