Description

Working at the Women’s Resource Center 

The WRC is a great place to work! We are a diverse, dedicated team working to end domestic violence through high-quality, trauma-informed care. Our work is made possible by exceptional staff, whom we support with competitive benefits, flexible hybrid schedules, and a family-friendly environment. We invest in employee growth, leadership, and self-care, with every team member contributing to our shared, innovative vision for the future. 

Benefits 

Health and dental insurance (employer pays 75% of individual), supplemental insurance, paid holiday, vacation, sick, and personal time, retirement plan with employer match, employee assistance program, employee wellness program, 4-day workweek, hybrid work model, family-friendly environment. 

About Women’s Resource Center 

The Women’s Resource Center empowers survivors by providing trauma-informed services with equity and compassion while working collaboratively with the community to eliminate the root causes of interpersonal abuse. We envision an informed, supportive, and thriving community free from oppression and abuse, with a shared commitment to the safety of all. The Women’s Resource Center is committed to: 

• Providing comprehensive quality services in a warm, supportive, and inclusive environment, with respect for the dignity of our clients and their families. 

• Promoting the safety and well-being of all members of our community by being actively involved in addressing root causes. 

• Building awareness of interpersonal abuse and shifting community norms through advocacy and education. 

• Innovating and improving our programs, services, and operations with an emphasis on trauma-informed practices. 

• Working collaboratively and openly with our board of directors, staff, funders, other agencies, and the community. 

• Recruiting and maintaining a diverse and representative staff and board of directors that are deeply engaged and highly committed to our mission. 

• Investing in our staff, our greatest asset, and offering a safe, supportive, and stimulating work environment with fair compensation. 

• Developing and maintaining a sustainable financial infrastructure that ensures the capacity and strength necessary to serve the community. 

Our Values 

EQUITY AND JUSTICE: We believe ending interpersonal abuse requires addressing the underlying systems and inequities that contribute to oppression, as these systems are a root cause of domestic violence and must be eliminated to create thriving communities. 

DIGNITY, EMPATHY, AND COMPASSION: We provide trauma-informed services with dignity, empathy, and compassion for our clients and community. 

AUTHENTICITY AND INTEGRITY: We serve with authenticity, fulfilling our duties in an ethical, transparent, and accountable manner. 

INNOVATION: We are committed to providing innovative and transformative services addressing the needs of the whole person.

Job Summary 

The Staff Attorney is a new role at WRC, the sole attorney at the agency, responsible for developing a new legal services program and providing legal consultations,pro seassistance and in-court representation to survivors of domestic violence. The attorney will lead planning and development of this federally funded program, focused on family law, child custody, divorce and restraining order matters, among other common abuse-related litigation. They are responsible for assisting WRC in developing and implementing policies and procedures for this federal grant-funded domestic violence legal assistance program, leading outreach and relationship-building with local organizations and within the legal community and tracking the success and outcomes of the program.Successful candidates will strengthen legal services access to victims of domestic abuse engaged in civil and family law legal systems in the greater Newport area. 

Essential Job Functions  

• Help lead the design, planning and implementation of new legal services program.  

• Provide legal representation and consultation to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in family law matters, including but not limited to divorce, custody, visitation, civil restraining orders and child support. 

• Provide pro seassistance, including meeting with clients, assisting with the preparation of pro se complaints, motions, and other court pleadings, and preparing survivors to represent themselves in court.  

• Provide other advice and services, including safety planning and referrals, to promote the safety, self-determination and resilience of survivors. 

• Conduct outreach to the legal community by attending local and/or statewide meetings and roundtables with legal professionals and law students. 

• Assist in screening clients for eligibility when referred from WRC staff or other DV advocates. 

• Provide consultation and technical assistance to WRC’s non-lawyer victim advocates. 

• Help identifypro bonoor reduced-fee legal representation for WRC clients and RI survivors. 

• Attend and participate in WRC staff meetings and committee meetings; assist with other projects as needed. 

Requirements

Qualifications, Experience, and Education 

Required: 

• 3-5 years’ experience providing legal representation in family law and/or restraining order matters in a legal services setting, private practice or similar trial litigation practice, including demonstrated commitment to representing domestic violence survivors.  

• Demonstrated expertise in providing legal assistance to victims of domestic/dating violence, stalking and/or sexual violence. 

• A commitment to WRC’s mission of ending domestic violence and oppression, to using a survivor-centered trauma informed practice, and to promoting social justice and social change. 

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with non-attorney staff and advocates in a small team nonprofit environment. 

• Excellent written and verbal advocacy and communication skills; strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task; strong work ethic and sense of initiative. 

• Ability to model and uphold appropriate professional boundaries in work with clients, co-workers, supervisor, and community. Demonstrated ability and desire to work with diverse populations and to actively use multicultural awareness and understanding in daily work. 

• Willingness to complete WRC or partner-agency Domestic Violence dynamics training within first year of hire. 

• J.D. from ABA-accredited law school and admission to and good standing in the Rhode Island Bar Association required. 

• A demonstrated history of providing legal advocacy services to survivors of domestic violence. 

Preferred: 

• Demonstrated experience in serving vulnerable and low-income populations with empathy and compassionate advocacy, including clients in crisis and with histories of trauma; Spanish bilingual preferred.  

• A history of domestic violence training or DV-related CLE credits preferred. 

Don’t check off every requirement? Please apply anyway! Studies show that underrepresented groups – such as women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people of color often hesitate to apply unless they meet every single qualification. We are committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging. If you're excited about a role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply — you might be exactly who we’re looking for. 

The Women's Resource Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The organization does not discriminate against a volunteer, an employee or applicant in employment of conditions or opportunities for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin.