Staff Attorney – Family Law
Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center
Location
Washington, DC
Category
Attorney
Posted
October 20, 2025
Type
Full-Time
Description/Duties
About the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center:
The APALRC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to advancing the legal and civil rights of Asian Pacific Islanders in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Maryland through legal services, education, and advocacy. The mission of the APALRC is to provide linguistically accessible and culturally appropriate legal services to low-income Asian Pacific Islanders to ensure their access to government services and the legal system, to protect and enforce their rights and to seek full participation in American society. The APALRC provides legal services in a wide range of civil legal issues including abuse prevention, anti-Asian hate, crime victim rights, housing, and immigration.
Job Overview:
The APALRC is hiring a staff attorney with a minimum of 3 years of experience practicing family law in Maryland, including experience with civil protection orders, divorce, child support, visitation, and custody. It is anticipated that most of the attorney’s clients will be survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes. The attorney will have significant client contact and will assume an active caseload while continuing to accept new cases. The attorney will also be responsible for working with the APALRC executive director to ensure that grant requirements are met.
Tasks & Duties:
- Provide direct legal representation in a variety of Maryland family law matters including: orders of protection, divorce, child support, visitation, and custody.
- Conduct legal research, draft and file pleadings and legal documents, and represent clients in support of the APALRC’s family law cases and stay abreast of relevant family law and policy changes.
- Interview clients and witnesses and handle other details in preparation for court appearances and trial.
- Assists in responding to Helpline calls.
- Intake and evaluate cases for potential representation.
- Organize and maintain files, electronic records, and client communication.
- Coordinate and attend outreach events to promote knowledge of family law, rights of domestic violence victims, and access to legal services.
- Coordinate and conduct community legal education/Know Your Rights workshops on a variety of family law topics.
- Assist in recruiting and coordinating pro bono counsel (or co-counsel) with area law firms for some APALRC family law cases.
- Work with the Executive Director to ensure proper program and grant financial management.
- Represent the APALRC at meetings and collaborations with government agencies and other organizations.
- Other duties as assigned by management.
Skills/Qualifications
Qualifications:
- JD from an accredited law school.
- Member of good standing licensed to practice law in Maryland or in another U.S. jurisdiction with the ability to waive into Maryland.
- A minimum of 3 years of experience practicing family law, preferably with experience working with domestic violence survivors.
- Proficiency in an Asian language, particularly Korean or Vietnamese.
- Experience working with immigrants, low-income individuals, and those with limited English proficiency, and/or comparable experience.
- Commitment to teamwork, demonstrated ability in community outreach, coalition building, working with volunteers and interns, and organizing workshops strongly preferred.
- Organized, able to manage a variety of cases at one time, able to draft workplans and meet goals and deadlines.
- Exceptional listening and communication skills.
- Demonstrated commitment in public interest law and social justice advocacy.
Highly desirable:
- Prior experience working with a nonprofit, legal services or social services organization.
- Prior experience conducting community outreach, coalition building, community organizing, organizing workshops, legal clinics, and/or community education events.
- Prior experience working with Asian and Pacific Islander immigrant communities
Compensation
$72,500 – $77,500, depending on experience
Salary and Benefits:
The anticipated salary for this position is $72,500 – $77,500, depending on experience. The APALRC offers the following benefits:
- 100% employer-paid:
- Medical insurance
- Dental and Vision insurance
- Long Term Disability
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Pre-Tax 401(k) plan with employer match on first 4% of salary
- Paid Time Off:
- 12 vacation days until year 2, 18 days per year in years 3-4, 24 days per year in years 5-9 and 30 days per year in year 10+
- 3 personal days per year
- 2 floating holidays per year
- 15 sick days per year
- 12 Paid Holidays and the last week of the year
- Job related professional development fees (including annual state bar dues and professional memberships)
- Hybrid work schedule
How To Apply
How to Apply:
Submit a cover letter, résumé, a brief writing sample (3-5 pages), and three professional references to Naznin Saifi at hiring@apalrc.org. Please put “Family Law Staff Attorney MD ” in the subject line of the email. No telephone inquiries, please.