KEJC Hiring Health Justice Attorney

Health Justice Attorney

Kentucky Equal Justice Center seeks an attorney with experience in health care law and policy as our new Health Justice Attorney. KEJC is a mid-sized poverty law advocacy nonprofit with a staff of 16 and a budget of $1.6 million. We believe every Kentuckian has the right to health care, housing, fair pay, food, education, and safety. KEJC works in Kentucky’s capital and in courtrooms and communities across Kentucky. Our program at Maxwell Street Legal Clinic in Lexington provides immigration law services.

About the Position

The Attorney will work as a multi-forum advocate on a policy agenda for low-income and working families through:

• Policy research and advocacy: researching policy opportunities and best practices for health care coverage, access, and quality; analyzing and commenting on state and federal proposals; preparing briefing papers on promising options and current issues.

• Administrative advocacy and impact litigation: representing individuals in administrative appeals; filing or assisting with selected litigation with a focus on public benefits eligibility and access to care.

• Communications and coalition building: participating in state and national networks focused on health; providing policy support to Kentucky public interest partners; communicating with decision-makers and the public on new developments and proposals.

• Outreach, enrollment, and consumer assistance: participating in outreach to Kentuckians facing barriers to care; providing consumer coaching to enroll and resolve problems with public benefits.

The Health Justice Attorney will join a multi-function advocacy team that includes our Outreach Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, Director and Senior Counsel. The primary deliverable: access to affordable, high quality coverage and care for low-income and working Kentucky families.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Health Justice Attorney will:

• Develop detailed knowledge of policy options and best practices for coverage, access, affordability, accountability, and quality under both public programs and private sector approaches

• Monitor proposed changes in state and federal law, regulations, manuals, and guidance, including changes to interlinked public benefits such as SNAP

• Develop state, regional, and national peer and expert networks for advice, counsel, and development and evaluation of proposals and initiatives

• Prepare a variety of written materials including briefing papers on promising options, best practices, and current issues; comments on state and federal proposals; and blog posts and op-ed pieces on health care issues affecting low-income consumers

• Participate in meetings, conferences calls and activities of state and national public interest partners, including Kentucky Voices for Health, with a focus on identifying policy priorities, analyzing proposals, and providing policy support to Kentucky advocates

• Help plan and conduct meetings of the statewide legal services Welfare and Health Task Force

• Help develop and implement a communications plan designed to provide useful and timely information through multiple media to support health advocacy

• Circulate analyses and comments through a variety of networks to share arguments and information that may help consumers and other advocates make their views known

• Meet with Kentucky executive branch officials and legislators on key health care and coverage issues, representing interests of low-income consumers

• Assist Kentucky Equal Justice Center Senior Counsel in identifying and pursuing impact litigation on key issues and handle a small caseload of individual matters

• Become a Certified Application Counselor capable of handling a small consumer-assistance caseload on benefits available through Kentucky’s multi-benefits website, kynect

• Assist Kentucky Equal Justice Center’s Director and Resource Organizer in fundraising for sustainability of the position

Qualifications

KEJC works internally and externally in teams and coalitions and therefore seeks a Health Justice Attorney who will help establish and maintain a healthy culture of collaboration. The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Active membership in a state bar and willingness to seek admission to the Kentucky bar if not a member

• A minimum of two years’ experience as an attorney, including health care litigation and advocacy on health issues in policy-making forums

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, including demonstrated public policy communications

• Comfort speaking in front of groups

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Comfort working in a multi-cultural setting, with sensitivity to language and cultural issues

• Excellent organizational and problem-solving and skills

• Facility with social media and web-based communications tools

• Ability to be a self-starter in developing and carrying out activities, to take initiative and work independently, as well as in a team

• Knowledge of low-income issues

• Commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion​

Proficiency in a second language, especially Spanish, is a plus.

Location

KEJC has offices in Lexington and Louisville, but we seek to hire the most outstanding candidate for this position. We consider geographic diversity within Kentucky both a strength and a challenge. We will explore it with candidates invited to interview for the positions.

Salary and Benefits

Salary based on experience and our salary scale. Illustrative examples: $48,504 at two years, $61,620 at 10 years. Generous fringe benefits include health and retirement, dental, life and disability coverage. KEJC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, but we provide health and retirement benefits through participation in state employee plans.

Grant Funded Position with Potential Renewal

This position is funded by matching grants from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Cincinnati-based Interact for Health. Over time, sustainability may depend on new sources of support.

Starting Date: October 1, 2022, or as soon as possible.

Application Instructions

To apply, please email a cover letter, writing sample, resume and a list of three references to:

Richard Seckel, Director

Kentucky Equal Justice Center

richseckel@kyequaljustice.org

Please put “Health Justice Attorney” in the subject line of your email. For each reference, include a phone number and email address. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Application Deadline: September 12, 2022

Diversity Statement

KEJC welcomes your application. Employees shall be selected entirely on a nondiscriminatory basis with respect to age, ancestry, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity, limited English proficiency, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status and all other categories provided nondiscriminatory treatment by law, statute, or ordinance.