Civil Rights Attorney

Let's protect and advance the civil rights of people with disabilities together

Disability Rights Montana (DRM) seeks an attorney with 0-5 years’ experience looking to grow into a skilled civil rights attorney capable of advancing DRM’s mission through litigation and non-litigation systems change strategies. Experienced attorneys are encouraged to apply, but we are also willing to cultivate the right new law school graduate.

Job Overview

The attorney will advocate for disabled individuals and groups who are disenfranchised, abused, neglected, or are subject to other civil rights violations. Disabilities include, but are not limited to, mental health conditions, physical and sensory disabilities, learning and intellectual disabilities, brain injuries, and chronic health conditions.

Regardless of experience, the attorney will initially conduct client interviews, early case investigation, provide individuals with legal information and resources about their rights, and conduct short-term advocacy.

DRM is committed to developing new civil rights attorneys and experienced attorneys new to civil rights work. DRM expects the attorney to grow in this role through mentorship, training, and increasing involvement in individual and systemic litigation in administrative tribunals and state and federal courts and other advocacy strategies under the supervision of our experienced civil rights attorneys.

All attorneys and advocates at Disability Rights Montana work daily to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities. We appreciate that a right on paper is meaningless. Rights only exist when they influence and change the actions of real policy makers, government officials, business owners, and others. People with disabilities face various forms of oppression every day, and there are not nearly enough attorneys to file lawsuits every time someone violates their rights. That is why we use a broad range of advocacy strategies to advance our mission, including policy work, rights education, and litigation. We expect our lawyers to have the ability to use all these tools strategically.

All of DRM’s attorneys work across our priority areas, which include:

• Preventing abuse and neglect of people with disabilities where they live, work, learn, and receive other services;

• Making Montana a place where people with disabilities can live free from discrimination and fully participate in all areas of community life through improving access to housing, transportation, and government services;

• Ensuring Montana’s systems of care adequately funded and structure to support the basic needs of Montanans with disabilities;

• Advancing the rights of children with disabilities to receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment;

• Ensuring people with disabilities can earn a living wage through competitive, integrated employment;

• Supporting the right of people with disabilities to make their own choices and reducing systemic use of rights restricting mechanisms like guardianships;

DRM is known statewide and nationally for our passionate, dedicated, and skilled advocates and we welcome your unique contribution to our team. We protect and advance the civil rights of all disabled Montanans. We are not a think-tank—we take action. Congress has given us unique authority and mandates to: monitor any facilities where people with disabilities are served, including group homes, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, prisons, and homeless shelters; access confidential health, school, and personnel records to investigate abuse and neglect; litigate and engage in other legal advocacy to protect the rights of individuals and groups of people with disabilities; educate people with disabilities about their rights and how to use them; and educate policy makers about how their decisions impact our community. We do this to champion the rights of all Montanans with disabilities, ensuring they live freely, with respect and dignity, in the community of their choice.

1. ESSENTIAL DUTIES/FUNCTIONS

1. Provide short-term self-advocacy assistance, client interviewing, and initial case investigation.

2. Research statutes and regulations and analyze their applicability to cases.

3. Effectively utilize legal writing to prepare briefs, memoranda, letters, reports, and other documents.

4. Analyze complex problems and develop creative solutions to advocate for clients and the organization’s mission.

5. Effectively summarize and communicate complex concepts in accessible and understandable ways to constituents, courts, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

6. Effectively manage multiple competing priorities.

7. With training, mentorship, and coaching, support individual and systemic litigation with increasing case responsibilities over time.

8. Utilize mediation and negotiation to advocate for clients in a variety of contexts.

9. Effectively utilize a variety of litigation and non-litigation strategies to achieve client and organizational objectives.

10. Work independently and with initiative commensurate with skills and experience.

11. Seek, accept, respond to, and integrate guidance and feedback effectively.

12. Distinguish effectively between personal and organizational objectives and positions and advance DRM’s work with the utmost integrity and respect for DRM’s mission, its standing in the community, and the legal profession.

13. Demonstrate discretion and perform all work on behalf of the organization in accordance with the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct, governing laws and regulations, grant requirements, DRM policies and procedures, and the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) Standards for Advocacy Programs.

14. Communicate effectively with co-workers, clients, service providers, government actors, and those who oppress the people we serve.

15. Maintain complete and accurate records; prepare memoranda case reports, and data system entries; maintain the security of confidential records.

16. Develop professional knowledge and expertise in the assigned duties through work on projects led by others, professional enrichment, research, reading and analysis of materials.

17. Other duties may be assigned as necessary to effectively carry out the mission of the organization.

2. COMPETENCIES

1. Excellent legal written and oral communication skills appropriate to level of experience

2. Constituent/client focus

3. Collaboration and flexibility

4. Detailed oriented, accurate, and timely in producing work product

5. Ability to complete assignments independently with interruptions

6. Ability to comprehend and prepare legal documents

7. Problem solving/analysis

8. Understand and integrate the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct and the laws, regulations, policies, and grant requirements governing DRM

9. Time Management

10. Proficient with Microsoft 365 products and services sufficient to operate these tools independently and efficiently (e.g., Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)

3. STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND PRACTICE

As an attorney, this position has access to highly sensitive information. As such they are expected to maintain professional standards of conduct and practice in the workplace and in the performance of the duties of this position. It is a minimum requirement of this position to adhere to the following standards:

1. Montana Rules of Professional Conduct governing attorneys and law firms

2. Professional standards or ethical codes of conduct of the employee’s own profession.

3. National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) Standards for Advocacy Programs.

4. Policies and Procedures, including the Standards of Conduct, adopted by the Board of Directors and Management of Disability Rights Montana.

4. LINES OF AUTHORITY

The Civil Rights Attorney works with everyone at DRM. They report directly to the Director of Advocacy who oversees the entire advocacy team. This position has no supervisory responsibility.

5. WORK ENVIRONMENT

1. This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

2. Work a standard workweek, 8:30 am–5:00 pm with a half hour off for unpaid lunch (unless an alternative schedule is approved), but must be willing to work evenings, weekends, or extended hours when necessary – for example, if providing services in person in other parts of the state and travel is necessary.

3. Attorneys are responsible for maintaining a reasonably ambitious workload and keeping their supervisor(s) informed when there is insufficient work to perform and when there is a risk that work will not be completed on a timely basis.

6. PHYSICAL DEMANDS

1. Continuous sitting, standing, or laying to use a computer, and use of a computer keyboard or other computer interface technology.

2. Occasional movement around the office.

3. Infrequent movement between agency offices, vehicles and other locations.

7. TRAVEL

Infrequent local, out-of-area, and overnight travel may be required for this position.

8. EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

1. 0-5 years of experience as a lawyer. A Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school and licensure as a lawyer in Montana is required within 6 months of hiring.

2. DRM will provide all the necessary training to succeed in this position and continue to advance as a civil rights lawyer going forward. DRM is enthusiastic about considering anyone with the right skills and encourages individuals to apply even if they believe they may not completely meet all described qualities of a top candidate.

3. The attorney will work with people who have disabilities that impact their ability to communicate or process information, and it is important to have experience in communicating and building a rapport with people who have various communication styles and ways of processing information.

9. BACKGROUND CHECK

1. This position will involve unsupervised contact with vulnerable adults and children and interaction with personally identifiable information.

2. DRM conducts background checks of conviction and arrest records on final candidates prior to extending offers. The hiring process will be conducted in compliance with federal, state, and local law. Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to explain and correct background information. A criminal background does not automatically eliminate candidates from consideration. If a criminal background exists, the nature of the offense will be considered in the context of the essential functions of the position. Some roles may require additional background investigations to comply with federal clearance requirements.

ABOUT DISABILITY RIGHTS MONTANA (DRM)

DRM is a private nonprofit organization that advances the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities in accordance with federal authorizing statutes. We are wholly independent; we do not work for either the federal or state government. The federal government has, however, given us funds and special authority to protect the rights of people with disabilities in Montana. Our Board of Directors sets the priorities of our work in consultation with an advisory council and input from the community to ensure we are accountable to the needs of Montanans with disabilities.

DRM is an equal opportunity employer.

For information about us, please visit: http://www.disabilityrightsmt.org.

HIRING PROCESS

Please send a cover letter and resume to Katherine Murfitt, DRM’s Director of Finance and Administration, by emailing katherine@disabilityrightsmt.org.

DRM is committed to promoting universal accessibility and fairness in our interview process. At least three business days before an interview, DRM will provide applicants with the names and titles of DRM interviewers and will provide the interview questions, which will be the same for all applicants. We know that other efforts to make our process more accessible may be needed based on individual needs and we will provide reasonable accommodations for any portion of the application or interview process. You can request them by contacting Katherine Murfitt, DRM’s Director of Finance and Administration, by emailing katherine@disabilityrightsmt.org. If you are not sure if you would benefit from an accommodation, you can review the Job Accommodations Network (JAN) website, which provides many ideas about possible accommodations that have worked for others, and you are more than welcome to call Katherine to discuss ideas you have or what we have done in the past. JAN is located here: https://askjan.org/soar.cfm.

Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be accepted until the position is filled. The first review of applications will take place on March 23, 2026, with the hope of contacting selected applicants that week and starting interviews the following week. Applicants will only be contacted if they are selected for an interview. The interview process will include two rounds of interviews. If selected as a finalist, DRM may ask the applicant for writing samples and references.

• Position Title: Attorney

• Company Name: Disability Rights Montana (DRM)

• Location: Helena

• Posted: February 18, 2026

• Education and Experience required: 0-5 years experience, Juris Doctorate and admission to practice in Montana within 6 months of hiring.

• Job Category: Attorney

• Job Type: Full-time, Exempt

• Salary: $ $90,500 to $105,000

• Benefits: health, dental, and vision insurance are 100% employer paid for the employee and their qualifying family member. Employer paid 403(b) contribution, life insurance, long-term care insurance, vacation and sick leave. Additional voluntary employee paid benefits are also available.