Date Posted:
November 2, 2026
Position Title:
Project Attorney Supervisor – Rural Justice Initiative
Office/Company:
Disability Rights Texas
Party:
N/A
Office Code:
Job Number:
HC-13833
Reports To:
Location:
Austin, TX, Dallas, TX, Fort Worth, TX, Houston, TX, Lubbock, TX, San Antonio, TX
Contact:
Salary:
Primary Role
Secondary Role:
Job Type:
Description:
Project Attorney Supervisor – Rural Justice Initiative Rural Justice Initiative (RJI) Project Attorney Supervisor Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) is excited to announce that we are now recruiting for a RJI Project Attorney Supervisor as part of our new Rural Justice Initiative (RJI). The Rural Justice Initiative Project Supervisor is a project-funded attorney position established as part of Disability Rights Texas’ (DRTx) participation in the Rural Justice Initiative (RJI), a collaborative effort designed to expand access to civil legal services for low-income Texans living in designated rural communities and legal-desert counties. The Rural Justice Initiative (RJI) Project Supervisor is responsible for coordinating and managing the day-to-day implementation of Disability Rights Texas’ participation in the Texas Access to Justice Foundation Rural Justice Initiative, a five-year, multiregional initiative designed to expand access to civil legal services for low-income Texans with disabilities in designated rural and legal-desert communities. The RJI Project Supervisor works to facilitate and implement the Rural Justice Initiative project by coordinating direct legal services to eligible low-income Texans with disabilities residing in designated RJI counties and communities. Unlike DRTx attorney positions assigned primarily to a single substantive issue team, this position will oversee and function as a generalist disability-rights attorney within the scope of the Rural Justice Initiative. The Project Supervisor may address a range of disability-related civil legal matters, including special education, disability discrimination and accommodations, access to public benefits and services, housing-related disability issues, and other disability-related legal matters identified through the project. Under the direction and supervision of the designated RJI Supervising Attorney, the Project Supervisor provides operational leadership for project implementation across the North, Southwest, and East regions, including coordination of regional service-delivery activities, project work plans, community engagement strategies, grant deliverables, performance monitoring, partner collaboration, and reporting. The Project Supervisor serves as the primary operational point of coordination among regional project personnel, DRTx substantive legal teams, outreach and community engagement staff, administrative personnel, and designated external partners. The position monitors implementation progress, identifies service-delivery barriers and resource needs, and recommends operational adjustments and corrective actions to the Supervising Attorney. The Project Supervisor provides legal coordination and technical assistance within their areas of competence and ensures that substantive legal matters are referred for appropriate consultation, review, or supervision under established DRTx policies. The position does not independently supersede the authority of designated personnel supervisors, substantive legal supervisors, or organizational leadership. The position may maintain a limited direct-service caseload as approved by the Supervising Attorney, provided that such responsibilities do not compromise project management, grant compliance, or implementation deliverables. The Project Supervisor exercises delegated operational authority within established DRTx policies, approved project plans, grant requirements, and supervisory direction. Responsibility for institutional grant compliance, personnel supervision, final legal oversight, and organizational commitments remains with designated DRTx leadership.
Responsibilities:
• Work with Supervising Attorney and project team to develop and execute a comprehensive RJI implementation and community outreach plan targeting individuals with disabilities in rural counties across Texas. Coordinate implementation of the approved plan, including regional work plans, timelines, milestones, staffing resources, and project deliverables.
• Supervisory Coordination and Accountability of the RJI initiative with the project manager. Establish and facilitate a regular project management meeting structure, including regional implementation meetings, periodic performance reviews, and individual coordination with key project personnel.
• Project Evaluation and Continuous Improvement. Collaborate with the Supervising Attorney and appropriate RJI staff to develop and implement periodic evaluations of the RJI’s effectiveness in expanding access to civil legal services across designated counties. Assess geographic coverage, legal-service outcomes, outreach-to-intake conversion, community referral effectiveness, client access barriers, staffing capacity, and progress toward grant objectives. Recommend improvements based on evaluation findings.
• Lead and coordinate the day-to-day implementation of the RJI initiative under the direction of the Supervising Attorney and in collaboration with applicable RJI staff, including coordinating regional teams, assigning or facilitating project work within delegated authority, monitoring progress, identifying operational barriers, and recommending corrective actions to achieve the project’s access-to-justice goals.
• Track programmatic outcomes for the project and prepare all necessary reports as required by the project funder. Develop and maintain systems to monitor grant deliverables, geographic service coverage, performance measures, reporting deadlines, implementation milestones, and project expenditures in coordination with designated DRTx administrative and fiscal personnel. Review project performance data, identify deficiencies, and provide regular reports and recommendations to the Supervising Attorney.
• Provide limited direct legal representation and advocacy to eligible clients in designated RJI counties, as approved by the Supervising Attorney and consistent with the position’s primary project management responsibilities. Such representation may include advice and counsel, negotiation, administrative proceedings, or litigation within the attorney’s competence and assigned responsibilities.
• Coordinate implementation of consistent procedures for evaluating requests for assistance, screening eligibility, identifying appropriate legal-service responses, and routing referrals in accordance with DRTx policies, project requirements, funding restrictions, and organizational priorities. Monitor referral pathways, service-delivery barriers, and regional capacity in collaboration with intake personnel and appropriate legal supervisors.
• Provide advice, direction, and technical assistance to project team and organization staff, including case strategy when appropriate.
• Coordinate cross-issue legal consultation, case staffing, training, and technical assistance with DRTx substantive issue teams and designated legal supervisors. Facilitate identification and resolution of service-delivery challenges while ensuring substantive legal guidance and case supervision remain with appropriately authorized attorneys.
• Provide legal services relating to special education rights, including matters arising under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and applicable provisions of the Texas Education Code.
• Provide legal assistance, as appropriate within DRTx priorities and RJI project parameters, regarding other disability-related civil legal issues, which may include disability discrimination, reasonable accommodations, housing, public benefits, Medicaid, access to government programs and services, and disability-related disaster issues.
• Conduct legal research, analyze facts, identify applicable federal and state laws and regulations, and develop appropriate legal strategies and interventions. Independently and competently prepare legal documents, including pleadings, briefs, memoranda, administrative complaints, discovery, correspondence, settlement documents, and other legal materials. Prepare or coordinate development of project management documents, operational guidance, implementation reports, and legal-service protocols within delegated authority and established DRTx review procedures.
Qualifications:
• Education and Licensure
• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and in good standing.
• Experience in project coordination and team leadership.
• Experience in public interest, legal aid, disability rights, special education, housing, public benefits, or other civil legal services.
• Experience practicing in rural communities or representing clients who live in geographically isolated or underserved areas.
• Experience developing relationships with community organizations, schools, healthcare organizations, government entities, or other community-based institutions.
• Civil litigation and/or administrative hearing experience.
• Experience providing community legal education or participating in legal clinics.
• Spanish bilingual proficiency (written and spoken).
• Existing professional or community ties to the assigned RJI service area.
Instructions:
Apply here
Other:
This position involves regular use of computers, telephones, videoconferencing systems, case-management systems, and other communication tools to perform legal work, including research, documentation, client communication, and collaboration with geographically dispersed colleagues.
Duties may be performed in a seated, standing, or alternative position. The role requires managing multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, traveling throughout the assigned service area, and engaging in complex or sensitive legal matters.
The position includes work performed in a variety of environments, which may include DRTx or partner offices, courthouses, administrative hearing locations, schools, libraries, community organizations, clinics, community events, and other locations within rural communities.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
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