ADA Title II Compliance Attorney

JOB VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE ILLINOIS COURTS

222 North LaSalle Street, 13th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60601

• Position: ADA Title II Compliance Attorney
• Division:
  Access to Justice
• Salary:
  Minimum of $114,482; starting salary may be greater based on experience and education.
• Benefits:
  An attractive judicial branch benefits package, including pension, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, deferred compensation options, vacation, sick and personal leave. (See Benefits Information Sheet for details.)
• Reporting Relationship:
  Director of Access to Justice and Strategic Planning
• Location:
  
  Chicago, IL

Under the supervision of the Director of Access to Justice and Strategic Planning, and in collaboration with other AOIC leadership, this work is performed with considerable independence and latitude for professional judgment. The goal of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. 42 U.S.C. § 12101.

The Title II ADA Attorney serves as in-house legal counsel for the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts on all matters relating to compliance with the ADA, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., and the four additional key statutes that govern access for people with disabilities in Illinois courts: the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794; the Illinois Human Rights Act, 775 ILCS 5/1-101 et seq.;

and the Illinois Environmental Barriers Act, 410 ILCS 25/1 et seq. (hereinafter collectively referred to as the ADA). This position performs professional legal work and provides legal advice related to non-adjudicative judicial branch matters. It also, at times, provides project management for compliance projects and grant administration. The ADA Title II Compliance Attorney may supervise and support the work of assigned staff, providing guidance, feedback, and performance management as needed.

• Provide legal advice to AOIC leadership, circuit court judges, trial court administrators, court disability coordinators, circuit court clerks, reviewing court justices, reviewing court staff, and reviewing court clerks on matters as they present in the course of litigation including but not limited to application of key statutes governing court accessibility for people with disabilities, guidance on determining who is a qualified person with a disability, reasonable modifications/accommodations, physical access to courthouses, and service animals for courthouse staff and court users including litigants and attorneys.
• Provide technical assistance to AOIC leadership and courts in complying with the Illinois Supreme Court Policy on People with Disabilities.
• Conduct the CDC training with the Illinois Attorney General’s office for Court Disability Coordinators as well as for the entire judicial branch and all Judicial Education target audiences, on the topics of disability access under the ADA and cultural responsiveness and best practices for helping people with different types of disabilities.

• Support the Court Disability Coordinators for the six reviewing courts, including providing guidance on processing reasonable accommodation requests, grievances, and appeals from the public, communicating with reviewing court personnel when granting accommodation requests, with knowledge of and care to avoid ex parte communications or sharing confidential information.

• Support Court Disability Coordinators located in the circuit courts across Illinois to comply with the ADA, including offering technical assistance related to Title II of the ADA, reasonable accommodation framework and questions, questions related to grievances and appeals, and the requirements of the Policy on Access for People with Disabilities.

• Project manage the WCAG 2.1 AA web content compliance project for Illinois courts.gov and ongoing ADA compliance for web content.
• Serve as a resource to the Chief Legal Counsel to ensure all state vendor agreements for goods and services include…