Hiring Lawyer Referral Program Coordinator in Louisville

The Louisville Bar Association (LBA) is the premier professional membership organization for attorneys practicing across Kentucky, with a 150-year legacy of supporting legal excellence, advocating for fair justice system policies, and expanding public access to qualified legal representation. Through its Kentucky Lawyer Referral Service (KLRS), the LBA connects more than 8,000 Kentucky residents annually with vetted, credentialed attorneys across 42 practice areas, from family law and estate planning to small business counsel and tenant rights advocacy. The KLRS is funded in part by the Kentucky Bar Association’s Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program, and operates as a critical access-to-justice resource for low-to-moderate income residents who may not otherwise be able to afford legal representation.

We are currently seeking a dedicated Lawyer Referral Program Coordinator to lead day-to-day operations of the KLRS, ensuring compliant, efficient, and client-centered referral processes that uphold both LBA standards and Kentucky Bar Association ethical guidelines. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented professional with experience in legal client services, program coordination, or social services who is passionate about reducing barriers to justice for underserved communities.

In this role, you will be responsible for processing an average of 120+ weekly client intake requests, verifying residency, case type, and financial eligibility to route inquiries to the correct practice area specialist pool, with a target of 90% of all requests receiving a personalized response within 24 business hours. You will maintain and update the KLRS’s attorney roster of 350+ licensed Kentucky practitioners, conducting quarterly audits to confirm active bar status, malpractice insurance compliance, and practice area alignment, removing non-compliant entries within 5 business days of formal notification. You will coordinate with 12 LBA section chairs to update practice area criteria, referral fee structures, and eligibility requirements for specialty programs including pro bono criminal defense, tenant rights, and veteran legal services.

You will track and report monthly on key program metrics including client satisfaction scores, attorney response rates, conversion rates from referral to retained representation, and demographic data of served clients, presenting quarterly findings to the LBA Board of Governors to inform strategic planning. You will manage the KLRS online referral portal and phone intake system, troubleshooting technical issues with the platform vendor, updating intake scripts, and training 5 part-time intake specialist volunteers on protocols and data privacy requirements per Kentucky Bar Association rules. You will develop and distribute quarterly outreach materials to community partner organizations including legal aid societies, homeless shelters, and small business development centers to expand awareness of the referral service among underserved populations across Jefferson County.

You will resolve escalated client and attorney complaints related to referral processes, documenting all cases in the LBA’s internal case management system and escalating unresolved ethical concerns to the KBA within required 10-business-day timelines. You will support the annual KLRS attorney training and certification program, coordinating scheduling, tracking completion of mandatory continuing legal education (CLE) requirements for referral panel members, and managing the program’s $120,000 annual operating budget in collaboration with the LBA finance team.

The LBA operates out of a historic downtown Louisville office with flexible core hours (9am-3pm on-site, with options to adjust start/end times between 7am and 6pm to support work-life balance). Our team of 12 full-time public service staff prioritizes collaborative problem-solving, with weekly cross-department check-ins to align on access to justice initiatives. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all staff are empowered to propose process improvements, with 4 annual professional development stipends of up to $1,500 per employee for conferences, certifications, or continuing education relevant to legal services or program management. All staff have access to a shared quiet workspace, on-site gym, and regular team social events focused on community engagement.

To qualify for this role, you must hold a Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies, social work, public administration, or a related field, plus 2 years of experience in legal intake, client services, or program coordination. You must have a working knowledge of Kentucky legal system structures, Kentucky Bar Association ethical rules, and data privacy requirements for legal client information. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel for data tracking and reporting, is required, with familiarity with legal case management software including Clio, MyCase, or Salesforce preferred. Preferred qualifications include experience working with consumer protection or family law practice areas, and bilingual Spanish proficiency to support outreach to Louisville’s growing Hispanic community. Candidates must demonstrate strong attention to detail, ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, and a demonstrated commitment to expanding equitable access to legal services.

This role offers a competitive salary range of $48,000 to $56,000 annually, commensurate with experience, plus a comprehensive benefits package including 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees, 10 paid vacation days plus 12 paid company holidays and 3 personal days annually, a 5% employer match on 401(k) contributions, and eligibility for student loan repayment assistance of up to $100 per month for employees with qualifying educational debt. All full-time employees are eligible for tuition reimbursement for job-related coursework, and we offer flexible remote work options for up to 2 days per week for staff who have completed 6 months of tenure.

Career growth opportunities for KLRS coordinators include advancement to Senior Program Coordinator, Director of Access to Justice Initiatives, or other leadership roles within the LBA’s public service department. We prioritize internal promotion, with 75% of LBA management roles filled by internal candidates over the past 3 years. Employees are encouraged to participate in LBA-sponsored CLE events and national access to justice conferences to build specialized expertise in legal services administration.

The hiring process for this role includes an initial 30-minute phone screen with the KLRS Director, a 1-hour in-person panel interview with the LBA public service team and a representative from the Kentucky Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee, and a practical exercise where finalists will process a sample client intake request and present their proposed referral workflow to the interview panel. We expect to extend a job offer to the selected candidate within 2 weeks of final interviews, with a target start date of October 16, 2024. Qualified candidates should submit a resume and a 1-page statement of interest detailing their experience with legal services or client intake to [email protected] no later than October 4, 2024. No cover letters are required, but candidates may include optional writing samples demonstrating their ability to draft clear client-facing communications.