Staff Attorney - Housing

East Bay Community Law Center Berkeley, CA $68000.00 to $90000.00 per year
Share:

Description of Organization:

EBCLC is a non-profit legal services organization, the community-based clinical program for U.C. Berkeley Law School, and one of the Bay Area’s largest and most effective systems disrupters. With a dual service and teaching mission, EBCLC is a racial justice organization committed to building a culturally diverse workplace, centered on an internal Equity and Inclusion Roadmap that outlines the organization’s equity priorities. EBCLC is also an organized workplace, having reached its first collective bargaining agreement this summer. With about 80 staff, 150 law students a year, and a nearly $10 million annual budget, EBCLC is the largest provider of free legal services in Alameda County, providing multimodal, collaborative, and holistic legal services to over 5,000 clients annually and engaging in legislative and policy advocacy at the state and local level.

The Housing Practice Staff Attorney/Clinical Supervisor represents low-income tenants in eviction lawsuits, advocates for tenants encountering a broad range of housing-related legal problems, and contributes to the creation of more just and humane housing policies for Alameda County tenants, while simultaneously supervising and training law students. This position requires an excellent advocate with strong writing and organizational skills who can work well in a fast-paced, high-volume litigation setting, has experience providing direct legal services to low-income people and is committed to mentoring the next generation of legal advocates.

 

Primary Responsibilities:

1.       Represent low-income tenants in unlawful detainer cases, subsidized housing hearings, rent board hearings, and other civil proceedings.  Ensure that all advocacy is done in a zealous and client-centered manner. 

2.       Supervise weekly evening Tenants’ Rights Workshops, advising and advocating for tenants regarding a broad range of housing-related legal problems, including eviction defense, code enforcement, rent control, public housing (conventional and section 8), and fair housing.

3.       Assist pro per tenants in mediation and settlement negotiations at our monthly Courthouse Clinic.

4.       Conduct outreach and provide pro per assistance to tenants at self-help and community sites.

5.       Teach, train, and supervise law students, including substantive law and skills training, individual and group case reviews, day-to-day monitoring of individual work, mentoring, and student recruitment.

6.       Work collaboratively with other staff at EBCLC to provide holistic, wrap-around services.

7.       Participate in collaborative partnerships with other community and legal services organizations providing similar services.

8.       Complete administrative tasks, such as those related to grant management and reporting.

9.       Participate in ongoing professional development to improve client services and student supervision.

10.   Additional tasks as assigned by Supervisor.

 

Minimum Qualifications:

1.       Member of the California State Bar in good standing.

2.       Ability to manage a demanding case load; excellent time management, priority-setting, and organizational skills.

3.       Experience with, or strong interest in, law student supervision and training.

4.       Demonstrated commitment to racial justice.

5.       Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin language fluency is highly preferred.

6.       Excellent written and oral advocacy skills.

7.       Ability to work effectively with a diverse range of groups, including people of color, immigrants, non-English speakers, people with mental disabilities, law students, service providers, government employees, community partners, elected officials, and law school faculty.

8.       Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and demonstrated ability to work well independently and as part of a team.

9.       Ability to learn on the job and work successfully in a high-volume, dynamic environment.

10.   Unlawful detainer or other relevant litigation experience preferred.

11.   Ability to travel to visit clients, attend court and engage with the community in-person in Alameda County, as needed to perform the responsibilities of this position.  

Salary and Benefits:

Starting salary for this exempt position is $68,000 – $90,000 based on law school graduation date, as dictated by the EBCLC salary scale.

Benefits include fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents, life and disability insurance, and generous paid leave (vacation, sick, and holidays); EBCLC also offers flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures; and retirement options.

Workplace Expectations

Due to COVID-19, all EBCLC employees are currently working remotely. Staff may work in the office if they wish to do so, subject to certain capacity limits and other safety protocols. Please note that the Staff Attorney may need to attend in-person meetings and/or engage in in-person fieldwork to support our clients and the coalitions we work closely with. EBCLC will provide the necessary equipment to fulfill the job responsibilities of working from home.

Currently, there is an eviction moratorium in place in Alameda County, and an option to appear remotely for court appearances. However, when the moratorium lifts, we expect staff attorneys will be required to attend far more in-person services.

Working at EBCLC

EBCLC is a unionized workplace and members of the bargaining unit are represented by the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20, IFPTE. This position is part of the bargaining unit.

EBCLC is strongly committed to advancing justice through education and advocacy, and the need to transform legal services and legal education. Please take time to review EBCLC’s mission, vision, programs, and website, and ensure that your cover letter reflects how your background, experience, and expertise have prepared you to be successful in performing the responsibilities of the position.

Additionally, EBCLC is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.

To achieve this goal, EBCLC works actively to improve our office climate, systems and structures, communications, and community engagement to create an inclusive and respectful workplace where differences are acknowledged and valued.  In your cover letter, please address how your personal background and experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural responsiveness and diversity amongst our staff.

We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. EBCLC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Application Process:

Interested applicants should submit an application by visiting https://eastbaycommunitylawcenter.easyapply.co/. The position will remain open until filled. EBCLC will review applications and interview applicants on a rolling basis and will only review complete applications. A complete application must include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, and names/contact information for two professional references. Please submit your complete application as one single pdf file by uploading it under “Upload your Resume.â€

 

 

East Bay Community Law Center is an EEO employer - M/F/Vets/Disabled
 
 
By clicking the button, I agree to the GetHired Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
GetHired.com member? Login to Apply
 
© 2024 Heartland Payroll Solutions, Inc., a Global Payments company (NYSE: GPN). All rights reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy