The Center for Community Advocacy (CCA) seeks a bilingual attorney to serve as Executive Director/Attorney to lead the organization into the next chapter of pursuing our vision of a community where farmworkers are empowered to serve as leaders and where community decision makers seek the counsel of these farm worker leaders.
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
As a 28-year old, award winning community law office, CCA provides education, orientation and legal support to farm workers and other low-income working families who want to establish neighborhood committees that work to improve housing and health conditions in the Salinas and Pajaro Valleys. The success stories of CCA are many, but the overarching success is that leadership skills are generated from the bottom up, farmworkers work side-by-side with experienced professionals and both benefit from the exchange. CCA’s organizing model is considered one of the best in the state of California.
The real story of CCA is people: people that are willing to spend their time, energy, money and devotion to a cause bigger than themselves. The vision of a healthy community binds us together and continues to be our focus as we grow into our next 28 years.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
This position would be life-changing opportunity for an attorney with two to five years of legal experience and a passion for social justice to live and work in the Salinas Valley, where Cesar Chavez once marched and organized.
Reporting to the Board of Directors and mentored by a Legal Committee, the Executive Director/Attorney oversees legal support, programs and services provided to over 2,000 people annually. The Executive Director/Attorney manages a 5-person full-time staff and partners with a twenty-member Board of Directors whose membership is equally divided between CCA-trained farmworker volunteer leaders and non-farmworker (professional) community stakeholders. Over 130 volunteer leaders are actively engaged with the work of CCA today. CCA’s annual budget is $900,000. Specific responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:
Legal Support
• Oversee all necessary legal support that is provided to the tenant organizing efforts of CCA
• Undertake direct representation of CCA clients in connection with tenant organizing efforts
• Assist clients and together with CCA staff prepare for negotiations with housing site owner and represent clients at negotiations
Program Strategy
• Lead the vision, strategic planning, implementation and evaluation of all CCA programs and services ensuring their quality, effectiveness and impact
Fundraising and External Relations
• Lead fundraising efforts aligned with CCA’s mission and priorities
• Build and maintain positive relationships with the farmworker community, funders, key stakeholders, collaborators and institutions to grow and sustain support for CCA
Finance and Administration
• Lead all efforts in support of CCA’s financial stability and sustainability and engage the Board of Directors in fiscal stewardship and planning
• Hire and supervise staff members, ensure an effective workplace and promote a positive culture
• Follow the highest ethical standards, comply with the law and human resource requirements and ensure accountability
We seek a candidate with the following:
Professional Qualifications
• Attorney licensed in California with a passion for social justice is required
• Bilingual in Spanish and English is required
• Two to five years of legal experience
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Excellent English writing skills, especially with proposals and reports
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Personal Qualities
• Engage people from all walks of life quickly and naturally; ability to build trust, maintain positive relationships and make people feel safe especially if they disagree or think differently
• Excellent listener
• Open, strong, respectful and fair in decision making and dealing with all people, internally and externally
• Patient, calm, steady and nice, with a good sense of humor
• Motivated to share, learn, grow and be challenged
• Well organized in maintaining data, records and files
• Available to work outside in the field to meet farmworkers or clients
• Available to work flexible hours, evenings and some time on weekends as needed
Please submit your resume, cover letter and one English writing sample (e.g., legal memoranda, motion, report, or proposal) via email to Carol Gelatt at [email protected] (phone: 650-504-4506)