Staff Attorney

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Job location
Fresno, CA
United States
Organization information
Organization name: 
Root & Rebound
Job type: 
Other
Position Description: 

About Root & Rebound:
Root & Rebound is a nonprofit reentry advocacy and legal resource center whose mission is to transfer power and information from the policy and legal communities to the people most impacted by our criminal justice system through public education, direct legal services, and policy advocacy, so that the law serves, rather than harms, low income communities and communities of color in the United States. We work to build innovative, holistic, and creative solutions to solve the criminal records barriers and reentry crisis in California and the United States. The Fresno Staff Attorney will be a critical part of our Fresno Reentry Women & Employment Initiative (FRWEI), a program that is currently launching and will incorporate essential employment, financial, legal, and social services, as well as policy reform. You can read more about our work at www.rootandrebound.org.

Commitment: Full-time
Location: Fresno, CA

Staff Attorney, Fresno Reentry Women & Employment Initiative (FRWEI):
The Staff Attorney will play an integral role in launching and anchoring this brand new Fresno initiative to serve women of color in Fresno County who have been involved in the justice system and/or are formerly incarcerated. Because Root & Rebound has a holistic, one-of-a-kind way of practicing “reentry law” that covers many different areas of life, this position includes rigorous training on practicing as a reentry legal generalist, including a strong orientation from Root & Rebound’s senior attorneys and leadership team, and a high level of ongoing learning, professional development opportunities, and support.

The ideal candidate is a natural leader who is warm, personable, and team-oriented, excited about launching a new initiative, and expanding R&R’s services, partnerships, work, and impact across Fresno County and the Central Valley.

The attorney will be working under the supervision of Root & Rebound’s Deputy Director of Programs and Associate Director of Legal Services, and in collaboration with its staff attorneys throughout the state. On site, the attorney will work closely with the other members of the Fresno team: a Social Worker/Case Manager and a part-time Employment & Economic Security Coach. The attorney must be highly communicative, structured, organized and responsive, and open to regular check ins via Skype, email, text, etc., as well as training and orientation periods in R&R’s Oakland HQ office.

Responsibilities & Duties:
The Fresno Staff Attorney will support FRWEI by:
○ Working on-site as reentry barrier removal and legal navigation specialist: conducting holistic reentry intakes covering all reentry barriers, including family reunification questions, employment barriers, and discrimination;
○ Providing legal advice and reentry-related support;
○ Where needed and appropriate, providing direct representation to women on reentry-related issues (driver’s license reinstatements, family law issues, etc.);
○ Coordinating on-site Know Your Rights trainings and in-depth clinics on key reentry topics;
○ Three times per year, hosting reentry legal clinics in coordination with the larger R&R team, for the broader Fresno community in collaboration with R&R’s local partners.
The Fresno Staff Attorney will support the larger reentry infrastructure across Fresno by:
○ Based off R&R’s Oakland and LA work, creating and convening a Fresno Blue Ribbon Commission (quarterly) to educate local employers and encourage Fair Chance Hiring and build the pipeline to stable employment;
○ Hosting quarterly reentry trainings and workshops for the wider network of Fresno community-based organizations, parole and probation departments, and higher education institutions;
○ Elevating the issues women with records in Fresno face to create structural and policy change that advance second chance opportunities and social justice;
○ Building partnerships and relationships with social service, legal services, and government organizations as well as foundations and supportive stakeholders in the community; and
○ Recruiting and creating a panel of pro bono attorneys to assist with legal clinics and take on direct representation.
The Fresno Staff Attorney will support FRWEI by managing administrative activities including:
● Representing R&R at community events and public forums, and serve as an ambassador for reentry advocacy issues more broadly;
● Recruiting law clerks, interns, and volunteers to support the legal program;
● Supporting PR, Development, Communications, and Storytelling projects as needed;
● Tracking data and program outcomes. Supporting R&R in grant writing and grant reporting;
● Maintaining organized files, systems, and databases for all of Root & Rebound’s legal programs;
● Responding professionally and promptly to dynamic and ever-shifting; programmatic demands in a startup environment, working collaboratively with our small but mighty team of holistic attorneys; and
● Conducting administrative tasks as needed.

Requirements: 

Qualifications:
● Licensed to practice law in the state of CA, in good standing;
● 2 or more years working directly with clients in a legal clinic setting, preferably with direct experience working with reentry population;
● Knowledge of criminal justice system and collateral consequences of a criminal record;
● Demonstrated commitment to racial and social justice, equity, and gender-responsive programming;
● Demonstrated interest in improving the lives of disenfranchised people and communities;
● Eagerness to take initiative, solve intricate problems, work on multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize and organize in a deadline-driven environment;
● Proficiency in Spanish;
● Positive, professional, and humble attitude;
● Strong work ethic, resilience, and determination;
● Proactive communicator and team builder;
● Flexible and able to prioritize work effectively. Excellent time-management;
● Creative, enthusiastic, and willing to learn and try new things;
● Individuals with lived experience and with deep connection to Fresno County strongly encouraged to apply;
● Willingness to travel to/spend time at R&R’s HQ office in Oakland for training/orientation, spending time as needed with HQ team. Willingness to travel outside of Fresno County as needed; and
● Driver’s license required.

To apply: 

To apply for this position, please send a resume, cover letter, two short writing samples, and at least three references with contact information in an email with “Fresno Staff Attorney” in the email subject line to Katherine Katcher (Executive Director) at [email protected]. Resumes without a cover letter, writing samples, and references will not be reviewed. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No phone calls, please.

Notes: 
Root & Rebound is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals including formerly incarcerated and/or system-involved individuals, people of color, persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender variant individuals. Individuals with lived experience with the criminal justice system and with deep connection to Fresno County strongly encouraged to apply.
Submission deadline: 
Friday, November 9, 2018