Youth Justice Attorney (Disability Rights Focus) - Alameda County

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Job location
1735 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94612
United States
Organization information
Organization name: 
Bay Area Legal Aid
Street address: 
1735 telegraph Ave
City: 
Oakland
State: 
California
ZIP: 
94612
Job type: 
Legal - Defender
Position Description: 

Youth Justice Attorney (Disability Rights Focus) - Alameda County

Organization: Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) ensures fairness in the civil justice system for the most vulnerable members of our community. From Silicon Valley to Napa Valley, we help clients protect their livelihoods, their health, and their families. Our clients include the working poor, families with children, foster youth, seniors, immigrants, veterans, and persons with disabilities. Through our regional county offices, our mobile advocacy clinics, and our nationally-recognized Legal Advice Line, BayLegal prevents domestic violence and sexual assault, increases economic stability, protects consumers, expands access to healthcare, and prevents homelessness. For our clients, BayLegal makes the difference between staying in poverty and thriving toward a brighter future.

Position: We are seeking a staff attorney to join our youth justice team. We are interested in candidates who are energetic, culturally competent and have a strong commitment to public interest and social justice advocacy to represent youth who are involved in the juvenile delinquency system. The attorney will provide civil legal services designed to meet the individualized needs of delinquency involved youth, with a particular focus on SSI cases for children with disabilities. Beyond SSI cases, the position may also include a smaller, mixed caseload in areas such as special education, health access, public benefits (e.g. foster care benefits, CalWORKs, and General Assistance), legal permanency, housing, and other work. Clients served by this project experience high rates of sexual exploitation, abuse and neglect, and mental health related issues which the attorney will be expected to navigate in providing legal assistance. This position is based out of Alameda County but may include travel throughout the Bay Area.

Responsibilities include client interviews, negotiations with governmental agencies/opposing parties, research and writing, and representation at administrative and court proceedings. The attorney is expected to engage in outreach with probation, social services, law enforcement, youth service providers, and other community organizations.

Compensation and Benefits: Compensation is based on a competitive public interest salary scale. Generous benefits package includes medical, dental, and life insurance; long term disability; paid holiday, vacation, and sick leave; law school loan repayment; bilingual stipends; and 401k retirement plan.

Requirements: 

Qualifications:

• California State Bar membership; or admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for 3 years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program (must pass CA bar at a later date).
• Strong commitment to youth justice issues and supporting and magnifying youth voice
• Experience interviewing and working with youth is preferred.
• Must be self-directed and be comfortable working in a fast paced, ever-changing environment
• Excellent communications skills, oral and written
• Bilingual skills are preferred but not required
• Demonstrated experience with youth benefits programs, working with youth, trafficking survivors, and/or culturally diverse, low-income client populations
• Ability to work independently and as part of a dynamic team
• A valid driver’s license and access to a car

To apply: 

Applications: Bay Area Legal Aid thrives on our diversity and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a culturally diverse workplace and strongly encourage women, persons of color, LGBTQ individuals, veterans, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue on a rolling basis, but applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Please send a cover letter, resume, writing sample, diversity statement (see below) and list of references to: Human Resources Department, e-mail to [email protected]. Be sure to refer to the “Youth Justice Attorney-AL” in the title of your email.

In a separate page from your cover letter, please address the following:

BayLegal’s clients are low- and very low-income members of our communities. They include the working poor, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. To ensure our organization is best serving these populations, BayLegal strives to promote an evolving set of behaviors and attitudes amongst our staff, as well as policies that enable us to work effectively in all cross-cultural situations, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community. We see this as a commitment to enhance the provision of our services to all clients; to raise the level of positive client outcomes; and to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued.

How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural humility and diversity amongst our staff? Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences.

[Please note that your response to the prompt above will not be read by your interviewing hiring committee. To reduce potential bias, your name will be removed and your response to this prompt will be read and reviewed separately from the rest of your application. Feedback on your response will then be provided to the interviewing hiring committee for this position. Therefore, if there is any specific information that you would like the interviewing hiring committee to be aware of, please make sure to include that information in your cover letter, even if there is some duplication.]

Notes: 
Equal Opportunity Employer