ROOT & REBOUND SEEKS CONTRACT ATTORNEY/J.D. - Oakland, CA
To Support with Legal Research and Writing and Client-Follow-up for
R&R’s Community Legal Clinics & Statewide Reentry Legal Hotline
About Root & Rebound:
Root & Rebound (R&R) is a national reentry and advocacy organization that addresses racial, economic, and social inequities within the criminal justice system and the reentry process by restoring and protecting rights, dignity, and opportunities for people directly impacted by the criminal justice system. Our 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 U.S.
Our model is three-pronged:
Educate: R&R democratizes the law so that it serves, and ceases to harm, people directly impacted by mass incarceration. We create legal guides, toolkits, online materials, and self-help tools not only for people directly impacted but for the infrastructure of agencies that can better support them.
Advocate: R&R advocates for the protection and restoration of rights of people with records and past court-involvement, so that they can access basic needs including employment, housing, and family reunification through the only free Reentry Legal Hotline in the nation, statewide clinics, and court representation.
Reform: R&R works to eliminate barriers to reentry, while amplifying the voices of people directly impacted, by grounding our policy advocacy work in a feedback loop of information and thought partnership from our clients to policymakers.
TEMPORARY/CONTRACT ATTORNEY
Dates & Commitment: Part-time (16-24 hours/week), beginning ASAP for a 7+ week contract period. Must be located in the Bay Area and able to come into the downtown Oakland office.
Position Description: We are looking for a hardworking, self-motivated attorney or recent law school graduate with excellent legal research and writing skills, time management, and client communication skills, to support Root & Rebound’s headquarters Oakland, CA office, part-time, for a 7- to 10-week period.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:
Researching legal issues that affect people with arrest and conviction histories.
Providing follow-up research for R&R clients who attend community clinics and call the weekly statewide reentry legal hotline, and distill research into clear and actionable next steps for clients.
Frequent communication with R&R supervisors.
Using R&R templates and internal legal resources, draft compliance letters to employers regarding fair chance hiring concerns, brief and summarize legal research for support on novel hotline issues, connect with legal experts on novel issues of reentry law, and identify proper legal forms and court procedures from local counties for record-cleaning services.
General support to the R&R Oakland legal team on legal research and writing, client communications, and related tasks and assignments.
Compensation:
This is an hourly contracted position, starting at $30/hour (depending on experience) with a minimum of 16 hours/week and maximum of 24 hours/week. The contract is for 7 weeks, with the possibility of an extension.
Qualifications:
The successful candidate should possess the following qualifications:
J.D. required. (You do not need to be licensed to practice law for this position.)
Commitment to racial and social justice, and empowering low-income communities to navigate the legal system.
Excellent legal research and writing skills. Excellent ability to research new areas of law and support clients in navigating a range of legal systems and legal rights, court procedures, government agencies, and community-based resources.
Excellent time management and prioritization abilities.
Ability to distill complex legal information into information for lay audiences.
Strong attention to detail.
Outstanding organizational skills.
Independent, self-motivated, self-starter.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, regular communication with R&R supervisors and attorneys.
Strong work ethic, reliable, positive attitude, and a good sense of humor.
Application Instructions:
To apply for this position, please send a resume, cover letter, short sample of legal writing (4 pages max.), and at least two references with contact information in an email to Sonja Tonnesen, Deputy Director, at [email protected]. Resumes without a cover letter, writing sample, and/or references will not be reviewed. No fax or mail applications, and no phone calls, please. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.