A Staff Attorney position operating within our non-profit law office, providing direct services to the public, with modest supervision of law students or other interns, and working collaboratively with other staff. Tremendous opportunity to learn and grow with an innovative and forward thinking organization. The focus for this staff attorney position is on homeownership preservation for vulnerable California residents.
Typical Duties and Responsibilities:
Staff Attorneys in housing carry their own caseload of both non-litigation and litigation cases. The particular positions open at this time require significant non-litigation advocacy regarding foreclosure prevention, as well as significant litigation on their behalf and administrative advocacy with a wide variety of agencies, local state and federal. The position will include smaller amounts of litigation and non-litigation consumer legal services and advocacy in other subject areas related to home preservation. The following are examples of typical duties. Other duties may be assigned by the Executive Director or other program managers.
Responsibilities include:
Engaging in non-litigation advocacy with mortgage servicers, homeowner associations, and a broad range of local, state and federal agencies.
Engaging in litigation, in both state and court, co-counseling with HERA staff and/or external co-counsel.
Modest supervision of law students or other interns involved in case work.
Engaging in a vast array of non-litigation advocacy across a swath of consumer topics and working intensively with clients one-on-one
Providing workshops, and participating in clinics.
Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Excellent legal research and writing
Attention to detail a must.
Excellent communication and presentation skills (written and oral)
Demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
Excellent organizational and training skills
Ability to understand and work in a non-profit, law office environment
A passion for problem solving.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Ability to multi-task and manage multiple projects.
Education and/or Experience:
Requires a Juris Doctorate and license to practice law, in good standing, in California. We prefer a minimum of two years of experience as an attorney, though experience in loss mitigation is not required. We welcome the possibility of a more experienced attorney joining. Bilingual ability in a non-English language commonly spoken in California strongly preferred.
Please email a resume, a list of three references with addresses and phone numbers, plus a legal writing sample to Maeve Elise Brown, Executive Director, Housing and Economic rights Advocates at [email protected]. Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you have not heard back from us within one week, please call Ms. Brown at 510 271-8443 ext. 307 to verify receipt of your application.