The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia seeks an attorney to support its eviction prevention and affordable housing work. Legal Aid was formed in 1932 to “provide legal aid and counsel to indigent persons in civil law matters and to encourage measures by which the law may better protect and serve their needs.” Legal Aid is the oldest general civil legal services program in the District of Columbia. The largest part of our work is comprised of individual representation in housing, domestic violence/family, public benefits, and consumer law. We also work on immigration matters and help individuals with the collateral consequences of their involvement with the criminal justice system. From the experiences of our clients, we identify opportunities for law reform, public policy advocacy, and systemic reform litigation. For more information about Legal Aid please visit our website, www.LegalAidDC.org, and our blog, www.MakingJusticeReal.Org.
Tasks and Duties
Legal Aid has a broad and energetic housing practice. We give priority to cases that involve the prevention of an avoidable eviction, efforts to address dangerous or unhealthful housing conditions, and the preservation of affordable housing and subsidized housing. In addition to an active litigation docket, we engage in significant efforts to address issues of public policy. Our unit is currently staffed by three supervising attorneys, eleven staff attorneys including one senior staff attorney, one fellow, three “loaned associates” from law firms, a project coordinator, three legal assistants, and a case manager.
When the courts and our offices are not operating remotely, the staff in our Housing Unit work at Legal Aid’s central office and its community office in Southeast DC. Staff work on two projects: our Eviction Defense Project, which sites an office in the Landlord and Tenant Branch of D.C. Superior Court to provide same-day and extended representation to low-income tenants facing eviction; and our Affordable Housing Preservation Project, which seeks to preserve and expand safe and affordable housing for low-income District residents through building-wide legal representation. While working remotely, and with a current local moratorium on evictions and eviction case filings, staff attorneys spend a larger than usual portion of their days conducting intake and providing brief services to tenants at risk of eviction. All of this work is coordinated with other legal services providers and includes strong pro bono partnerships with area law firms and other attorneys in the community
The ideal candidate will have the following:
• Experience in legal services, ideally with a background in housing law;
• Strong litigation, organizational, communication, and leadership skills;
• A demonstrated commitment to social and economic justice;
• Ability to work collaboratively with Legal Aid colleagues and other legal services providers;
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize assignments; and
• Bilingual skills (in Spanish, Amharic, or another language prevalent in Legal Aid’s client community) strongly preferred
but not required.
Membership or eligibility for membership in the DC bar is required.
Interested persons are encouraged to apply immediately and should submit a letter of interest and resume using the following link: https://legalaiddc.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=46
Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. Position remains open until filled.