The Fresno Legal Fellow/Staff Attorney will be a key member of the three-person team who runs the Fresno Reentry Women & Employment Initiative (FRWEI). FRWEI is a program launched in 2018 that provides system-impacted women residing in the Central Valley holistic reentry legal services, including employment, financial, legal, and social services, as well as helping them engage in the policy reform process.
This position is a unique opportunity for a junior attorney to do highly impactful reentry legal services in the Central Valley. R&R’s practice is unique in multiple ways: we are holistic, focusing on the many legal barriers that women face post-incarceration, and we also take a feminist lens to our FRWEI work, focusing on areas where women need the most support: employment, housing, and family law. This is an amazing opportunity for a young attorney to engage in community lawyering and maximize impact in the Central Valley.
Our ideal candidate is compassionate, personable, and passionate about advancing the rights of women of color with criminal records and expanding R&R’s services, partnerships, and impact across the Central Valley. A successful candidate in this role will be able to communicate effectively, have organizational strategies, and be open to regular check-ins via video conference calls with various members of the R&R team.
Primary Responsibilities & Duties:
Legal Services & Advocacy
Conduct holistic legal intakes to assess for a client’s reentry legal needs and develop an appropriate legal services plan, in the areas of family and children, employment, housing, parole and probation, court debt, immigration, state identification, and any other issue area relevant to their successful reentry;
Carry and independently manage a client caseload;
Coordinate, or lead, where appropriate, regional know-your-rights trainings and legal clinics on key reentry topics; and
Work with and support the Central Valley Policy Advocate & Economic Security Coach and Women’s Support and Social Services Manager to further develop the wraparound model to serve women in reentry.
FRWEI Program Administration
Track client progress and data using Clio;
Gain familiarity and ensure attainability of all grant deliverables; and
Support in drafting grant proposals and grant reports ensuring continued funding for the project.
Community Outreach and Partnership:
Elevate the barriers faced by our clients in reentry to create structural and policy change that advance second chance opportunities and social justice;
Build partnerships and relationships with Central Valley stakeholders who may be aligned with Root & Rebound’s work and mission, including, but not limited to, social and legal services providers, government organizations, foundations, and directly-impacted organizations;
Expand and maintain strong relationships with local law firms, law school clinics, volunteer attorneys, and legal service organizations; and
In collaboration with the R&R policy team, and as capacity allows, push for policy reform on issues affecting justice-impacted women, including speaking with media or congressional representatives, or participating in communications campaigns.
Fundraising and Resource Development
Assist in efforts to secure and maintain funding for the organization;
Work with R&R team members to write and submit grant proposals;
Maintain necessary records for grant reporting and audits;
Seek and elevate potential new funding opportunities to sustain and grow R&R’s broader Central Valley work;
Support public relations, development, communications, and storytelling projects as needed; and
Other duties as requested based on department and/or organizational needs.
Qualifications:
Licensed to practice law in the state of CA, in good standing;
Experience with legal aid, public defense, and nonprofit work, with direct experience working with system-impacted individuals preferred;
Demonstrated dedication to social, racial, and economic justice;
Proficiency in Spanish;
Strong work ethic, resilience, and determination;
Flexible and able to prioritize work effectively with excellent time management; and
Willingness to travel periodically throughout California and R&R’s Oakland office when it is safe to do so.
To apply for this position, please send a resume, cover letter, a writing sample, and at least three references with contact information in an email with “Fresno Legal Fellow/Staff Attorney” in the email subject line to Veena Gursahani at [email protected]. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. No phone calls, please.