Oregon Law Center Staff Attorney—Lane County
POSITION: The Oregon Law Center (OLC) seeks a staff attorney to provide civil legal services to residents of manufactured home parks and floating home marina tenants. This position is made possible by an allocation from the Oregon Legislature for a four-year project, which may be extended. This position is in Eugene and serves clients throughout the state of Oregon. Eugene is one of the largest three cities in Oregon and has all the amenities of a bustling metropolis combined with convenient and easy access to the Cascade mountains and forest and the Pacific Ocean. Eugene is located along the Willamette River and has a dynamic mix of arts and culture, entertainment and sports, the University of Oregon, craft brewing and eclectic dining, and cycling and track and field opportunities.
ABOUT US: OLC is a legal services program committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon by providing a full range of the highest quality civil legal services. OLC operates eleven regional offices, a state support unit, legislative advocacy unit, and statewide farmworker program.
The Lane County Legal Aid/Oregon Law Center office consists of eleven attorneys, four legal assistants, and one senior law administrator. We set priorities according to client need. Current priorities are housing law, domestic violence, senior law, immigration law, and public benefits. We seek to make real improvements in clients’ lives and to help eliminate the underlying causes of poverty.
RESPONSIBILITIES: This position will focus on providing services to residents of manufactured home parks and floating home marinas who own their homes and rent a space in a park or a slip in a marina. The attorney will provide high quality, legal services to residents across the state using telephone, video, in person or other means to ensure coverage of the state. Legal services will range from presentations to tenants about their legal rights, advice, negotiation, and litigation. The attorney will strive to develop strategies to resolve cases favorably and cost-effectively for tenants, including working collaboratively with other legal services programs and private attorneys to represent these tenants. This position will strive to keep residents in their manufactured homes and floating homes, with a focus on those cases which impact the most park and marina tenants. Services will be provided in accessible formats and utilizing interpreters when necessary. The attorney will appear in state circuit courts and municipal courts in eviction matters.
SALARY/BENEFITS: $66,000 to $72,000 depending on experience level. Additional compensation for bilingual ability. Competitive benefits package includes individual and family health, vision and dental insurance coverage, employer retirement contribution, generous paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave, paid moving expenses and bar study leave, among others.
OLC is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a healthy work environment for a diverse staff. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and communities to apply.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Demonstrated commitment to justice for low-income communities.
• Demonstrated ability to take direction and guidance from low-income clients and their self-identified priorities and work for solutions within the legal process.
• Excellent written and verbal advocacy skills.
• A high degree of initiative and ability to manage work independently.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to think creatively when addressing our clients’ issues.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, positive attitude, and sense of humor.
• Ability to manage an active caseload of individual clients and client groups.
• Experience in landlord/tenant matters.
PREFERENCES:
• Demonstrated proficiency in spoken and written Spanish.
• Admission to Oregon Bar.
• Three to seven years of experience.
• Experience with complex advocacy on behalf of low-income individuals and groups.
• Personal experience with poverty, disability, or any other minority status or affiliation.
Application: Position open until filled. To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and list of three references to Erika Hente, Managing Attorney, Oregon Law Center/Lane County Legal Aid, [email protected] or 101 East Broadway, Suite 200, Eugene, Oregon 97401.
As part of your cover letter, please address the following:
OLC is committed to achieving justice for the low-income communities of Oregon. Our client communities include people of color, farmworkers, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, seniors, people with lived experiences of homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented groups. We strive to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued because we believe such an environment is essential to our work serving clients. How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to: (1) serve our diverse client communities effectively, (2) work effectively with colleagues from backgrounds different than your own, (3) acknowledge the systemic barriers that our clients and some colleagues face, and (4) contribute to our efforts to achieve racial justice? Feel free to provide examples and apply various aspects of your life and personal experiences, as you respond to this question.