Senior Attorney - Fair Housing

Company: Contra Costa County Bar Association
Location: San Diego
Posted on: May 28, 2023

Job Description:

DescriptionPosition SummaryWith minimum supervision, effectively represents clients in all phases of litigation and administrative proceedings. Supervises and trains attorneys, advocates, and volunteers. Develops and implements team priorities and goals. Responsible for all required administrative functions and requirements of their team, including grant submission and management. Responsible for the optimum functioning of a specialized law team in a legal aid environment.About the OrganizationLegal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD), the largest poverty law firm serving San Diego County since 1953, strengthens our communities by redressing our clients' legal problems, empowering our clients to access and effectively participate within the legal, governmental, and social systems and encouraging self-empowerment in the fight against poverty and injustice. LASSD continues to be a proud, committed, and compassionate group of people dedicated to providing equal access to justice for San Diegans through aggressive, quality legal services. #justicebeginshereEssential Functions:--- Competently plans and handles complex litigation, including maintaining a complex caseload and representingclients in all phases of state and federal litigation as well as administrative proceedings with DFEH and HUD.--- In conjunction with management, develops and implements team priorities, goals, and objectives.--- Works with management and other members of the Leadership Team to provide meaningful input on firm's practices and procedures, address challenges, and ensure delivery of quality legal services.--- Supervises team staff and volunteers on the substantive law as well as internal policies and procedures. Conducts case review and team meetings. Responds to client grievances.--- Interviews and trains new staff. Evaluates the work of and creates professional development plans for team members.--- Timely and accurately handles team administration, including but not limited to: review and approval of staff time sheets/ time entries, coordination of staff leave, monitoring/maintenance of team calendar.--- Proposes new funding strategies and solicits increased funding by preparing grant proposals and submissions for their team and presenting at city council and county board meetings.--- Manages all team-specific grants including; ensuring timely completion of deliverables, drafting and submitting grant reports, responding to funders, preparing for and participating in monitoring visits.--- Oversees fair housing testing program.--- Develops and implements mid and long-term strategies for resolution of systemic barriers to our clients' economic security and social wellbeing, collaborates with other teams to provide holistic services.--- Trains less experienced staff attorneys to become effective in representation of their clients through trial preparation, drafting of pleadings, discovery, effective research and case preparation and litigation strategy.--- Develops a positive working relationship with our client communities and partners.--- Coordinates and presents at community education and outreach events, provides technical assistance to governmental partners, participates in SDRAFFH and plans Fair Housing month events.--- Assists firm in providing up-to-date information about practice area via website and social media.--- Works in such a way as to be an example for team members and other program personnel.--- Meaningfully reports on all of the above to the Board of Directors annually.--- Assists in preparation of routine correspondence, reporting, audits, and site visits with funders.--- Complies with all program and grant requirements.--- Other duties as assigned by management.RequirementsQualifications:--- Must have five (5) years' experience as a practicing attorney, three (3) of which must be in public interest including working with county indigent programs, administrative law and/or litigation experience.--- Must have demonstrated capabilities in using basic tools of the litigating attorney: discovery, motion practice, administrative proceedings, as well as trial experience and appeals in state and federal court.--- Must have demonstrated knowledge, skills, and experience in the proposed area of practice with the ability todevelop procedural and substantive strategies to effectively represent clients and undertake resolution of systemic problems inequities affecting our client population.--- Must have experience with grant writing and grant management.--- Must have demonstrated capacity to train and mentor lesser experienced attorneys.--- Must be a member of the California and Federal Bar.--- Demonstrated experience in working with and representing our client communities.--- Demonstrated skills in managing others in a regulated climate and ensuring personal and team compliance with such regulations.--- Excellent Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint skills.--- Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with the public and with volunteers.--- High level of attention to detail required.--- Skill in working independently and following through on assignments with accuracy and minimal direction.--- Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as required by events and deadlines.--- Education and/or experience that demonstrates an understanding of the needs of low-income persons and/or other under-served, under-represented populations.--- Must have reliable transportation.Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities--- Fluency in written and spoken Spanish preferred.Salary and Benefits:The Senior Attorney position is a salaried position with a salary range of $89,000 - $114,000. LASSD offers a generous benefits package, a 35-hour workweek, paid vacation leave and sick leave and 100% employer-paid medical premium, 50% employer-paid premium for dependents under LASSD health plan, as well as, dental, vision and life benefits. Staff also have the option to participate in a 403(b)-retirement plan and dependent and health flex savings accounts (FSA). LASSD has its own law school repayment program and is an eligible nonprofit employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. In addition, there is a bilingual pay increase of 2% for passing an oral test and 2% for passing a written test for threshold languages other than English.LASSD is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.Hybrid Work Environment:Legal Aid Society of San Diego ("LASSD") has adopted a hybrid work environment in which most staff are required to work in the office part of the week and permitted to work remotely for the remainder of the week, provided their job duties allow. All employees are issued LASSD computers and provided appropriate supplies to perform their work. LASSD has implemented and continues to explore additional technologies to make our hybrid working environment as efficient and connected as possible. All employees must be available to travel to LASSD offices and service locations throughout San Diego County as needed and in compliance with public health advisories. Applicants must reside in or near San Diego County or plan to relocate in or near the County prior to their start date and must be able to commute to the physical Legal Aid Society of San Diego office locations or service delivery locations within San Diego County. LASSD's normal business hours are 9am-5pm, but we are open to providing flexible work schedules to the extent feasible for the position. LASSD reserves the right to change these policies at any time.Mandatory Vaccination Policy:LASSD has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. We will consider individual requests for exemption from the policy for: (1) medical reasons, and/or (2) based on an applicant or employees sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance. Any applicant or employee requesting an exemption should submit a completed exemption request form to Human Resources. Upon receipt of a completed exemption request form and any supporting documentation, LASSD will engage in an interactive discussion with the applicant or employee to determine whether an exemption is appropriate and can be granted without posing an undue hardship to LASSD or a direct threat to the health or safety of the individual making the request or others at LASSD. Any individual granted an exemption from the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement may be subject to conditions and restrictions (such as being required to use additional personal protective equipment or submit to LASSD-provided COVID-19 testing) to mitigate the risk to the individual and others at LASSD. LASSD will require employees to be up to date on their vaccinations which will include at least one booster.Diversity and Inclusion:It is vitally important to LASSD that we represent the community that we serve. LASSD is a signatory to the San Diego County Bar Association's Diversity Pledge. We pledge to promote diversity and inclusion through hiring and retention, promotion and leadership, engagement of outside counsel, and participation in legal community diversity initiatives. We strongly encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply.

Keywords: Contra Costa County Bar Association, San Diego , Senior Attorney - Fair Housing, Legal , San Diego, California