Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto: Staff/Senior Attorney, Housing Program
CLSEPA is seeking a Staff or Senior Attorney for its Housing Program. The tenant protection legal work of the Housing Program is vital in combating displacement and enhancing housing stability for working-class communities in San Mateo County and Mountain View. They collaborate with tenants, tenant associations, and various nonprofit organizations to disseminate legal information, promote collective change, and offer free legal services to all who qualify.
About Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto:
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 by community leaders engaged in the social justice movement. Our mission is to provide transformative legal services that enable diverse communities in East Palo Alto and beyond to achieve a secure and thriving future. We serve low-income and working-class populations, predominantly communities of color, in the areas of immigration, housing, employment, and reentry law. We maximize our impact by coupling direct services with community education, technical assistance, and policy advocacy.
As a Senior or Staff Attorney, you will:
Provide legal advice and representation to clients on a variety of housing issues, including eviction, habitability, and rent control enforcement.
Represent clients in unlawful detainer cases, affirmative litigation, and administrative hearings.
Participate in community outreach events and legal workshops/clinics.
Maintain and establish relationships with community partners.
Work collaboratively with organized tenants and tenant advocates.
As an Attorney, you have:
California Bar membership, pending Bar passage results or Provisionally Licensed Attorney status;
Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income populations and communities of color;
Excellent written and oral communication skills;
Ability to relate to and communicate with a broad range of clients and colleagues;
Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with others, both within the organization and in the community; and
Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Tongan, or Tagalog preferred.
Compensation
This is a full-time exempt position with the following starting annualized salary ranges (dependent on experience and years out of law school):
Staff Attorney: $78,000-$86,000
Senior Attorney (at least three years’ relevant experience): $88,000-$110,000
The ranges provided are CLSEPA’s reasonable estimates of the base compensation for this/these roles. The actual salary amount may be higher or lower, based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Benefits and Perks
In addition to a competitive compensation package, we offer competitive benefits, including health insurance, generous PTO and a 403(b). To promote and support financial wellness, CLSEPA pays state bar dues, and malpractice insurance. This position qualifies for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
Physical Requirements
Prolonged periods of concentration while sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Location
CLSEPA is a hybrid workplace. Employees must reside in the Bay Area or Northern California and be able to commute to their CLSEPA office and other service locations as needed. This position requires one in-person day per week at our East Palo Alto office, as well as travel for in-person client meetings when phone or video meetings are not feasible or when otherwise needed to best serve clients, including court or administrative agency hearings. It will also require commuting for periodic team or all staff gatherings (approximately once or twice per month).
CLSEPA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees/applicants in all of our employment practices without regard to race, religion, color, sex or gender (including gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, pregnancy-and childbirth- related medical conditions), sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, uniform-service member/veteran status, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, taking/requesting statutorily protected leave, or any other basis protected by law.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, CLSEPA will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Application Process
The success of our mission depends on building and maintaining a diverse organization where people with different backgrounds and experiences bring new perspectives and challenge assumptions. To that end, we seek a diverse pool of applicants including those from historically marginalized groups - women, people with disabilities, people of color, formerly incarcerated people, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or gender nonconforming, first- and second-generation immigrants, veterans, and people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible by submitting a resume, cover letter, writing sample and 3 professional references using this link or email jobs@clsepa.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Why a cover letter? We want to learn more about why CLSEPA appeals to you. CLSEPA serves a highly diverse, primarily low-income client population of color. Our staff must work effectively across cultures with clients, colleagues, and the community, and help foster an inclusive, respectful workplace where differences are recognized and valued.
Cover Letter Prompt
Feel free to think broadly about your response to the following question (applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences):
How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to service, equity, humility, and inclusion amongst our staff?