Project Coordinator- Homelessness Prevention Law Project

ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Public Counsel operates eight legal projects: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Rights, the Audrey Irmas Project for Women & Girls’ Rights, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law.

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of over 150. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities.

ABOUT HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION LAW PROJECT

Public Counsel’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project (HPLP) serves individuals who are unhoused or at high risk of becoming homeless. HPLP provides pro bono representation to homeless individuals and families to stabilize housing and secure food and other vital benefits. In addition, HPLP assists unrepresented low-income litigants in unlawful detainer actions, and helps address tickets and warrants that present barriers to an individual’s housing and stability.

In addition to our homelessness prevention and anti-displacement efforts, our recent work includes:

• Supporting local tenants in their successful efforts to obtain and preserve COVID-related eviction protections.
• Teaming up with other non-profit legal services providers, tenant organizers and community-based organizations throughout Los Angeles County to push forward the implementation of a Right to Counsel for all tenants in eviction proceedings.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Supervising Staff Attorney, the Project Coordinator will join a program that focuses on delivering comprehensive, trauma-informed, wrap-around legal services designed to remove barriers to housing. This program, launched in spring 2018, serves youth, families and single adults in the communities within Los Angeles County’s Service Planning Area (SPA) 6, encompassing South Los Angeles, Compton, Florence, Rosewood, Willowbrook, Crenshaw, West Adams, Lynwood, Paramount and Windsor Hills, in partnership with regional Coordinated Entry System (CES) health and social service partners. This innovative program is designed to remove barriers to housing that require legal intervention, including but not limited to: eviction prevention, landlord dispute resolution, government benefits, worker compensation/unemployment benefits, clearing financial debt, professional licenses and identification, and expungement of criminal records.

This is a full-time position that will involve off-site clinic work in South Los Angeles communities and other parts of Los Angeles County. The position has the following responsibilities:

• Perform intakes, communicate with clients, and complete administrative work related to cases accepted for representation, with attorney supervision;
• Assist with preparation of legal documents related to eviction defense and other types of cases as assigned, with attorney supervision
• Provide litigation support to Staff Attorneys and Supervising Attorney;
• Act as a resource for other Public Counsel staff and community partners;
• Participate in community outreach, including preparing and presenting trainings and special projects;
• Coordinate grant reporting, billing, and outcome tracking for case work as directed by the Supervising Attorney;
• Perform various clerical duties such as record-keeping, document copying, etc.; and,
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Experience in administrative work related to eviction defense and/or housing law;
• Comfort with practicing trauma-informed legal advocacy: empathy, responsive listening, restraint from judgment, and demonstration of authentic care and concern;
• Ability to work with and have sensitivity to individuals experiencing homelessness, including single adults, youth, and families;
• Commitments to race equity and community-centered work, and willingness to incorporate race equity principles and community-centered approaches in practice;
• Experience with data collection and creating reports;
• Work well as part of a team, but also be able to work independently;
• Strong written and oral communication skills;
• Detail-oriented and superior organizational skills; and
• Ability to commute throughout Los Angeles County.
• In addition, as required by funding and our service partners, candidates must:
• Obtain certification that candidate is free of active tuberculosis prior to contact with clients;
• Participate in other health and security clearances.

JOB TYPE, SALARY AND BENEFITS

• Full-time, Non-Exempt position
• Position is created with designated funds and is contingent on ongoing funding for the program
• Bargaining
• Salary Range: The salary range for this position, $53,000-$64,139.75. Pay is commensurate depending on experience.
• Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with both HMO and PPO options,
• The option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account,
• A 403(b) retirement plan with elective contribution and a discretionary employer contribution after a year of employment, and
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans.
• Generous paid time off
• On-site parking available or public transportation reimbursement available

HOW TO APPLY

We value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please consider discussing such experiences in your cover letter, especially if they are not reflected in your resume.

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work has been permitted during the pandemic. All employees with Public Counsel are required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders.

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy, child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment