POSITION: Staff Attorney (Law School Graduate or Attorney)
LOCATION: Sacramento, California
TO APPLY: Send résumé, writing sample, and three references with telephone numbers to:
Sarah Ropelato, Managing Attorney
515 12th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
If applying via email, please send materials as a single PDF file.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 10, 2023
START DATE: March 16, 2023
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Founded in 1956, Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC) provides high quality civil legal assistance to the poor, seniors, and people with disabilities in 23 northern California counties from eight field offices assisting primarily in the areas of housing, health, public benefits and civil rights.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under supervision of the managing attorney, participate in all aspects of litigation including, but not limited to: client interviews, factual investigation, legal research, discovery, preparation of legal documents, negotiations, trials, and appellate work in both state and federal courts; appear at administrative hearings; provide legal advice to individual clients, and general legal information to eligible community groups as well as to the public in general.
QUALIFICATIONS CRITERIA:
- Knowledge of the principles and procedures of litigation in state and federal courts, administrative agencies and hearing rights; substantive areas of law relevant to program/office case priorities; principles of community development and establishment of working relationships; the theories of changes in the law and how to implement strategies for developing changes; principles and procedures of legislative advocacy; the importance of written reports to management; computer research methods.
- Skills: Client interviewing, investigation, legal research, analytical reasoning ability, creativity, excellent English writing skills, negotiation, trial skills, appellate writing and oral argument, communication/listening skills, ability to work under stress and short time lines, ability and desire to work with/for low-income people, older adults and people with disabilities, ability to empathize with client communities, and the ability to do online research.
- Language: An ability to relate to the client community being served; bilingual in a language spoken by client communities preferred, but not required.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
J.D. and a member of the California Bar or awaiting California Bar results and otherwise eligible for admission. This is an entry-level position or higher – law graduate or attorney with one (1) to five (5) years’ experience working with low-income people preferred; experience with community outreach and organizing preferred; Spanish-speaking ability preferred, but not required.
SALARY RANGE: $5,607 (Step 1) to $5,939 (Step 5) per month DOE
See LSNC’s Policy on Salary Scales and Scale Placement at lsnc.net
BENEFITS: Legal Services of Northern California offers an excellent fringe benefit plan.
LSNC PROVIDES A BILINGUAL BONUS FOR EMPLOYEES WHO SPEAK A SECOND LANGUAGE, OTHER THAN ENGLISH, COMMONLY SPOKEN BY CLIENTS WHEN THE SECOND LANGUAGE IS USED ON THE JOB FOR WHICH THE PERSON IS EMPLOYED.
LSNC IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER AND ENCOURAGES WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, OLDER PEOPLE, AND LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE TO APPLY.