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.
Our Values
We value Service, Equity, Humility, and Inclusion and practice:
- Working towards our mission in concert with colleagues, our clients, and community. We recognize that people come to us as whole Service is inherent in treating others the way you want to be treated and recognizing we all have the power to create change.
- Acknowledging, addressing, and reducing harm that results from inequities in society and within our own organization. Working for equity involves decreasing systematic mistreatment and barriers created by systems of social inequality. It also involves working towards increasing shared access to power, privilege, and resources in the community and within the workplace
- Understanding that learning is a life-long process, and we can learn from non-traditional sources, like clients and each Humility is listening with active curiosity and thinking about your own reactions and judgments. Humility is appreciating other identities, expressions, behaviors, and ways of being and doing that are different from your own.
- Creating an environment where everyone, including those who have been historically excluded, is valued, able to participate fully, and have a voice.
As a Staff or Senior Attorney in our Housing Program, you will: Represent tenants in eviction lawsuits.
Represent tenants in litigation and administrative proceedings to improve living conditions.
Work on all aspects of strategic, impact litigation and affirmative lawsuits, including investigation, written discovery, depositions, motion practice, mediation, and trial prep.
Depending on experience, train, mentor, and supervise staff, legal fellows, pro bono attorneys, and law students working on housing cases and at clinics.
Participate in community outreach events and legal workshops/clinics.
You have:
California Bar membership or are waiting on results from the July 2022 California Bar exam; Proficiency in verbal Spanish, Portuguese, Tongan or Tagalog;
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; and
Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with others, both within the organization and in the community.
Benefits and Perks
We offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to include health insurance, generous PTO and a 403(b) plan.
To promote and support financial wellness, CLSEPA pays state bar dues, malpractice insurance, Health Care FSA, Dependent Care FSA and commuter benefits. This position qualifies for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
Compensation
This is a full-time exempt position with the following starting salary ranges (dependent on experience):
- Staff Attorney starting salary range: $75,000-$83,000 per year
- Senior Attorney starting salary range: $88,000-$110,000 per year
Location
CLSEPA is a hybrid workplace. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most CLSEPA employees work remotely with some in-office presence due to their clients’ needs, personal preference, or other work- related needs. Employees are expected to reside in California and at a distance allowing them to commute to their physical CLSEPA base location or other service delivery locations as needed and in compliance with public health advisories.
This position requires commuting when necessary to hold in-person meetings with clients (when clients are not able to meet via telephone or video call or there is another client-centered reason to meet in person) and for any mandatory in-person court appearances. It will also require commuting/in- person presence for periodic team or all-staff gatherings (frequency is approximately once or twice a month).
Physical Requirements
Prolonged periods of concentration while sitting at a desk and working on a computer and may require lifting boxes.
COVID 19 Policy
Proof of completed Covid-19 vaccination, including eligible booster(s), will be required for all employees (except for reasonable accommodations due to medical and/or religious beliefs).
Application Process and Materials
Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible by submitting their application via this link Staff or Senior Attorney, Housing Program. Please be sure to include your resume, cover letter, writing sample, and a document containing 3 references.
Why a cover letter? We want to learn more about why CLSEPA – CLSEPA’s clientele is extremely diverse, and the majority of our clients are low-income persons of color. It is critical that our staff work effectively in all cross-cultural situations, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community, and that we create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued.
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 cultural humility and diversity amongst our staff?
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.