Temporary Economic Justice Staff Attorney

BayLegal seeks an Attorney or Legal Advocate with a strong commitment to public interest and social justice advocacy to join our Santa Clara County office to preserve tenancies for low-income tenants in Silicon Valley. This position provides the opportunity to address a range of issues facing low-income individuals, with a focus on Economic Justice and access to public benefits, including CalWORKs, CalFresh, General Assistance, and eligibility for Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). As a member of BayLegal’s regional practice, there may  be travel within BayLegal’s broader service area for purposes of meeting with clients and as necessary for training and advocacy. This is a temporary position and is expected to last through March 2025.
 As an Economic Justice Staff Attorney or Legal Advocate, you will have the opportunity to:

• Learn and assist with the diverse legal needs of low-income communities in the Bay Area to help reduce homelessness, enhance stability, and address social injustice.
• Represent clients in a range of public benefits matters, including in CalWORKs, CalFresh, General Assistance, Social Security disability benefits, SSI and CAPI claims and appeals.
• Represent clients in all stages of administrative proceedings related to their public benefits claims.
• Assist clients with accessing other county, state, and federal benefit programs, as needed.
• Identify and employ impact advocacy strategies to remove systematic barriers to public benefits for client populations, including particularly vulnerable groups such as immigrants and refugees, survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, people experiencing homelessness, and people with disabilities.
• Develop relationships and collaborate with community partners, including governmental agencies, and community-based organizations.
• Engage and develop new relationships and collaborations with a range of public and private community partners, including governmental agencies, and community-based organizations, to ensure integrative services and address systemic barriers facing BayLegal's client community.
• Provide public benefits trainings and technical assistance to BayLegal staff and community partners.
• Work collaboratively with attorneys practicing in BayLegal’s other substantive areas
• Engage in other tasks and projects that further BayLegal's mission.

• Humility in working with colleagues and clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and/or limited English proficiency.
• Member of CA Bar in good standing or admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for 3 years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program preferred.
• Candidates who are not licensed but have a J.D. and/or have significant experience working with government benefits shall be considered.
• Experience with administrative advocacy preferred.
• Strong personal work ethic and ability to organize time, manage diverse activities, and meet critical deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, with ability to be detail oriented.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic team.
• Curious and self-directed with an ability to anticipate what needs to be done.
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects while maintaining a firm grasp of individual project details.
• Candidates with bilingual ability in Spanish, Vietnamese, or another client language  are highly encouraged to apply.

Health & Safety and Hybrid Work Environment: BayLegal is committed to the health and safety of our staff, clients, and community. Being accessible to our client communities is integral to our mission and commitment as a direct services community-based law firm.  BayLegal has implemented detailed health and safety protocols to minimize risk of exposure to Covid-19 and has an evolving plan to continue to increase in-person services and activities in our offices and community-based advocacy sites.  Currently, most BayLegal employees work a hybrid model including set on-site and in-person work and working from home on a part-time basis.  All employees are expected to reside in California and at a distance allowing them to commute to their physical BayLegal base location and service delivery locations as needed during the standard work week and in compliance with public health advisories.
Compensation and Benefits: We offer a diverse, family friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with medical and dental benefits, paid holidays, and sick leave.  Compensation is based on experience and competitive public interest salaries. The estimated annual salary range for attorneys is $77,000 - $100,000 (Advocates salary range start at 61,000); placement in range is determined primarily by the years of related experience. 
Applications: BayLegal thrives on our diversity, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  We are committed to building a culturally diverse workplace and strongly encourage women, LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, veterans, individuals who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply.  We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates and employees pursuant to applicable law.  We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. If you require reasonable accommodation as part of the application process, please contact BayLegal’s Human Resources Manager (510) 250-5225.
BayLegal will begin reviewing applications upon receipt and continue until the position is filled. Please submit (1) cover letter including response to question below (no page limit), (2) resume, (3) references, and (4) writing sample through BayLegal’s career application portal.
As part of your cover letter, please address the following:
BayLegal’s clients are low-income and very low-income members of our communities. They include LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, the working poor, seniors, people who are limited English proficient, veterans, persons with disabilities, survivors of abuse and exploitation, individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, and people who are experiencing or at risk of homeless, and persons from other underrepresented groups. To ensure our organization is best serving these populations, BayLegal strives to promote an evolving set of behaviors and attitudes amongst our staff, as well as policies that enable us to work effectively across cultures, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community. We see this as a commitment to enhance the provision of our services to all clients; to raise the level of positive client outcomes; and to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued.
How do you think your experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to serve our diverse client base effectively, work effectively with colleagues from different backgrounds than your own, and to contribute to our commitment to humility, inclusion, and diversity? Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences.

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