Description:
Job Overview:A Legal Aid Office in Wenatchee, Washington is seeking an energetic and passionate Full-Time Staff Attorney to join our team to enforce the new state law guaranteeing right to counsel for low-income tenants, prohibiting evictions without just cause, and outlawing source of income discrimination by representing indigent tenants in unlawful detainer actions in Chelan and Douglas Counties. The position will work collaboratively with CDCVAS staff to uphold the organization's mission and vision, supervise legal assistant and report to the Executive Director.
General Duties:
The Staff Attorney will undertake a range of duties including, but not limited to:
- Represent individuals found eligible for representation in unlawful detainer actions in the Chelan County Superior Court and Douglas County Superior Court. Additionally, the staff attorney will assist individuals with unfiled unlawful detainer actions as appropriate.
- Use strategic methods and a broad range of advocacy tools to address high priority, eviction-related client needs, with particular focus on legal needs of persons and groups that experience special barriers to accessing civil legal services, including immigrants, monolingual Spanish speakers, isolated rural inhabitants, people battling addiction, experiencing a mental health crisis and people involved or formerly involved in the criminal justice system.
- Engage with the communities of people at risk of eviction at regular legal clinics and participate in legal education events for groups, social and human services providers and justice system stakeholders, and serve as a resource to other advocates working on landlord-tenant and eviction related issues.
- Collaborate with providers of rental assistance, mediation, and other legal aid providers to ensure low-income renters have equitable access to housing justice.
- Utilize CDCVAS's case management and timekeeping systems and comply with all applicable regulatory requirements and reporting needs.
- Support the work of CDCVAS's eviction defense partners including private volunteer attorneys, programs serving the needs of unrepresented litigants, other legal aid providers and interested parties and organizations addressing the legal needs of low-income persons.
- Offer supervisory support and coaching for staff who support the appointed counsel (RTC) program
Qualifications:
- Washington State Bar Association membership in good standing, or the ability to acquire membership through admission by motion, or ability to take the next Washington bar exam is required.
- Experience with civil procedure, courtroom protocol, and rules of evidence
- Experience with eviction defense, housing laws and familiarity with housing programs and issues in the region
- Experience successfully working with low-income, diverse, limited English, and marginalized community members
- Willingness to participate in ongoing organizational and personal race equity and inclusion reflection.
- Completion of or ability to complete all training as required by the Office of Civil Legal Aid upon hire and as offered.
- Excellent communication skills and demonstrated reliability and responsiveness especially when working in a team, with volunteers, judicial staff, opposing counsel, clients and others
- Proficient with all forms of technology including case management software, Microsoft products, phones, server run platforms, on-line meeting platforms, etc.
- Able to track and implement changes to the law or local rules
- Nonprofit board work experience is desirable and/or volunteer experience.
- Experience in changing policy and/or advocacy is a plus
- Bilingualism is preferred (English/Spanish)
