Attorney (Senior) - Equal Access and Housing

Overview

A senior attorney position is available within the Equal Access and Housing Practice Group, focusing on advocacy to end discrimination against people with disabilities and increase access to housing and public programs. This is a full-time, exempt role requiring 37.5 hours per week. The position is remote but requires the candidate to reside in California, with preferred locations including Sacramento, Berkeley, Los Angeles, or San Diego.

Responsibilities

• Develop, lead, and participate in litigation including class actions, complex cases, and appeals addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities.
• Represent individual clients in negotiations, mediations, administrative, and judicial proceedings.
• Supervise and mentor attorneys, advocates, fellows, clerks, and interns/externs.
• Prepare and coordinate training materials, publications, reports, and presentations related to legal work.
• Provide technical assistance and substantive training to staff.
• Collaborate with other agencies and organizations to address service provision issues.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• May directly supervise one or more attorneys or advocacy staff, including interviewing, hiring, training, assigning work, evaluating performance, providing feedback, addressing complaints, and resolving problems in accordance with agency policies and applicable laws.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree and admission to the California State Bar.
• Seven (7) years of legal practice experience, or internal candidates with two continuous years at the organization and six years of legal experience.
• Excellent advocacy skills including research, writing, analysis, and oral communication.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple complex advocacy projects and collaborate effectively.
• Commitment to working with people with disabilities and low-income clients, incorporating race equity and community lawyering principles.
• Expertise in one or more relevant areas of law affecting people with disabilities (e.g., ADA Title II, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Due Process Clause, FEHA, Unruh Civil Rights Act, Disabled Persons Act, CA Gov. Code Section 11135).
• Experience in at least two of the following: administrative proceedings, discovery, motion practice, class action litigation, trial advocacy, appellate practice.
• Four (4) years of successful litigation experience including class actions, complex litigation, appeals, administrative proceedings, writs, or single plaintiff/defendant lawsuits.
• Experience working with persons with disabilities and/or multi-ethnic communities.
• Experience in the disability rights or justice movement and/or extensive contacts in the disability community.
• Strong professional responsibility and ethics.
• Ability to meet deadlines, manage multiple tasks, and maintain attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently with appropriate supervision.

Desired Qualifications

• Fluency and effective writing skills in Spanish, an Asian language, or American Sign Language.
• Experience with or extensive contacts in ethnic or language-distinct communities.
• Understanding of race equity and community lawyering principles.
• Ability to maintain positive relationships with diverse groups.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in office or home environments and in various field settings including courthouses, facilities, institutional, and community-based locations.
• Regular communication via online platforms is required.
• Must be able to travel to work-related meetings, training, and community events.

Travel

• Occasional travel up to 25% of the time for out-of-town meetings, training, or outreach activities.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $89,435.80 – $130,958.10 annually, based on experience and internal equity analysis.
• Salary offers are determined through a structured process considering education and relevant experience to ensure fairness and consistency.
• Competitive salaries and a generous benefits package are offered.

Location

Remote within California; candidates must reside in California with preferred locations including Sacramento, Berkeley, Los Angeles, or San Diego.

Application Instructions

To be considered, applicants must submit:

• A completed employment application (do not reference resume only).
• Resume.
• Cover letter addressing personal and professional motivation for the position and how minimum and desired qualifications are met.
• A legal writing sample (no more than 10 pages).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Reasonable accommodations are available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform job responsibilities.