BayLegal’s San Francisco Housing Team: The San Francisco housing team is comprised of 9 attorneys-including three supervising attorneys– two advocates and a social worker who collaborate as a team to preserve low-income and subsidized housing tenants’ housing in San Francisco. As part of San Francisco’s Tenant Right to Counsel Initiative, the team works closely with other civil legal services agencies in the county to provide full-scope legal representation to tenants in eviction proceedings.
Position: BayLegal seeks an attorney with a strong commitment to public interest and social justice advocacy to join our dynamic tenants’ rights practice as Supervising Attorney of the Housing Unit for the San Francisco Office and to support BayLegal’s greater mission. You will work closely with and report directly to the San Francisco Regional Office Managing Attorney, along with working closely with the other Supervising Attorneys, Regional Housing Counsel, Director of Program & Advocacy, and Director of Litigation & Advocacy to support your team and further BayLegal’smission
As a Supervising Attorney you will have the opportunity to:
- Learn and assist with the diverse legal needs of underserved and vulnerable communities in San Francisco and broader Bay Area;
- Provide day-to-day training and support to staff attorneys and advocates, including support of all aspects of eviction defense and affordable housing case work.
- Maintain a reduced caseload to provide direct client services.
- Conduct training, mentoring, evaluation, and professional development.
- Participate in recruitment and hiring of staff.
- Engage the team in annual planning and periodic reviews of priorities and responses to emerging issues in the client community.
- Identify systemic problems that affect our clients’ housing rights and address these challenges through affirmative litigation and policy work.
- Lead the team’s participation in relevant local, regional, and statewide tenants’ rights taskforces and policy advocacy efforts that further the interests of clients in our community.
- Help lead relationship building, partnership and collaboration with local court, government, and community-based agencies to a maintain social safety net for low- income clients and ensure integrative services.
- Work closely with BayLegal’s managing attorneys, regional counsel, supervising attorneys, development, grants and contracts, and communications team to promote BayLegal’s mission and resource development; and
- Engage in other tasks and projects that further BayLegal’s mission and operations as a non-profit.
Requirements/Qualifications/About the Successful Candidate:
- Humility in working with colleagues and clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status,
- Membership in good standing in the California State Bar.
- Five or more years of practice as a licensed attorney, less years of experience considered if substantial litigation experience involved.
- Demonstrated commitment to racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and skills to lead a team in prioritizing these values.
- Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, with ability to be detail-oriented
- Proficient in with inter-agency collaboration and a demonstrated history of working well with public, nonprofit, and private partners, including non-legal community-based organizations and service providers.
- Experience recognizing, addressing, and resolving interpersonal conflicts.
- Direct service experience, particularly in litigating Unlawful Detainer actions.
- Familiarity with the San Francisco housing court strongly preferred.
- Facility and transparency in communicating important information to staff and ability to motivate commitment to the mission;
- Skilled at developing and articulating a clear vision of priorities and inspire others to maximum effectiveness;
- Ability to develop and implement effective training and mentorship programs for new staff;
- Ability to take decisive action and ensure accountability;
- Experience and skills organizing and supervising case work and legal projects;
- Skilled in clear, concise, and effective communication with colleagues, funders, partners, and stakeholders, including in writing, meetings, and public presentations.
- Experience leading a diverse, dynamic team with varied communication styles, learning styles, and levels of professional experience and identifying and professional development opportunities and work with staff on setting and achieving goals for professional growth.
- Knowledge of issues impacting social justice advocates such as secondary trauma and burnout and demonstrated commitment to policies and practices that promote sustainability and well-being for staff.
- Experience developing and leading projects, including defining scope of work, overseeing compliance, progress and tracking, meeting deadlines, evaluation, and reporting.
HYBRID WORK OPTION: BayLegal is committed to the health and safety of our staff, clients, and community. Being accessible to our client communities and reducing barriers for them to access our services is integral to our mission and commitment as a direct services community-based law firm. BayLegal has health and safety protocols to minimize risk of exposure. BayLegal has an evolving plan to continue to safely increase in-person services and activities in our offices and community-based advocacy sites. Currently, most BayLegal employees work a hybrid model including on-site and in-person work and working from home on a part-time basis. Employees are expected to reside in California and at a distance allowing them to commute to their physical BayLegal base location, and to other service delivery locations as needed, during the standard work week.
Compensation and Benefits: We offer a diverse, family friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with a generous benefits package. The estimated starting annual salary range for this position is: $94,000 – $122,000 (placement in range determined primarily by years of related experience). BayLegal’s benefits package includes 100% employer covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and up to 60% for dependents; long term disability insurance; stipends for bilingual employees whose language skills are used in the provision of work tasks; student debt repayment program; dependent childcare employer contribution program and 401k retirement plan following first year. Paid leave policy includes sick leave; parental leave; 15 holidays each year and vacation (starting at 13 days and increasing with additional years of employment).
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 a reasonable accommodation as part of the application process, please contact BayLegal’s Human Resources Manager at (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 our 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.