If you require an accommodation due to a disability to complete this application OR you are experiencing issues submitting your application and accompanying
materials please e-mail talent@disabilityrightsca.org.
Make a difference! We fight for the rights of people that have disabilities….JOIN US!
We welcome Deaf and Disabled applicants to apply
THIS IS A BILINGUAL SPANISH/ENGLISH POSITION.
Office Location: Sacramento, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, or Remote within California
Salary Range (Depending on Experience):
Staff Attorney I $67,477 – $98,817 year (Band 9)
Staff Attorney 2 $80,357 – $117,671 year (Band 11)
We base salary and position offers on experience and an internal equity analysis.
Employment Status: Regular, Full Time, Exempt
EXCELLENT BENEFITS including 8% 401k Match, a LRAP (Loan Repayment Assistance Program) that pays up to $300 per month depending on salary and debt, a language differential up to $250/mo. Health (HMO and PPO options), dental, vision, basic life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance and flexible spending accounts (medical, dependent care and commuter). Additionally, we offer ample vacation, sick/self care leave and eighteen paid holidays (including the last week in December) and more….. We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – eligible employer.
Application Deadline: Open until filled.
WHO WE ARE
Disability Rights California (DRC) defends, advances, and strengthens the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities.
DRC works for a world where all disabled people have power and are treated with dignity and respect. In this world, people with disabilities are supported, valued, included in their communities, afforded the same opportunities as people without disabilities, and make their own decisions.
DRC values all forms of human diversity. We are committed to a culture of belonging where all people are welcome. In order to be effective advocates for all people with disabilities, we must address discrimination in all its forms, including the unique challenges faced by people who experience the intersection of multiple systems of discrimination.
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The Staff Attorney will work in DRC’s Fair Hearing Project (FHP). Project staff will provide representation at administrative hearing for mono-lingual Spanish speaking regional center consumers. The Fair Hearing Project will be limited to service denials that will result in serious harm to the client.
The Project will be staffed by a total of 4 attorneys including the Supervising Attorney. Project staff will collaborate with the Legal Advocacy Unit and the Office of Clients Rights Advocates to ensure that DRC offers a comprehensive advocacy strategy to address the needs of the Latinx IDD community.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential functions are the job responsibilities an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Conduct intake to identify cases that are appropriate for hearing.
• Draft a high volume of administrative complaints and carry an active caseload of clients requiring representation at hearing.
• Partner with Latinx organizations to provide advocacy assistance.
• Staff 2 attorneys will handle multiple cases and advocacy projects with appropriate supervision depending on experience including leading individual client litigation, writs, administrative practice, and policy advocacy.
• Staff 2 attorneys are eligible to receive a differential for coordinating the LAU law clerk program.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
STAFF ATTORNEY 1
• Juris Doctor degree (JD) plus 1-2 years’ experience.
• Fluency in Spanish.
• Awareness of cultural competency and intersectional issues.
• Ability to research and analyze legal authority.
• Ability to analyze complex problems and develop creative solutions.
• Demonstrated commitment – through lived experience and/or employment history – to working with people with disabilities, people of color and low-income clients, and incorporating race equity and community lawyering principles into their work.
STAFF ATTORNEY 2
5 full years of legal experience.
– Demonstrated commitment – through lived experience and/or employment history – to working with people with disabilities and low-income clients and incorporating race equity and community lawyering principles into their work.
– Expertise in one or more substantive areas of law required for the position
– Experience in one or more of: litigation, administrative practice, working on complex legal matters, and leadership and mentoring related to the position
– Demonstrated ability to successfully lead multiple advocacy projects such as intake/outreach projects, administrative proceedings, writs, eviction defense, or single client defendant lawsuits.
LICENSES / CERTIFICATES
Must be a member of the California State Bar, or eligible to practice under the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
Ability to travel routinely for activities such as supervisory visits, team meetings, board meetings, workshops, education, training, or outreach activities up to 25% of the time.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The following describes general working conditions and requirements of the job, which can be performed with or without disability-related reasonable accommodations:
• Duties are performed between an office or home environment and the field in a wide range of settings, including courthouses, facilities, or other institutional settings, or in community-based settings.
• Duties require regular communications over online platforms.
• Must be able to transport oneself to work-related meetings, training, and community events.
If you are interested in becoming a part of DRC, please submit the following:
1. Online Disability Rights California Application Form
2. Your resume
3. Cover Letter: We need a workforce that can utilize insights and strategies that can come from both professional and personal experience. In your cover letter, please tell us about yourself and why you are a great fit for this position and for DRC.
4. Sample of legal writing (i.e., a legal argument, letter or analysis) consisting of no more than 10 pages of text.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
At Disability Rights California, we value diversity among our employees because unique perspectives allow us to effectively serve Californians with disabilities from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, age (over 40), Disability (mental and physical), sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military and veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
Disability Rights California endorses and supports the intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are applicants or employees who need accommodations.