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
Location: Sacramento, Oakland, San Diego, Los Angeles, or Work from Home/Remote (Must live in California)
SALARY RANGE (Depending on Experience):
Staff Attorney 2: $80,356 – $117,671 year
Senior Attorney: $89,434 – $130,958 year
We base salary and position offers on experience and an internal equity analysis.
Employment Status: Exempt; Regular; Full time (37.5 hrs)
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. Applications should be received by July 14 , 2023 to be considered for the first round of interviews.
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.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities practice group
The Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Practice Group is a diverse, statewide team of attorneys and advocates who work at the intersection of impact litigation, legal representation, policy initiatives, legislative advocacy, collective action campaigns, and other systemic reform efforts so that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are free from discrimination and have the support they need to live their chosen way of lives.
Our current I/DD Practice Group priorities include:
• Dismantling the structural racism and discrimination experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities receiving services and other support from the state of California and local/regional providers.
• Advancing the core principles of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. ex rel. Zimring and the rights of disabled people to live, work, and play in their communities.
• Expanding access to alternatives to legal processes like conservatorships that strip people of their decision-making rights, such as Supported Decision-Making, Self-Determination, and other supports that advance the autonomy, preferences, and choices of intellectually and developmentally disabled people.
• Building relationships with and developing advocacy strategies alongside organizations led by intellectually and developmentally disabled people and their families.
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
We seek a Staff Attorney 2 or Senior Attorney who will support our litigation and systems change work. This position will also be a part of a team litigating a civil rights lawsuit called Padres Buscando el Cambio v. Harbor Developmental Disabilities Foundation. This case is about the failure of state and local agencies to provide Latinx families with full and equal access to state-funded services, known as Lanterman Act services. More information about this lawsuit is here: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/cases/pbc-v-hrc
Essential functions are the job responsibilities an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. Essential functions include:
• Develop, lead, and/or participate in litigation-including targeted representation, class action lawsuits, complex litigation, and/or appeals-that is responsive to the needs of individuals with disabilities.
• Represent individual clients in negotiations, mediations, and judicial and administrative proceedings.
• Prepare or coordinate training materials, publications, reports, or special projects, or make presentations about legal work as necessary.
• Provide technical assistance and substantive training to other Disability Rights California staff in areas of expertise.
• Collaborate with other agencies and organizations to address new or recurring problems and issues in the provision of services to clients.
• Participate in other duties as assigned.
• Senior Attorney Only: May directly mentor or supervise one or more subordinate attorneys or advocacy staff and carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the agency’s policies and applicable laws.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: STAFF ATTORNEY 2
Juris Doctor plus five (5) years of experience practicing law including litigating civil cases in state or federal court, such as law and motion, discovery, trial, and appeals. The Staff Attorney 2 represents clients in legal matters that involve disability-related issues. The Staff Attorney 2 has expertise in one or more substantive issue areas, handles complex legal matters, and provides leadership and mentoring to other Disability Rights California regional office advocacy staff.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: SENIOR ATTORNEY
Juris Doctor degree (JD) plus seven (7) years of experience practicing law or internal candidates who have worked at DRC for two continuous years and have six years of experience practicing law. Additional minimum qualifications include:
• Excellent advocacy skills (such as research, writing, analytic, oral).
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple and complex advocacy projects, build strong relationships, and work well in collaboration with others.
• 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.
• Experience in litigating civil cases in state or federal court, systemic policy advocacy, administrative proceedings, community organizing, discovery, motion practice, class action or complex litigation, trial advocacy, or appellate practice related to the position.
• Four (4) years of successful results in advocacy, such as intake/outreach projects, administrative proceedings, writs, eviction defense, or single client / single defendant lawsuits.
• The ability to work independently with appropriate supervision.
LICENSES / CERTIFICATES
Must be a member of the California State Bar, or eligible to practice under the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Knowledge of state and federal laws, rights, and service delivery systems as they apply to intellectually and developmentally disabled Californians;
• Experience in the disability rights or justice movement and/or extensive contacts in the disability community;
• Incorporates race equity and community lawyering/organizing principles into their work;
• A strong sense of professional responsibility and ethics;
• A deep commitment to zealous client-centered advocacy;
• Ability to meet deadlines and perform multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail;
• Ability to maintain positive relationships with diverse groups of people;
• Flexibility and curiosity;
• Experience developing, coordinating, and implementing strategic systemic advocacy projects;
• Experience working with people across a variety of backgrounds in the community, including people with disabilities, individuals from language or ethnically distinct communities, people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, elderly populations, people cycling through institutions, and a variety of socioeconomic groups.
• Ability to communicate fluently and write effectively in Spanish or other language; or able to communicate using American Sign Language;
• Life experience as a person with a disability OR direct experience as a caregiver of a family member with a disability.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
Ability to travel for activities such as out-of-town meetings, trainings, and client representation activities up to 25% of the time.
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.