Position: Housing Project Attorney-Consumer Assistance Program
API Legal Outreach is the largest social justice legal organization serving the Asian and Pacific Islander communities of the Greater Bay Area.
Founded in 1975, our mission is to provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate legal representation and comprehensive social services to the most marginalized segments of the community including low-income women, seniors, immigrants, and youth.
With offices in Oakland and San Francisco, our work is focused in the areas of domestic violence/family law, immigration and immigrant rights, senior law and elder abuse prevention, anti-human trafficking, youth violence prevention, tax, disability rights, housing preservation, and other social justice issues.
This 18-month position will coordinate a new consumer assistance project providing legal services, outreach and education to retain housing on behalf of distressed homeowners.
Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Organize and coordinate weekly legal clinics in Stockton, Modesto, and the East Bay to assist homeowners with avoiding foreclosure, foreclosure proceedings, individual complaints regarding credit reporting abuses, Homeowner Bill of Rights enforcement, and/or reporting mortgage scams to the appropriate enforcement agencies.
2. Conduct community education and outreach in targeted regions.
3. Recruit, train, and manage clinic volunteers.
4. Promote collaborations to empower families in areas such as debt relief and credit repair assistance; removing barriers to employment; relocation to new communities; assisting tenants affected by foreclosures; bankruptcy protection; asset management and wealth building strategies; community-based housing solutions.
5. Provide outreach, technical assistance and training to community and public agencies.
6. Represent the organization at community, legal, funding, and other meetings and functions.
7. Assist with administrative work of the organization.
Minimum Qualifications:
1. At least two (2) year's experience in providing legal representation to low/moderate-income and non-English speaking homeowners in the areas described above.
2. Familiarity with needs of distressed homeowners in the Stockton and/or Modesto areas.
3. Demonstrated commitment to social justice and the advancement of communities of color.
4. Bilingual and/or bicultural skills. 5. Strong advocacy and communication skills.
6. Must be a member in good standing of the California Bar.
7. Ability to work well in a team-oriented, multi-cultural work environment.
Preferred Qualifications:
1. Successful experience in serving API's target populations and working in disadvantaged communities of color.
2. Working knowledge of Time Matters/Abacus, Essential Forms, and Immigrant Pro or similar programs.
3. CA driver's license and car.
4. Fluency in Southeast Asian language or Tagalog.
