Advocate/Legal Assistant Tenants Rights

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Position: Tenants’ Rights Advocate

Reports to: Tenants’ Rights Directing Attorney

Bargaining Unit: Yes

FLSA: Non Exempt

Type: Full Time

Position Summary

Our Tenants’ Rights Practice works to stop displacement and stabilize our communities through

eviction defense, drop-in legal clinics and workshops, affirmative litigation, know-your rights presentations, administrative hearings before rent boards, and policy advocacy. Centro Legal is seeking a highly motivated tenants’ rights advocate to support the Tenants’ Rights team in providing direct legal services to tenants.

Duties will include the following:

● Supporting tenants’ rights attorneys in all aspects of legal representation for our clients;

● Conducting intake interviews with potential clients, with attorney supervision;

● Working closely with tenants’ rights attorneys to provide legal advice and brief services to Centro’s clients through consultations;

● Meeting with clients to gather documents, complete administrative and civil complaint forms, interview clients, and draft client statements for attorney review.

● Preparing, serving, and filing legal pleadings and rent board petitions, exhibits, and other materials as necessary;

● Conducting community outreach and know-your-rights presentations;

● Tracking client intake and legal services through comprehensive data entry in Centro Legal’s database, and careful file management;

● Translating letters and other documents;

● Performing other special projects and other duties as assigned by the Tenants’ Rights Program Director.

Qualifications

The applicant must profoundly share Centro Legal’s mission and vision of racial, economic and social justice. Qualifications include:

● At least one year of experience working at a community-based organization committed to serving low-income communities, Black communities, and communities of color preferred, but not required;

● Strong interpersonal skills;

● Strong organization and time management skills;

● General knowledge about the housing crisis in Alameda County and a desire to be part of the solution;

● Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income communities, Black communities, and communities of color;

● Excellent writing, research, analytical, design, and verbal communication skills;

● Ability to work independently, effectively strategize, teach, and make recommendations for new

opportunities to advance the mission of Centro Legal;

● Demonstrated commitment to diversity within the office and a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences regarding race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, socio-economic circumstance, immigration status, and record of arrest or conviction; and

● Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, or Vietnamese preferred, but not required.

● Must be well organized, efficient, highly motivated, able to handle multiple tasks at once, work well under pressure, and take initiative.

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary for this position is set by Centro Legal’s salary scale, and will depend on the applicant’s relevant experience, plus a generous benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

To Apply

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applicants should apply without delay. To apply, send a brief cover letter, resume, and list of three professional references by email to jobs@centrolegal.org, with the subject line, “Tenants’ Rights Advocate.”

POSITION OPEN UNTIL FILLED

Diversity Statement

Centro Legal’s mission includes advancing social, economic and racial justice. We are committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion within and ensuring a workplace where all staff can flourish and grow professionally and well beyond. Our staff are the most important part of our ability to achieve our mission. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation, sustainability and our organization’s success.

Centro Legal de la Raza is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, pregnancy), gender, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, medical condition including genetic characteristics, mental or physical disability, military or veteran status, marital status, family responsibilities, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity (including transgender status), gender expression, weight, height, linguistic characteristics (such as accent and limited English proficiency where not substantially job-related), citizenship status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, HIV/AIDs status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Centro Legal also prohibits discrimination based on a perception that an individual has any of the characteristics of the protected classes listed above, and further prohibits discrimination against an individual who is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any of those characteristics.