Economic Justice Attorney - SSI

Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) staff provide free civil legal services to individuals and families living in poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area. We practice in multiple inter-related legal substantive areas to prevent and stop homelessness, increase economic stability, protect low-income consumers, expand access to healthcare, and enhance safety for survivors of interpersonal violence. Our clients include the working poor, families with children, foster youth, seniors, immigrants, veterans, individuals impacted by the criminal and juvenile legal systems, and persons with disabilities. The core of our community-based practice is working alongside our clients to protect their legal rights, resolve immediate crise and remove legal barriers to long-term stability and escaping poverty. BayLegal is also uniquely positioned to identify patterns of illegal practices and opportunities to protect our clients’ rights and increase efficiency and effectiveness of public services through broader advocacy and impact litigation given our regional community-based service model and wide range of access points, including legal hotlines, six county offices, community-based advocacy clinics, and intake points.

BayLegal’s San Francisco Economic Justice / Social Security Disability Advocacy Practice Team seeks an attorney with a strong commitment to the public interest to join our team. Based in our San Francisco office, this position represents unhoused San Franciscans with claims for Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). The position requires regular outreach at city shelters, as well as travel in the city/county to best serve our clients. As a member of BayLegal’s regional practice, there may also be travel within BayLegal’s broader service area for purposes of training and advocacy.

As an Economic Justice Attorney, you will have the opportunity to:

• Learn about and advocate for the diverse legal needs of communities affected by systemic and structural inequities in San Francisco and the broader Bay Area to reduce homelessness, enhance economic and housing stability, improve social determinants of health, and advance social and racial justice.
• Represent clients in Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income and California Assistance Program for Immigrants claims and appeals. Represent clients in all stages of administrative proceedings from initial applications through federal court.
• Assist clients with accessing other county, state, and federal public benefits programs, as needed.
• Identify and employ impact advocacy strategies to remove systematic barriers to public benefits for clients, including people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities.
• Develop relationships and engage in collaboration with a range of public and private community partners, including governmental agencies and community-based organizations, to outreach clients, ensure integrative services and address systemic barriers facing BayLegal's client community.
• Provide workshops and technical assistance to community partners and client community on economic justice, disability advocacy, and a range of civil legal issues.
• Track and document client and project services and funding deliverables in compliance with BayLegal policies and funding requirements and help promote BayLegal's mission and resource development.
• Work collaboratively with attorneys practicing in BayLegal’s other substantive areas.
• Engage in other tasks and projects that further BayLegal's mission and operations as a non-profit.

Required Qualifications:

• Member of CA Bar in good standing or admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for 3 years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program. Candidates who have recently passed the CA Bar or graduated and will be taking the bar exam at the next sitting are welcome to apply.
• Commitment to complying with all California Rules of Professional Conduct, BayLegal funding requirements, and firm standards, policies, and practices.
• Current proficiency, and ability to improve proficiency, in technological equipment, hardware, and software necessary to perform duties of the position.
• Humility in working with colleagues and clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and/or limited English proficiency.
• Commitment and desire to work with low-income and unhoused individuals.
• Willingness to travel to and meet clients in the community at homeless shelters, SROs, jail, and other locations where clients are at.
• Experience representing clients with government benefits programs, especially Social Security disability/SSI benefits, preferred.
• Ability to organize time, manage diverse activities, and meet critical deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, with ability to be detail oriented.
• Strong oral advocacy skills; thoughtful and attentive to client communication.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic team.
• Curious and self-directed with an ability to anticipate what needs to be done.
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects while maintaining a firm grasp of individual project details.

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 employees are expected to work on-site and in-person at a BayLegal office or community-based advocacy site at least three (3) days per week and may work remotely 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. BayLegal's benefits package includes 100% employer covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and up to 60% for dependents; BayLegal student debt reimbursement program; long term disability insurance; employee assistance program; wage differentials for multi-lingual employees whose non-English language skills are regularly used in the provision of work tasks and pass a request test of fluency and/or proficiency; dependent childcare employer contribution program; employer paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees; and 401k retirement plan with BayLegal contribution following first year. BayLegal has a generous paid leave policy which includes 15 holidays each year; vacation (starting at 13 days and increasing with additional years of employment), 3 floating holidays each year (days chosen by employee); sick leave; and parental leave. This is a union position (Bay Area Legal Aid Workers, “BALAW”), and the 2025 salary range is: $80,719-$132,815 and placement depends on years of experience and the salary scale can be found on our BayLegal union positions salary scale for 2022-2026.

Work Environment & Physical Demands: Work Environment: This position is primarily sedentary and currently hybrid remote. When in the office, the applicant can expect to be working at a desk in a temperature-controlled office, in a modular space or individual office. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Physical demands: While performing duties of job, employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. Employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Applications:  BayLegal is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Reasonable accommodation is available upon request.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

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