Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney, Workers' Rights

The Opportunity

Asian Law Caucus (ALC) seeks a Staff Attorney or Senior Staff Attorney (depending on years of relevant experience) at a crucial time for immigrant and low-wage workers. Immigrant workers face governmental attacks and employer retaliation and intimidation. Employers use new technologies and old tactics to exploit workers, in industries ranging from restaurants to care work to transportation. Amid these challenges, our team works to strengthen worker power and protect Asian and Pacific Islander communities from wage theft, discrimination, and unsafe work environments.

Current and recent matters have sought to hold companies accountable for their app-based workers; garnered up to seven-figure wage-theft recoveries; combatted efforts to strip immigrants of commercial drivers licenses; and protected immigrant workers from information-sharing with ICE.

The attorney will advocate for immigrant workers through a combination of strategic litigation, community-centered legal and policy advocacy, direct legal services, and support for worker organizing. The attorney will work closely with worker centers and community partners to build lasting power for low-income, immigrant workers.

The position reflects our commitment to integrating legal advocacy with movement building to create systemic change. The attorney will work within a supportive environment that values innovation, collaboration, and community partnership, under the guidance of our Workers’ Rights Program Director.

The Organization

ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. Since 1972, ALC has fought for access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services, including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color, across our Housing Rights, Workers’ Rights, Immigrant Justice, and National Democracy Initiative programs, and other emerging areas of law.

Responsibilities

• Develop impact litigation, including class actions, in state or federal courts, to protect immigrant workers from governmental attacks and employer abuses and to strengthen workplace protections and worker power
• Provide legal support for worker-led and/or worker-center-supported campaigns.
• Provide high-quality legal advice and representation to individual low-wage workers, including in federal or state courts; federal, state, and/or local administrative proceedings; and direct negotiation with employers
• Advocate for policies that advance a pro-worker agenda at the local, state, and/or federal levels, informed by direct services work and community partnerships
• Collaborate with Communications staff to develop stories with ALC clients and their communities and execute narrative-shifting strategies.
• Participate in community education and outreach efforts

An attorney hired at the Senior Staff Attorney level will exercise a greater degree of leadership and independence consistent with ALC’s criteria for senior designation.

All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor/supervisees, staff meetings, team meetings, and other organization meetings, as required.

Note: This job description is subject to change and is not intended to constitute a contract.

Desired Qualifications

• B.A./B.S. and J.D. degrees. California bar membership required
• At least two years of experience conducting state and/or federal court litigation
• Two (2) or more years of experience in labor and employment law and/or administrative law practice required; five (5) or more years of relevant experience is required for a Senior staff Attorney and highly desired.
• Demonstrated commitment to building worker power, including through organizing and legal representation
• Demonstrated commitment to low-income, immigrant, and/or API/AMEMSA communities
• Substantive legal experience in labor and employment law and/or administrative law
• Excellent skills in legal research, analysis, and written and oral advocacy
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple cases and projects in a timely manner
• Highly motivated self-starter with a willingness to learn and grow
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in collaboration with other attorneys, advocates, and community-based organizations
• Language proficiency in an Asian or Middle Eastern language is a plus

ALC’s comprehensive benefits package includes the following: generous vacation and paid holidays; medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage (ALC pays 100% of premiums for employees and 75% for qualified dependents); a flexible spending account (FSA); and 401(k) retirement plan with employer non-elective contribution and match.