Health & Economic Security Program Temporary Staff Attorney

Description:

East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is a non-profit legal services organization, the community-based clinical program for U.C. Berkeley Law School, and one of the Bay Area’s largest and most effective systems disrupters. With a dual service and teaching mission, EBCLC is a racial justice organization committed to building a culturally diverse workplace, centered on equity. With about 50 staff, 90 law students a year, and a $7 million annual budget, EBCLC is the largest provider of free legal services in Alameda County, providing multimodal, collaborative, and holistic legal services to over 4,000 clients annually and engaging in legislative and policy advocacy at the state and local level.

The Opportunity:

The Health & Economic Security Program attorney provides critical legal services to Alameda County residents who are at risk of poor health outcomes due to poverty, debt, unsafe living conditions, homelessness, inadequate health care coverage, and other destabilizing social conditions. The Health and Economic Security team provide holistic legal services to clients referred through several long-standing medical-legal and community partnerships. The Temporary Staff Attorney focuses on appeals of denied or terminated disability and other public benefit programs, as well as post-entitlement public benefit appeals, legal matters connected to the healthcare system, and pre-litigation housing matters such as reasonable accommodations, illegal rent increases, security deposits, and habitability matters for those living with HIV. We also provide legal supervision and training to law students throughout the year including the Name and Gender Change Workshop through UC Berkeley School of Law.

Temporary Position:

The is a temporary position which will run for 6 months beginning in August 2026.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Work on a holistic-oriented legal team providing direct representation, screening, and outreach to low-income communities and community providers in the East Bay
• Provide full and limited scope representation, as well as advice and referrals on a caseload comprised of, but not limited to, Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, , Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants, In-Home Support Services , CalFresh, General Assistance, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, Medicare, State Disability Insurance, Paid Family Leave, Unemployment Insurance, Name and Gender Markers, Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directives, simple Wills and pre-litigation housing matters
• Represent clients in administrative hearings, including drafting pre-hearing briefs
• Collaborate with internal and external service providers to link clients with housing, education, public benefits, and other social service resources
• Manage client documents and files, including reading, analyzing and organizing case-related, time-sensitive records, and assessing conflicts
• Maintain accurate and detailed records concerning client services in accordance with EBCLC policies and funding requirements
• Attend any relevant meetings or trainings for purposes of enhancing knowledge
• Staff community clinics as needed
• Additional tasks as assigned by supervisor

Workplace Expectations:

EBCLC is a hybrid workplace. The Health & Economic Security Temporary Staff Attorney is expected to work at our Adeline office in Berkeley at least 3 days per work week from 9am-5pm (in person) to meet the needs of our team and the community. The Health & Economic Security Temporary Staff Attorney’s remote schedule will be determined by their supervisor, based on programmatic and client needs. EBCLC will provide the necessary equipment to fulfill the job responsibilities of working from home.

Salary and Benefits:

Starting salary for this exempt position is $85,000-$108,000, based on law school graduation date, as dictated by the EBCLC salary scale.

Benefits include fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents, life and disability insurance. EBCLC has a generous paid leave policy including 27 paid holidays, sick time, and 20 vacation days accrued per year as a new staff that increase with seniority. EBCLC also offers flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures; and retirement options.

Working at EBCLC

EBCLC is a unionized workplace and members of the bargaining unit are represented by the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20, IFPTE. This position is not part of the bargaining unit. EBCLC is strongly committed to advancing justice through education and advocacy, and the need to transform legal services and legal education. Please take time to review EBCLC’s mission, vision, programs, and website, and ensure that your cover letter reflects how your background, experience, and expertise have prepared you to be successful in performing the responsibilities of the position.

Additionally, EBCLC is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. To achieve this goal, EBCLC works actively to improve our office climate, systems and structures, communications, and community engagement to create an inclusive and respectful workplace where differences are acknowledged and valued.

We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. EBCLC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior contact with the criminal legal system, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Application Process:

EBCLC will review applications and interview applicants on a rolling basis and will only review complete applications. A complete application must include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, and names/contact information for three professional references. Your cover letter should address your alignment with EBCLC’s mission, including how your background and experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural responsiveness and diversity amongst our staff; Please submit your complete application as one single pdf file by uploading it under “Upload your Resume.”

Timeline

EBCLC will review applications on a rolling basis. Priority review will be given to applications received by June 15, 2026.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• J.D. required
• Member of the California State Bar in good standing or scheduled to take the California bar exam in Summer of 2026
• Demonstrated commitment to racial and disability justice, serving LGBTQ+ communities, and people living with HIV/AIDS
• Experience providing client-centered services
• Excellent time management, priority-setting, and organizational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility, and demonstrated ability to work well independently and as part of a team
• Excellent oral and written communication and advocacy skills
• Ability to partner and work effectively with a diverse range of people, including but not limited to clients, service providers, medical partner staff, judges and other government employees, community partners, elected officials

Preferred Qualifications:

• Administrative law experience, particularly in public benefits and health law
• Spanish language fluency is highly preferred

Benefits include fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and their dependents, life and disability insurance. EBCLC has a generous paid leave policy including 27 paid holidays, sick time, and 20 vacation days accrued per year as a new staff that increase with seniority. EBCLC also offers flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures; and retirement options.

Spanish language fluency is highly preferred