Urgent Contract Position Announcement: Temporary Civil Rights Attorney

Urgent Contract Position Announcement: Temporary Civil Rights Attorney

Full-Time, Temporary, D.C.-Based with Remote Flexibility

Expected Start: ASAP | Rate of Pay: $50-100/hour

The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless – a D.C.-based, locally-focused legal services and advocacy organization – seeks to hire a contract attorney who shares our vision for a District of Columbia in which housing is a human right, racial justice is a reality, and all people have true and meaningful access to the resources needed to thrive.

The Legal Clinic’s mission is to achieve justice for our neighbors experiencing the injustice of homelessness and poverty. Rooted in a client-centered framework, we utilize a community lawyering approach to provide low-barrier and comprehensive legal services. We seek systemic reform through zealous advocacy for public policies that reflect community needs, affirm racial justice, improve housing security, and expand the social safety net for people experiencing crises.

The Temporary Civil Rights Attorney will implement a program to observe, witness, and document, for litigation and other purposes, the actions of federal and local law enforcement when interacting with unhoused D.C. residents, particularly during the time period that the Trump Administration has deemed an emergency. This position is full-time but temporary, for an initial contract duration of 30 days, with the possibility for extension on a monthly basis.

The Temporary Civil Rights Attorney responsibilities:

• Design and manage a program to observe and track police violations of the rights of unhoused D.C. residents;
• Participate in and facilitate observing law enforcement interactions with unhoused D.C. residents
• Recruit, train, and manage volunteer observers;
• Use technology to track, organize, and document activity and legal violations;
• Perform thorough and timely data compilation and document management
• Facilitate provision of assistance to clients to mitigate harm, including information about shelter access/availability, property storage, metro cards, replacement documents, food, etc.;
• Coordinate closely with our legal assistance program, community engagement, and systemic advocacy teams
• Assist in intake assessment for relevant cases and fact development
• Assist in development of litigation support and strategies.

Qualifications:

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school;
• Bar membership in good standing;
• A minimum of 2 years of professional legal experience;
• Committed to social and racial justice;
• Highly organized;
• Legal experience working in civil rights, civil liberties, and police misconduct matters;
• Experience and comfort working with low-income and/or unhoused clients; and
• Comfortable being part of an organization that takes unpopular positions when justice demands

.

Our ideal candidate will have:

• D.C. Bar membership;
• Impact litigation experience;
• Supervision and/or leadership experience;
• Interest and experience working in the community, engaging with clients, service providers, community members, and volunteers;
• Pro bono/direct representation experience
• Knowledge of D.C. programs and resources; and
• Familiarity with the D.C. legal community.

The successful attorney-contractor candidate will be comfortable working in a small, non-profit environment, both independently and as part of a team.

Working Conditions: The Legal Clinic is currently operating on a hybrid work schedule.While there is flexibility to work remotely, the Temporary Civil Rights Attorney is expected to be proximate to D.C. so they can work from the Legal Clinic’s office in northwest D.C. as needed and can participate in observing law enforcement interactions when necessary. (Note: the hybrid work schedule is subject to change depending on public health and other factors.)

Compensation: Compensation is $50-100/hour, depending on experience.

To Apply: Please send a cover letter and resume via e-mail to job@legalclinic.org and note "Temporary Civil Rights Attorney" in the subject line. We are looking for thoughtful, personalized cover letters that demonstrate qualifications and interest in working to build a more just community. Interested persons are encouraged to apply immediately. Position will remain opened until filled.

The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless values an inclusive workplace. Candidates who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, people with disabilities, and/or members of other underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.