Equal Justice Works Fellow (Housing Justice Program)

The Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, Inc. (PBRC) is seeking applicants for a two-year, full-time attorney position as an Equal Justice Works Fellow in Courtroom Advocacy Project’s (CAP) Housing Justice Program. CAP is an innovative, highly effective pro bono program providing day-of-court, limited scope representation to tenants in district court with the support of staff and volunteer attorneys. The ideal candidate for this position thrives in a fast-paced, sometimes varying work environment, enjoys representing tenants in court multiple times per week, and is a cooperative, reliable team-player and self-starter. Applicants should be passionate about advocating for the rights of low-income tenants and enthusiastic about the opportunity to develop an expertise in limited scope, day-of-court legal triage and representation in district court.  

PBRC has been selected by Equal Justice Works as an implementing partner of Equal Justice Works’ Housing Justice Program. Equal Justice Works is the nation’s largest facilitator of opportunities in public interest law. As a Fellow, you will develop experience and skills to be a leader in social justice while promoting tenant protections and working directly with households experiencing housing instability. As a cohort, Fellows are expected to actively participate in peer-to-peer learning and required trainings delivered by Equal Justice Works and training partners throughout the year. In addition, Fellows will attend Equal Justice Works’ Leadership Development Training in October 2022 and 2023.

The selected Fellow will be employed by PBRC to fulfill all fellowship duties at the local level, reporting to PBRC for day-to-day supervision, mentoring and performance evaluation. Please note all Fellows are expected to fulfill the complete duration of the Fellowship and will be required to sign a Fellowship Agreement with Equal Justice Works.

This is full-time exempt position. The Equal Justice Works Housing Justice Program attorney will receive a competitive salary, dependent on experience, and an excellent benefits package including paid health insurance and employer-matched 401k plan.   

FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS:

Equal Justice Works Fellows are part of a network of over 2,500 current and former Fellows dedicated to improving access to equal justice for all. As a member of the network, each Fellow has access to:

• A kick-off training event to foster learning and networking among the Housing Justice Program Fellows
• Equal Justice Works’ annual Leadership Development Training, which is attended by ~300 current Fellows each year. 
• Responsive training and technical assistance from local and national partners including the National Housing Law Project, the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, and Voices for Civil Justice
• Regular substantive and skills-based webinars throughout the Fellowship

PRIMARY FELLOWSHIP RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Provide direct legal services to tenants through PBRC’s district court pro bono clinics (“CAP Clinics”) held multiple times per week at Baltimore City District Court and Baltimore County District Courts;
• Manage a small in-house caseload of landlord/tenant cases, including Tenant Holding Over, Breach of Lease and Escrow cases;
• Assist with recruitment, training, mentoring and support of PBRC volunteer attorneys; 
• Ensure accurate data collection for clinic clients and consistently strive to meet CAP performance measures; 
• Maintain organized records and contribute to grant applications and reports as assigned by CAP Director; 
• Collaborate with Project partner organizations, local law schools, and other legal services and community organizations on consumer and tenant advocacy efforts; and 
• Participate in advocacy, stakeholder, and coalition meetings as well as other collaborative groups as assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Admission to the Bar in the state of Maryland (or expected admission within six months); 
• Minimum of 1-3 years of relevant experience, which could include law school clinical or externship experience; 
• Self-motivated, highly organized with exceptional time management and task prioritization skills; 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong public speaking ability; 
• Strong attention to detail with excellent record-keeping skills; 
• Ability to cooperate and build camaraderie with a variety of people, including other staff, volunteers, clients, public interest organizations, governmental entities, Board members, and donors; 
• Understanding of the principles of race and socio-economic equity and its application to PBRC’s work and culture; and
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice, public interest law and the promotion of access to justice. 
• Experience with our client communities (including lived experience) and experience with data collection and grant compliance a plus.

 TO APPLY: 

• Interested candidates should send, via email, 1) a cover letter describing interest and qualifications for the position, 2) a resume, 3) a short writing sample (no more than five pages), and 4) the names and contact information for three professional references to Katherine Davis at kdavis@probonomd.org with the subject line “CAP EJW Fellow - Last Name, First Name”
• Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis; applicants encouraged to apply by September 1, 2022.