Staff Attorney

Application due date: until filled

The Los Angeles Center for Community Law and Action (LACCLA) is hiring two (2) staff attorneys to continue movement lawyering work in Los Angeles. Attorneys will be expected to work primarily in the field of tenants’ rights, embedding into the tenants’ rights movement in Los Angeles and working with LACCLA’s partners, including the Los Angeles Tenants Union and Chinatown Communities for Equitable Development. However, we encourage that attorneys exercise their skills or interests in other fields (immigration, criminal law, family law) to support the members of base-building organizations in the movement that they work with.

This is a litigation position. Attorneys are expected to be community lawyers who are actively litigating a case load of evictions and other cases, primarily at the trial court level. LACCLA is not a high-volume legal services organization, and attorneys will not be expected to operate as though they are employed by one—cases can be chosen selectively, and attorneys are expected to maintain a case load which allows them to dedicate sufficient time to each case and client.

Applicants should be committed to the leftist cause, willing to engage in political conversations, and support both individual and organizational clients in big-picture thinking around strategy and vision. Attorneys will have flexibility to help direct the future of the organization, including helming shifts in the focus of the legal work to align with broader community organizing goals in the region.

Applicants should also be committed to actively maintaining an honest and supportive workplace culture. Attorneys will work closely with organizers and administrative staff in a non-hierarchical, consensus-driven setting. Attorneys will be expected to communicate openly with the entire team, including giving and receiving feedback.

Attorneys may elect to work perform the majority of their work remotely or in LACCLA’s office, which is located at the Union de Vecinos office in Boyle Heights. There is no requirement to spend any specific number of working days in the office per week, and many weeks attorneys may choose to work entirely remotely. However, attorneys may at times find it necessary to work in-person to meet with clients, attend community meetings, and appear at court hearings. Therefore, attorneys should be able to transport themselves to and from meetings in the Los Angeles area.

Attorneys will be expected to:

• Litigate unlawful detainer (eviction) cases to jury trial on behalf of tenant defendants.
• Support in litigating other lawsuits in service of tenant and other leftist organizing (affirmative civil matters, writ petitions, etc.).
• Embed into the tenants’ rights movement of Los Angeles.
• Work alongside community organizers and groups of organized tenants.
• Create and/or facilitate workshops or other community education materials.
• Participate in organization-wide conversations that concern movement strategy, not solely litigation.

Eligibility:

• Licensed and in good standing with the California State Bar.
• Professional working proficiency in Spanish.
• Race conscious and gender thoughtful.
• Familiar with leftist community organizing.
• Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

About LACCLA:

LACCLA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing a home to community lawyering in support of organizers building tenant power in low-income communities of color in the Los Angeles area. LACCLA is a non-hierarchical organization that operates as a collective and makes all decisions via a modified consensus model. All employees are eligible to join the collective after one (1) year of employment. LACCLA is a PSLF-eligible employer.

• Health insurance: PPO and HMO options provided, with an option for LACCLA to cover 100% of employee's health insurance costs, depending on the plan selected. Dental and vision also included.
• Paid time off: LACCLA employees receive paid time off far beyond industry standards, including 30 days of paid sick leave per year, 30 days of personal leave per year, and 15 holidays per year.
• Reimbursement for travel expenses.
• Tech and professional development stipend for tech that renews every two years.

Materials

Please submit all materials to gina.hong@laccla.org.

• Cover letter: please explain (1) why you are interested in this position, and (2) what motivates your commitment to movement lawyering.
• Résumé
• Significant work product (10-30 pages) - if you are currently a litigator, please provide examples of your briefing and discovery materials, such as discovery requests, deposition transcripts, and motions or other pleadings. If you are not yet a litigator, please provide at least two different writing samples to evaluate breadth and depth of writing skill.

Interviews

Applicants who are selected for interviews will undergo at least two rounds of interviews. The first will be a one-on-one conversation with a current attorney at LACCLA. The second will be with community organizers and tenants from LACCLA and our supporting organizations.