Medical Legal Partnership Attorney

BayLegal seeks an attorney with a strong commitment to the public interest and social justice advocacy. In this position, the staff attorney will have the opportunity to learn and practice across a wide breadth of legal areas directly related to increasing housing and financial self-sufficiency and stability, including public benefits and housing law.  This position will initially focus on implementing BayLegal’s medical legal partnership pilot project in Alameda County and will have opportunities to participate in other BayLegal programs such as SSI and advocacy for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system as needed. This position is based in our Alameda County Regional Office located in the city of Oakland and will require travel throughout the county and broader Bay Area service area as necessary to best serve our clients.

Duties & Responsibilities – with supervision and support you will have the opportunity to:

• Learn and advocate for the diverse legal rights of underserved communities in Alameda County and the broader Bay Area to reduce homelessness, enhance economic and housing stability, and promote social justice;
• Work collaboratively with other BayLegal attorneys practicing in the range of substantive areas;
• Represent clients in a range of public benefits matters, including Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), CalWORKs, CalFresh, and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) claims and appeals and to access other county, state, and federal benefit programs, as needed;
• Represent and assist clients in a range of housing issues, including eviction defense, reasonable accommodation requests, housing voucher denials and terminations, habitability complaints, and fair housing;
• Potentially represent clients in other legal matters, including consumer rights, criminal record remedies, and fees and fines issues;
• Conduct intake, screening of legal issues and assist with legal matters within BayLegal’s practice areas to advance the interest of clients;
• Engage in and continue to develop relationships and collaborations with a range of public and private community partners, including governmental agencies, courts, and community-based organizations to ensure integrative services and address systemic barriers facing our client community;
• Provide Know Your Rights trainings for community members and community partners;
• Engage in other tasks and projects that further BayLegal's mission and effectiveness as a social justice anti-poverty law firm.
• Requirements/Qualifications/About the Successful Candidate:
• A commitment to fostering inclusivity and equity, as well as humility when working with clients and colleagues at the intersection of multiple identities, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigration status, religion, physical and mental disability, and/or limited English proficiency.
• Willing to be on-site at BayLegal office or advocacy site at least three days per week and as needed to serve clients.
• Received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by date of hire to be considered.
• Language fluency and proficiency in Spanish, Vietnamese, or another language regularly used in services to our client community preferred.
• Passion for and desire to work with low-income individuals.
• Member of CA Bar in good standing or admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for 3 years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program preferred. Candidates who have recently passed the California Bar or will be taking the bar exam at the next sitting are welcome to apply.
• Experience providing direct legal services to low-income clients, especially to people with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness.
• Experience with housing advocacy preferred.
• Experience with government benefits programs eligibility and advocacy preferred.
• Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, and detail oriented.
• Experience and commitment to working collaboratively with a dynamic team.
• Curious and self-directed with an ability to anticipate what needs to be done.
• Experience and skill to simultaneously manage multiple projects while maintaining a firm grasp of individual details.
• Sense of humor and proactive problem-solver.

Health & Safety and Hybrid Work Environment: BayLegal is committed to the health and safety of our staff, clients, and community. Being accessible to our client communities is integral to our mission and commitment as a direct services community-based law firm. BayLegal has implemented detailed health and safety protocols to minimize risk of exposure to Covid-19 and has an evolving plan to continue to increase in-person services and activities in our offices and community-based advocacy sites. Currently, most BayLegal employees work a hybrid model including set on-site and in-person work and working from home on a part-time basis. All employees are expected to reside in California and at a distance allowing them to commute to their physical BayLegal base location and service delivery locations as needed during the standard work week and in compliance with public health advisories.

Compensation and Benefits: We offer a diverse, family friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with a generous benefits package.  BayLegal's benefits package includes 100% employer covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and up to 60% for dependents; BayLegal student debt reimbursement program; long term disability insurance; employee assistance program; wage differentials for multi-lingual employees whose non-English language skills are regularly used in the provision of work tasks and pass a request test of fluency and/or proficiency; dependent childcare employer contribution program; employer paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees; and 401k retirement plan with BayLegal contribution following first year.  BayLegal has a generous paid leave policy which includes sick leave; parental leave; 15 holidays each year; 3 floating holidays each year (flexible to be used throughout the year); and vacation (starting at 13 days and increasing with additional years of employment).  This is a union position (Bay Area Legal Aid Workers, “BALAW”), and the salary ranges from $77,614 - $127,707 depending on years of experience and the salary scale can be found on our BayLegal union positions salary scale for 2022-2026.

Applications: BayLegal thrives on our diversity, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  We are committed to building a culturally diverse workplace and strongly encourage women, LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, veterans, individuals who have been impacted by the criminal justice system, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply.  We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified candidates and employees pursuant to applicable law.  We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation as part of the application process, please contact BayLegal’s Human Resources Manager at: (510) 250-5225.

BayLegal will begin reviewing applications upon receipt and continue until the position is filled. Please submit (1) cover letter including response to question below (no page limit), (2) resume, (3) references, and (4) writing sample through BayLegal’s career application portal

As part of your cover letter, please address the following:
BayLegal’s clients are low-income and very low-income members of our communities. They include LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) and QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals, the working poor, seniors, people who are limited English proficient, veterans, persons with disabilities, survivors of abuse and exploitation, individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, and people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and persons from other underrepresented groups. To ensure our organization is best serving these populations, BayLegal strives to promote an evolving set of behaviors and attitudes amongst our staff, as well as policies that enable us to work effectively across cultures, with clients, with our coworkers, and with the community. We see this as a commitment to enhance the provision of our services to all clients; to raise the level of positive client outcomes; and to create an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued.

How do you think your experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to serve our diverse client base effectively, work effectively with colleagues from different backgrounds than your own, and to contribute to our commitment to humility, inclusion, and diversity? Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, applying various aspects of your life and personal experiences.