BERKELEY LAW'S EAST BAY COMMUNITY LAW CENTER IS HIRING HOUSING PRACTICE DIRECTOR

21 Jun 2018 4:58 PM | Lauren Bartlett (Administrator)

BERKELEY LAW SCHOOL's East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is seeking an exceptional individual to serve as Director of its Housing Practice. Under the supervision of the Deputy Director, the Housing Practice Director leads a team of 14 staff attorneys and other program staff who provide direct legal services to low income tenants in civil litigation against landlords; supervises staff in the provision of legal services; oversees the supervision and training of law students; and develops and ensures progress toward program goals and grant objectives.

EBCLC is a non-profit legal services organization and the community-based clinical program for Berkeley Law School, committed to increasing justice through education and advocacy and building a culturally diverse workplace, centered on equity. With over 60 staff, 150 law students, and an $8 million annual budget, EBCLC is the largest provider of free legal advocacy in Alameda County, providing multimodal, collaborative, and holistic legal services to over 5,000 clients yearly and engaging in legislative and policy advocacy at the local and state level.

The Housing Practice defends low-income tenants in unlawful detainer actions and provides advice and counsel to tenants regarding their rights under state, federal, and local law. Each attorney carries a full caseload as well as provides limited scope assistance in court-house and community–based clinics.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Direct Staff Attorneys/Clinical Supervisors on all aspects of service provision to clients of the program
  • Supervise and evaluate program staff, including regular assessment of performance and consideration of professional development goals
  • Ensure the training, supervision, and support of law student interns on substantive law and skills related to public benefits and housing matters, including regular individual case reviews, group case rounds, and assisting in teaching the clinical companion course
  • Develop and maintain close relationships with other providers of services to low-income people in Alameda County, and serve as the primary contact with the community, courts and media, including responding to press and service provider inquiries, making presentations to public, community and other professional groups, and  overseeing other employees to whom these activities have been delegated
  • Provide administrative oversight of the program, including working with the Development Team on grant proposals and reports
  • Maintain an active caseload across all substantive areas of the program
  • Participate as a member of EBCLC’s Management Team, working collaboratively with executive management and other EBCLC program directors on issues related to budget and office-wide planning
  • Participate in ongoing professional development to improve staff and student supervision skills and client services
Minimum Qualifications:
  • Member in good standing of the California Bar
  • Substantial experience in providing representation in unlawful detainer actions and other civil litigation
  • Excellent supervision and teaching skills and commitment to clinical legal education; clinical training experience desirable
  • Demonstrated passion for and commitment to social justice and experience working in low-income communities of color
  • Excellent oral and written communication and advocacy skills
  • Ability to work under pressure in an empathetic and professional manner
  • Ability to work effectively with a diverse range of groups, including people of color, homeless people, immigrants, non-English speakers, people with mental disabilities, people experiencing domestic violence, law students, service providers, government employees, community partners, elected officials, and law school faculty
  • Spanish language skills highly desirable
Salary:

Starting salary for this exempt position is $70,000 - $100,000 based on number of years of prior legal experience, 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, and generous paid leave (vacation, sick, and holidays); EBCLC also offers flexible spending accounts for qualified health, dependent care, and commute expenditures; and retirement options.

Professional development support includes membership in the relevant local, statewide and/or national associations, attendance at relevant conferences, as determined by EBCLC’s professional development policy and budget.

Application Procedures:

Interested applicants should submit application materials by email to jobs@ebclc.org (include “Director – Housing” in the subject line). Application materials should include a cover letter, resume, short writing sample, and names/contact information for three professional references. The position is open until filled, with applications reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis.

EBCLC is strongly committed to advancing justice through education and advocacy, and the need to transform legal service 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 that acknowledges and values differences.

Please address in your cover letter how your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural responsiveness and diversity amongst our staff.

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 justice system, or any other basis prohibited by law.

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