Staff Attorney - Homelessness Prevention Law Project

ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Public Counsel operates eight legal projects: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Advancement, Gender Justice, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law. 

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of approximately 160. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities. We recognize the essential role of staff in achieving our goals, and we have set a long-term intention to provide competitive compensation, benefits, training, mentorship, and overall workplace wellness, making Public Counsel a leader among nonprofit law firms.

ABOUT HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION LAW PROJECT

Public Counsel’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project (HPLP) serves individuals who are at high risk of becoming homeless or are currently unhoused. HPLP assists unrepresented low-income litigants in unlawful detainer (eviction) actions, and provides pre litigation counsel and advice to tenants who are involved in a landlord-tenant dispute. HPLP also provides pro bono representation to homeless individuals and families to help remove legal barriers to obtaining permanent housing. In addition, we run several community clinics to connect low-income Angelenos with free legal advice, and provide educational workshops in collaboration with community-based organizations. 

In addition to our homelessness prevention and anti-displacement efforts, our recent work includes: 

• Supporting local tenants in their successful efforts to obtain and preserve COVID-related eviction protections;
• Working with community-based organizations to provide Know Your Rights presentations and workshops to tenants on new and constantly changing housing laws; and
• Teaming up with other non-profit legal services providers, tenant organizers and community-based organizations throughout Los Angeles County to push forward the implementation of a Right to Counsel for all tenants in eviction proceedings.

HPLP’s StayHousedLA program provides eviction defense and pre-litigation counseling to low-income tenants in LA City and County. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, various federal, state, and local funds have been dedicated to funding eviction defense efforts; the StayHousedLA program at Public Counsel is funded by county government, and is a partnership with nine other legal services organizations and over twenty community-based organizations. The StayHousedLA program seeks to prevent homelessness by providing legal services to tenants who are at risk of eviction and displacement. 

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Supervising Attorney, the Staff Attorney will be part of a team under Public Counsel’s StayHousedLA program. The Staff Attorney will provide eviction defense, pro per document preparation, and tenant counseling services, under the supervision of the Supervising Attorney. 

This is a full-time position that will involve court appearances, drafting and filing pleadings, meeting with clients and community partners, and presenting at workshops and trainings for tenants. The position has the following responsibilities:

• Carry a personal caseload litigating unlawful detainer (eviction) cases which includes: client interviews; drafting pleadings, motions, discovery, briefs, and correspondence; negotiating with outside parties; and representing clients in court and conducting jury trials, all under the supervision of a licensed attorney;
• Provide legal counsel and advice and limited-scope representation to low-income individuals regarding evictions and related housing matters;
• Provide individual tenant counseling services to tenants in pre-litigation matters related to the unlawful detainer process and tenants’ rights;
• Participate in community outreach, including preparing and presenting Know Your Rights trainings, and staffing community legal clinics;
• Assist with grant reporting, billing, and outcome tracking for housing work; 
• Other duties as required by the development of our community lawyering efforts; and
• Other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Licensed to practice law in California;
• Demonstrated commitment to serving the needs of low-income people;
• Knowledge of landlord-tenant, housing law, and the eviction process preferred;
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills; 
• Desire to learn as well as share knowledge with other team members;
• Work well as part of a team, but also be able to work independently with minimal to   moderate supervision;
• Comfort with trauma-informed legal advocacy: empathy, responsive listening, restraint from judgment, and demonstration of authentic care and concern;
• Excellent attention to detail, as well as time management and communication skills; and
• Ability to commute throughout Los Angeles County if needed.

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Licensed to practice law in California;
• Demonstrated commitment to serving the needs of low-income people;
• Knowledge of landlord-tenant, housing law, and the eviction process preferred;
• Excellent writing and public speaking skills; 
• Desire to learn as well as share knowledge with other team members;
• Work well as part of a team, but also be able to work independently with minimal to moderate supervision;
• Comfort with trauma-informed legal advocacy: empathy, responsive listening, restraint from judgment, and demonstration of authentic care and concern;
• Excellent attention to detail, as well as time management and communication skills; and
• Ability to commute throughout Los Angeles County if needed.

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-time/exempt 
• Salary range for an attorney with 0–11 years of experience is $75,500-$102,900, depending upon years of experience.
• Bargaining
• Probationary period: 9 Months
• Fixed-duration position funded until June 30, 2025. This position is created with designated funds through June 30, 2025. Continued employment past this date is contingent on additional funding for the position. 

Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:

• Medical coverage with an option for 100% employer-paid employee and dependent child(ren)’s premiums; buy-up options are available for other HMO and PPO coverage 
• Dental and vision coverage 
• Option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans

Generous paid time off (per year):

• 15 accrued vacation days that increase to 20 days after 3 years of employment
• 12 accrued sick days that may be used for physical and mental health needs
• 2 personal observance days 
• 11 paid holidays plus 2 one-week office closures (during the summer and winter)
• Up to 60 hours of compensatory time per calendar year (for exempt staff only)

Additional benefits:

• 37.5 hour work week for all full-time employees 
• 403(b) retirement plan with an elective employee contribution, and after a year of employment a discretionary employer contribution 
• Free on-site parking or public transportation reimbursement 
• $45 per pay period for employees who use non-English language skills to perform work duties
• Up to 6 months of parental leave 
• Organizational and team wellness activities to build team cohesion and camaraderie
• Professional development support and opportunities

HOW TO APPLY

We value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please consider discussing such experiences in your cover letter, especially if they are not reflected in your resume. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work has been permitted during the pandemic. All employees with Public Counsel are required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. Some positions require additional in-office days. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy, child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment.