Housing Attorney

Organization Overview:

Colorado Legal Services (CLS) is Colorado’s statewide nonprofit legal aid program, with thirteen offices providing civil legal assistance to low-income Coloradans throughout the state. CLS provides free legal assistance in a broad variety of legal areas, including family law, public benefits, eviction defense, consumer protection, services to survivors of serious crime and human trafficking, and many others. CLS has strengthened lives, assisted families, and supported communities–one person at a time for over 90 years. We are committed to providing high-quality, free legal advice and representation to eligible individuals throughout Colorado. We have a long history of successful impact and advocacy. CLS strives to bring about substantive, transformational change in the lives of those we serve.  

Position Summary:

Working under the supervision of the Managing Attorney, the Greeley Housing Grant Attorney provides advice, brief services, and/or full representation to clients at risk of eviction, including in mediation and litigation. The position requires high quality legal skills in both litigation and negotiation for the purpose of settlement. The Housing Attorney will also participate in community outreach events for tenants. The Housing Attorney will work with a team of attorneys and paralegals to support low-income individuals and families by ensuring housing stability and preventing homelessness. Like all CLS staff, the Housing Attorney will work to advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for CLS staff and clients, and will have the opportunity to receive training about and practice Trauma-Informed client representation.

The position will be fully in-person for the first six months, with the option of a hybrid schedule available after the initial six month period.

Essential Duties:

• Assume an active caseload of housing cases. This will include conducting client interviews, investigation and the preparation of legal documents, negotiating settlements, and representation in court and administrative proceedings;
• Provide advice and high-quality representation and advocacy on behalf of clients in accordance with program priorities and CLS Casehandler Standards;
• Achieve and maintain knowledge of Colorado state housing law, as well as federal regulations governing public and subsidized housing;
• Develop general knowledge of poverty law where other areas of law intersect with housing issues;
• Ensure comprehensive and current documentation of client case notes;
• Maintain thorough and up-to-date records (including timekeeping) in case management systems;
• Consult and co-counsel with other CLS attorneys and paralegals, when appropriate;
• Effectively and zealously litigate on behalf of clients, negotiate in good faith, and ethically and diligently work on the client’s behalf, while effectively managing client expectations;
• Develop relationships with client-eligible communities and local partner agencies, including service providers that provide assistance to tenants;
• Attend program meetings, as assigned;
• Participate in office or program wide projects to provide training and/or community education to agencies, advocates, clients, or community groups about legal services issues, and rights of interest to low-income persons;
• Promote an office culture that emphasizes equity, diversity, inclusion, harmony, cohesiveness, work quality, continuous improvement, and excellent customer service;
• Complete administrative tasks such as leave requests, timesheets, technology and cybersecurity training, and timely submitting reimbursement requests.

Required Qualifications:

 

• Valid license to practice law in the state of Colorado
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Detail-oriented with strong critical thinking, analytical, and time management skills
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Must be collegial and be a team player

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish (not required, just preferred)
• Demonstrating understanding and compassion towards the societal challenges and financial struggles faced by low-income individuals, seniors, individuals with disabilities, minorities, and individuals with limited English proficiency

 

How to Apply: To apply, please use the "Apply for This Job" link on our careers page and submit your resume, cover letter, legal writing sample, and list of references no later than Monday, November 11.  In your cover letter, please indicate any experience you have with housing law, litigation, working with vulnerable populations, and/or your Spanish language skills. Please reach out to Karen Vilner, our Director of People & Culture, at kvilner@colegalserv.org if you have any questions about the position.  

Compensation and Benefits:

We offer a generous plan that includes 100% employer paid premiums for employee health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, as well as partial employer paid premiums for spouses/dependents, based on a sliding scale. We also offer Dependent Care and Medical Flexible spending accounts, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). CLS contributes $200/month to each employee's 403(b) retirement account and matches 100% of employee contributions up to 3% of employee salary; vesting occurs gradually with full vesting after 3 years of employment. Additionally, CLS offers generous paid time-off and 13 paid holidays per year. CLS non-exempt and non-grant staff are members of the United Legal Services Workers of Colorado.

CLS values its employees’ commitment to working hard for the population it serves and recognizes the importance of work/life balance. We promote and foster a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and psychologically safe work environment, striving to be a “Best Place to Work” in Colorado.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging:

CLS embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building and retaining a workforce that respects and empowers each individual and represents a variety of diverse cultures, perspectives, skills, and experiences. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply for this position.

Salary

• $77,622 - $119,211/year