Staff Attorney - Child, Youth & Family Advocacy 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 seven legal projects: Child, Youth & Family Advocacy, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, 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 CHILD, YOUTH & FAMILY ADVOCACY PROJECT/GUARDIANSHIP TEAM

Public Counsel’s Child, Youth & Family Advocacy Project (CYFA) serves children, youth, and their families on a variety of legal issues, including access to education, probate legal guardianship, public benefits, and adoption, and issues affecting transition age youth and children and youth living with developmental disabilities. The Guardianship team is part of the larger CYFA Project. The Guardianship team operates a free self-help legal clinic at the Stanley Mosk courthouse three days each week, helping litigants to establish, object to, modify, and terminate probate legal guardianships. All litigants are assisted in pro per with a wide variety of pleadings related to guardianship matters. 

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Guardianship team’s Senior Supervising Attorney, Staff Attorney will: 

• Assist litigants with guardianship and related petitions at the in-person clinic
• Recruit, supervise, and manage volunteers
• Conduct legal research related to guardianship issues
• Develop informational materials for caregivers seeking guardianships and parents seeking to end guardianships
• Engage in community education presentations
• Engage in local and statewide policy advocacy related to guardianship, as time allows
• Other duties as necessary

 ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Juris Doctor degree and a member in good standing of the California Bar preferred, though we will accept applications from individuals awaiting bar results
• 0-4 years of experience in legal advocacy
• Spanish language fluency (required)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including communicating in an empathetic and professional manner with clients or litigants
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within diverse coalitions
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with teams
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, effectively prioritize workloads, and accurately complete work in a timely fashion
• Ability and willingness to staff the in-person clinic located in the Stanley Mosk courthouse in downtown Los Angeles at least three days per week, with remote work on the remaining weekdays
• Commitment to gender/racial/social justice and the mission of Public Counsel

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-time/exempt 
• Salary range for an attorney with 0 to 4 years of experience is $75,500–$81,600, depending upon years of experience. The salary will increase by a set step effective October 1, 2025, and it will be renegotiated in our collective bargaining process in 2026.
• Bargaining
• Probationary period: 9 Months
• Fixed-duration position funded until December 31, 2026. This position is created with designated funds through December 31, 2026. 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:

• 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
• Annual payment of dues for required licenses or certifications (state bar dues for attorneys) and for a mutually agreed-upon professional organization 
• Centrally located headquarters in the heart of Koreatown, a vibrant neighborhood with easy access to public transportation, diverse dining options, and cultural attractions.

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.