Bilingual Staff Attorneys - Portland Regional Office (Housing) - Legal Aid Services Of Oregon

Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) is seeking two bilingual (Spanish) housing attorneys for a full-time positions in its Portland Regional Office.

Consultation and Advice Attorney: this position will be responsible for providing consultations in housing law and for cases involving restraining orders. The position will be supervised by the housing supervisor. The attorney will conduct weekly consultations and make determinations as to whether a client’s case should be considered for full representation or provided brief service and advice. This is not a litigation position. Providing legal information, advice and brief service to low-income Oregonians is an essential service to our community. This position will be expected to take at least one full representation case per year to maintain relevant and working experience of the practical application of the law, and maintain evidentiary and civil procedure skills to better advise clients.

Litigation Attorney: this position will be responsible for carrying a caseload of complex fair housing and impact housing cases in Circuit Court and Federal District Court. These cases will be assigned in coordination with the housing supervisor and housing team. The attorney will also support the ongoing litigation within the program and frequently consult with colleagues regarding case handling and strategy.

Both positions are eligible for a partial remote work option.

Background

LASO is a non-profit organization that represents low-income clients in civil cases. LASO’s eight regional offices serve the general low-income population throughout the state and two specialized statewide programs focused on services to farmworkers and on issues impacting Native Americans. LASO is an effective, high-quality legal services program that is committed to advocacy strategies having the broadest possible impact on client community problems.

The Portland Regional Office of LASO serves a poverty population of more than 220,000. The office serves Multnomah, Clackamas, Hood River, Sherman and Wasco counties, a diverse service area requiring the ability to work effectively with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. The Portland Office has adopted a race equity agenda to guide its work with clients as well as its internal operations. The office has a strong commitment to building an inclusive, diverse workplace.

Responsibilities

The staff attorney will be responsible for maintaining a poverty law caseload that will focus on housing and other substantive areas as assigned by the Regional Director and housing supervisor.

The consultation attorney will handle all aspects of the initial consultation including eligibility screening, issue spotting, providing specific and particularized advice over the phone and in writing, and triage to case meeting for placement with a litigation attorney or referral to the appropriate community partner.

The litigation attorney will handle all aspects of legal representation including client contact, pleading preparation, research, file maintenance, working with support staff, and hearing and trial work.

Qualifications

Competitive candidates will: be bilingual in English and Spanish (or another language spoken by our client population); be current members of the Oregon State Bar or are able to gain admission through reciprocity; have at least 2 years of civil or criminal litigation experience, Proven interest in and commitment to advocacy for the legal rights of low-income and other vulnerable populations. Demonstrated enthusiasm, creativity, good judgment, initiative, independence and willingness to work as a team in a high volume fast-paced environment.

Salary/Benefits

Compensation is based on a 35-hour work week. Salary range is $66,200 – 73,700 for 0-5 years’ experience; $75,200 – 81,200 for 6-10 years’ experience and $82,700 - $105,200 for 11-30 years’ experience annually; salaries are determined by relevant work experience and our Collective Bargaining Agreement. An additional $4,300 to $5,700 annually is available to bilingual staff, depending on proficiency. In addition, LASO offers a full benefits package including individual and family health, vision, and dental insurance coverage; 6% employer retirement contribution; generous paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave; and paid moving expenses.

Closing Date

Open until filled. Review of resumes to begin January 20, 2025.

Applications

Your cover letter must identify if you are applying for the Consultation and Advice position or the Litigation position.

Send resume and letter of interest to:

Emily Brown-Sitnick

projobs@lasoregon.org

Supplemental question

LASO is committed to building a culturally diverse workplace centered on equity and providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for our staff and clients. How have your personal background and experiences, professional or otherwise, prepared you to contribute to our commitment to cultural responsiveness and inclusion of historically excluded populations in the legal system?

If you require reasonable accommodation for a disability during the application/hiring process, please contact Meghan Collins, Director of Administration, at Meghan.Collins@lasoregon.org.

We celebrate diversity.

LASO is committed to being an organization that reflects the communities we serve and is diverse in race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, national origin, or sensory, mental and physical abilities, work background, experience and education. We believe that the outcome of such diversity is our greatest strength and a matter of basic human fairness. It is to this end that we strongly encourage applications from people of color and people from any other underrepresented and historically marginalized group to apply for this position.