Join the growing Financial Security and Stability team at Legal Assistance to the Elderly (LAE) and help ensure our seniors can age in place, with dignity and financial security. We provide a vital service, advising and aggressively advocating for and representing consumers, seniors who have been financially exploited, and homeowners who are seniors or adults with disabilities facing foreclosure or foreclosure related law suits. We also work to preserve generational wealth and prevent financial elder abuse through end-of-life planning and advocacy. The work is intense and demanding, but very rewarding.
AGENCY DESCRIPTION
For more than 40 years, LAE has provided free legal advice and representation to San Francisco’s seniors and adults living with disabilities. Our mission is to protect and advance the right of San Francisco’s seniors and adults with disabilities to be housed, healthy, financially stable, and safe. Our primary practice areas are Eviction Defense/Housing (tenants only), Income Support, Health Law, Elder Abuse Prevention, Foreclosure Prevention, Debt Collection Defense and End of Life Planning. LAE is a friendly and collaborative work environment.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Member State Bar of California (pending CA Bar results will be considered)
- Strong written, verbal and interviewing skills
- Patient, flexible and kind
- Works well in a team
- Ability to independently manage a caseload
EXTREMELY DESIRABLE
- Bilingual in English and Spanish, Cantonese and/or Mandarin
HIGHLY DESIRABLE
- Knowledge of housing law, foreclosure and/or estate planning
- Knowledge of legal issues related to poverty and/or aging
- Trial experience
- Experience working with elderly, disabled or those experiencing a crisis
- Experience working in a non-profit legal service organization, or other non-profit
- Familiar with or resident of San Francisco's eastern neighborhoods
- Provide legal advice and full scope legal representation to clients facing loss of home ownership
- Preparation of homestead exemptions
- Preparation of Wills, Special Needs Trusts, Revocable Trusts, Durable Power of Attorney–Financial, and Advanced Health Care Directives
- Work with Financial Security and Stability Team on consumer and financial elder abuse cases, and other matters as needed
- Conduct intake interviews with new clients, including home visits, when necessary
- Outreach and develop partnerships with community organizations and HUD certified mortgage counselors
- Attend weekly program meetings, staff meetings, and relevant supervision meetings
This position requires the initiative to develop legal skills, including oral and written advocacy and legal research, as well as case management skills including client communications, tracking case deadlines, and monitoring workload. The supervising attorney and the entire financial security and stability team will provide the necessary support and serve as a resource to nurture this initiative.
SUPERVISED BY
Supervising Attorney
WORKING CONDITIONS
The position requires working with individuals during moments of extreme stress and instability. The position also requires the provision of culturally-sensitive and empathetic services. Some evening and weekend work may be required.
Due to the COVID pandemic, our office is working on a hybrid schedule that includes both working from home and in the office. This position particularly will be required to work sometime in person/in the office for mandatory court or administrative hearings, required client meetings and hearings and some administrative staff.
UNION MEMBERSHIP
After successful completion of a probationary period (90 days), membership in the National Organization of Legal Services Workers becomes a condition of employment.
We offer a family friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with a generous benefits package. The salary is based on union scale, and ranges from $72,000 to $95,000 (placement in range determined by years of related experience) plus salary stipend for fluency in a second language that is regularly used in LAE’s legal practice.
LAE’s benefits package includes 100% employer covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and dependent children and 75% for spouses; LAE student debt reimbursement program; employer-paid CA Bar license and/or social work license fees; 401k retirement plan with annual LAE contribution; and Staff Wellness Fund. LAE has a generous paid leave policy which includes: sick leave; parental leave; compensation time, 19 holidays each year; and vacation (starting at 15 days and increasing with additional years of employment). Relocation benefits if moving from out of San Francisco Bay Area.
E-MAIL RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO: [email protected]
RE: STAFF ATTORNEY - FINANCIAL SECURITY AND STABILITY TEAM
If you find that you meet many of the qualifications in the job description, we encourage you to apply and explain in your cover letter why your experience would make you a good fit for the position. We recognize that organizations may miss out on strong applicants who screen themselves out of the process because they do not meet every qualification and that disproportionately impacts people from historically marginalized backgrounds. We know that our greatest strengths come from the people who make up our team and a welcoming, inclusive and culturally diverse staff allows us to best serve our community. We look forward to your application.
LAE seeks to fill all positions with people who share our values, including our organizational commitment to diversity. We encourage all interested individuals to apply—especially people of color; women; people from low-income backgrounds; people with disabilities; people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary; or anyone belonging to any other federal or state protected category. We believe that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity, and are committed to not discriminating on any basis prohibited by applicable law.
APPLICATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED UNTIL THE POSITION IS FILLED. THOSE SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE NOTIFIED.
