Join the growing Financial Security 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, aggressively advocating for and representing seniors or adults with disabilities who are facing consumer debt actions, have been financially exploited, or are facing other threats to their financial security. We represent clients full scope—from the initial pleading all the way through trial. We also work to preserve generational wealth and prevent financial elder abuse through end-of-life planning and advocacy. The work is critical to preserving and protecting some of the most vulnerable communities of San Francisco.
AGENCY DESCRIPTION
For over 40 years, LAE has provided free legal advice and representation to San Francisco’s seniors and adults 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 Preservation, Income Support, Health Law, Financial and Physical Elder Abuse Prevention, Debt Collection Defense, Foreclosure Prevention, End of Life Planning and Conservatorship Defense. 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 Consumer law, and/or estate planning
- Knowledge of legal issues related to poverty and/or aging
- Trial and/or general litigation experience
- Experience working with elderly, disabled or those experiencing a crisis
- Experience working in a non-profit legal service organization, or other non-profit
- Provide legal advice and full scope legal representation to clients in debt defense and other consumer litigation, including:
- Debt collection, wage garnishment or bank account levy defense
- Financial abuse related to consumer debt
- Protection against unfair debt collection practices
- Protection against unfair or predatory lending and consumer scams
- Credit reporting and discrimination
- Other debt matters including those related to student loans, auto loans, credit care and medical debt
- Represent clients in and assist with affirmative financial elder abuse litigation.
- Conduct intake interviews with new clients, including home visits when necessary
- Prepare complete and partial estate plans including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, and title transfer documents.
- Engage in outreach and develop partnerships with community, state and national organizations addressing consumer legal issues
- 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
Coordinating Attorney
WORKING CONDITIONS
The position requires the provision of culturally-sensitive and empathetic services to clients experiencing moments of crisis. Some evening and weekend work may be required. LAE is committed to staff wellness and a healthy work-life balance. This includes providing a wellness fund and quarterly staff wellness events.
Our office is working on a hybrid schedule that includes both working from home and in the office. However, this position particularly will be required to work sometime in person/in the office for mandatory court appearances, required client meetings, hearings and depositions, and some supervision of staff attorneys and 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 $75,000 to $98,000 (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: hiring@laesf.org
RE: STAFF ATTORNEY - CONSUMER AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
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.
