Rural Disaster Legal Services Fellowship

$5607-5688
Advocate
Legal Services of Northern California
Legal Services of Northern California
Description

Rural Disaster Legal Services Fellowship

Redding, California
Full-Time
Temporary (18 Months commencing in late August 2024)

LSNC announces its inaugural Rural Disaster Legal Services Fellowship – a limited and unique
opportunity for a current third-year law student to launch their legal career by providing vital
legal services, advocacy and education to the most vulnerable individuals impacted by natural
disasters. The fellow will focus on legal services and advocacy that will build resilience and help
impacted communities to recover and prepare for future events. The fellow will provide direct
legal assistance to individuals impacted by disasters, coordinate with disaster services providers,
attend specialized disaster law training, collaborate with leaders in the state and national
disaster legal services network, prepare and present community legal education, conduct
targeted efforts to reach the most vulnerable communities, and assist in legal response work to
current or future disasters throughout LSNC’s service area.

POSITION: Rural Disaster Legal Services Fellow
TO APPLY: Send cover letter describing interest in the fellowship, résumé, three professional
references (including name, title, telephone number and email address), and a
writing sample to:
Amy Williams, Deputy Director
Legal Services of Northern California
517 12th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
awilliams@lsnc.net
If sending application via email, please attach materials as a single PDF.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 15, 2024

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
Founded in 1956, Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC) provides high quality civil legal
assistance to people with low income, older adults and persons with disabilities in more than 23
northern California counties. LSNC has eight field offices and several special projects. LSNC
maintains a robust disaster legal services practice, under the leadership of the Regional Counsel
for Elder and Disaster Law.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under supervision of the Shasta Regional Office Managing Attorney, the fellow will participate
in all aspects of advocacy and litigation including, but not limited to: client interviews, factual
investigation, legal research, discovery, preparation of legal documents, negotiations, trials, and
appellate work in both state and federal courts; appear at administrative hearings; provide legal
advice to individual clients, and general legal information to eligible community groups as well
as to the public in general. Engagement with the broader statewide and national disaster legal
services community, including attendance at specialized training and conferences. Travel
throughout LSNC’s service area, to areas impacted by or at risk for significant disaster events is
required. Interaction with people who have experienced the impacts of disaster events, including
trauma and loss, is a central function of the position.

QUALIFICATIONS CRITERIA:
a. Knowledge of the principles and procedures of litigation in state and federal
Courts, administrative agencies and hearing rights; substantive areas of law
relevant to program/office case priorities; principles of community
development and establishment of working relationships; the theories of
changes in the law and how to implement strategies for developing changes;
principles and procedures of legislative advocacy; the importance of written
reports to management; computer research methods.
b. Skills: Client interviewing, investigation, legal research, analytical reasoning
ability, creativity, excellent English writing skills, negotiation, trial skills,
appellate writing and oral argument, communication/listening skills, ability to
work under stress and short time lines, ability and desire to work with/for poor
people, people with disabilities, people who have experienced the impacts of a
disaster event, and other under-served populations; ability to empathize with
the client community, and the ability to do computer research.
c. Language: An ability to relate to the client community being served; bilingual
in a language spoken by client communities preferred, but not required.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
Applicants must be third-year law students enrolled in an ABA accredited law school who
will be awarded a J.D. by June 2024, who will take the July 2024 California Bar Examination
and meet all other requirements for admission to the Bar. Legal graduates or attorneys who
are completing a judicial clerkship(s) or public interest fellowship that commenced
immediately after law school are also eligible to apply and must be members of the California
Bar or eligible for membership under the same terms as third-year law students.

SALARY RANGE: $5,607 (Legal Graduate/Step 1) to $5,688 (Step 2) per month DOE
See LSNC’s Policy on Salary Scales and Scale Placement at lsnc.net

BENEFITS: Legal Services of Northern California offers an excellent fringe benefit
plan.

LSNC PROVIDES A BILINGUAL BONUS FOR EMPLOYEES WHO SPEAK A SECOND
LANGUAGE, OTHER THAN ENGLISH, COMMONLY SPOKEN BY CLIENTS WHEN THE
SECOND LANGUAGE IS USED ON THE JOB FOR WHICH THE PERSON IS EMPLOYED.
LSNC IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
EMPLOYER AND ENCOURAGES WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES, OLDER PEOPLE, AND LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND
TRANSGENDER PEOPLE TO APPLY