Staff Attorney – Housing Eviction
Position Summary
Demonstrated capacity to maintain a large caseload which may include: Interviewing prospective clients; analyzing their
legal problems; rendering legal advice; negotiation with opposing parties and agencies; preparing and submitting
documents for clients; representing clients in various phases of litigation; attending community meetings; developing
positive relationships with client communities; developing complex litigation; finding solutions to broader client
problems through litigation; policy development or other strategies.
About the Organization
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD), the largest poverty law firm serving San Diego County since 1953, strengthens
our communities by redressing our clients’ legal problems, empowering our clients to access and effectively participate
within the legal, governmental, and social systems and encouraging self-empowerment in the fight against poverty and
injustice. LASSD continues to be a proud, committed, and compassionate group of people dedicated to providing equal
access to justice for San Diegans through aggressive, quality legal services. #justicebeginshere
Essential Functions
• Interviewing prospective clients, conducting investigations and legal research, rendering legal advice,
preparation of legal documents, developing a caseload
• Handling an increasingly complex caseload of prelitigation and unlawful detainer cases,
• Representing clients in all phases of administrative hearings or court litigation, including research, drafting
pleadings and briefs, trial, and appeal
• Developing positive relationships with the client community
• Handling an increasingly complex litigation caseload
• Assisting in the training and supervision of advocates, law students and volunteers as appropriate
• Developing creative methods, litigious and non-litigious for dealing with recurring client problems
• Developing good working relationships with court, administrative agency personnel, and opposing counsel
• Collaborating with other teams and outside organizations to provide holistic services
• Staying up to date on substantive developments in the housing field
• Compliance with all program and grant requirements
Additional duties may include:
• Handing affirmative litigation cases as appropriate
• Attending community meetings, conducting education and outreach events to community groups, service
providers, partners, and governmental agencies and employees
• Assisting with legislative and administrative policy analysis and advocacy as appropriate
• Other duties as may be assigned
• Requirements
Qualifications
• Admitted and in Good Standing with the California State Bar
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently as well as support team efforts, and to strategize and plan so as to timely and
consistently meet grant deliverables and reporting requirements
• Must have reliable transportation
Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish preferred
• Member of the Federal Bar
• Knowledge of or experience in landlord-tenant law and/or civil litigation
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income people
• Ability to work successfully with people from diverse backgrounds
Salary and Benefits
The Staff Attorney position is a salaried position with a salary range of $75,000 – $112,500. The starting salary is $75,000. In
addition, there is a bilingual pay increase of 2% for passing an oral test and 2% for passing a written test for threshold
languages other than English.
LASSD offers a generous benefits package, a 35-hour workweek, paid vacation leave and sick leave and 100% employer-paid
medical premium, 50% employer-paid premium for dependents under LASSD health plan, as well as dental, vision, and life
benefits. Staff also have the option to participate in a 403(b)-retirement plan and dependent and health flex savings accounts
(FSA). LASSD has its own law school loan repayment program and is an eligible nonprofit employer for the Public Service
Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
LASSD is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious
dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition
(including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth,
breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual
orientation, veteran and/or military status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status
protected by state or federal law.
Hybrid Work Environment
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (“LASSD”) has adopted a hybrid work environment in which most staff are required to work in
the office part of the week and permitted to work remotely for the remainder of the week, provided their job duties allow. All
employees are issued LASSD computers and provided with appropriate supplies to perform their work. LASSD has
implemented and continues to explore additional technologies to make our hybrid working environment as efficient and
connected as possible. All employees must be available to travel to LASSD offices and service locationsthroughout San Diego
County as needed and in compliance with public health advisories. Applicants must reside in or near San Diego County or
plan to relocate in or near the County prior to their start date and must be able to commute to the physical Legal Aid Society of
San Diego office locations or service delivery locations within San Diego County. LASSD’s normal business hours are 9am-
5pm, but we are open to providing flexible work schedules to the extent feasible for the position. LASSD reserves the right
to change these policies at any time.