Staff Attorney, Senior Outreach

For over 50 years, Bet Tzedek Legal Services has provided high-quality, free legal services to Los Angeles’ most vulnerable residents. Our multi-member Senior Outreach team meets with prospective clients at senior centers across Los Angeles County, with an emphasis on reaching historically underserved neighborhoods. We also provide telephonic and “virtual” service to older individuals who are unable to leave their homes.

Bet Tzedek seeks an empathetic, creative, organized, and zealous bilingual (Spanish/English) attorney to address a wide range of legal needs expressed by low-income older adults. In this position, you will have the opportunity to help clients overcome legal barriers that hamper their ability to age with dignity and provide wholistic advocacy to advance justice and equity.

Although this position is eligible for Bet Tzedek Legal Services’ hybrid/remote workplace designation, frequent travel to senior centers and other community locations is required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Provide older clients from diverse backgrounds with culturally competent, person-centered, trauma-informed legal intake and services on-site at senior centers and other community locations.
• Conduct telephonic pre-screening interviews for older adults identified by internal referral or trusted community partners.
• Provide advice and counsel, limited service, and full scope representation on behalf of older adults on a range of basic poverty law areas including but not limited to housing access, public benefits (e.g., SSI/CAPI, Medi-Cal, IHSS, CalFresh, etc.), consumer debt, advance planning (e.g., advance health care directives, financial powers of attorney, etc.), and probate court matters (e.g., conservatorship and guardianship).
• Clearly and professionally communicate with clients, colleagues, community partners, courts, agencies, and the public.
• Develop, lead, and/or promote education programs for community members, senior center staff and/or pro bono partners.
• Work closely with Director of Pro Bono Programs to recruit, train, and supervise law students and lawyers to join as in-house volunteers and to place matters with pro bono attorneys.
• Work closely with the Directing Attorney to track client data and outcomes.
• Other duties may be assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Active member of the California State Bar in good standing (required).

• Spanish proficiency and ability to provide written and oral Spanish translation (required).
• Minimum one-year full-time practice of law (preferred).
• Self-motivated, takes initiative, ability to learn quickly (required).
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time, and meet deadlines in a high-volume caseload environment (required).
• Access to reliable transportation (required).
• Ability to work effectively with community partners, volunteers, students, attorneys, and community members (required).
• Demonstrate an understanding and commitment to Bet Tzedek’s mission of equal justice for all and Bet Tzedek’s core values of leadership, community-based advocacy, and innovation. (required).

BENEFITS PACKAGE:

Bet Tzedek offers an excellent benefits package in addition to competitive salaries. These benefits currently include:

• A generous number of paid holidays (up to 21 per year), vacation (up to 20, depending on number of years with agency), and sick days (up to 45) annually.
• Personal and floating holidays
• Compensatory time for exempt employees.
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave (after 1 year of employment.)
• Various paid leaves
• Medical, dental, vision, chiropractic and acupuncture coverage for employees and dependents, with office visit co-pay reimbursement for HMO enrollees.
• Life/accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, long-term disability insurance, and Employee Assistance Plan.
• Voluntary (employee-contributed) life/AD&D, accident, critical illness, hospital confinement, and pet insurance.
• Employee-contributed 401(k) plan.
• Employee-contributed 403(b) plan.
• Healthcare and childcare flexible spending accounts.
• Commuter transit and/or parking benefits.

How To Apply: 

• Email letter of interest, resume, and writing sample to bettzedek.DB.94F@applynow.io, subject: “Staff Attorney, Senior Outreach.” Please, no phone calls.

Note: All positions are subject to funding; ongoing funding or employment cannot be assured.

Bet Tzedek is a unionized environment. Our salary range for unionized positions reflects our agreed upon step placement system, and the final offer extended to candidates is based on an internal equity review and candidates’ relevant experience, skills, background, and bar date, if applicable.

To best serve our communities, Bet Tzedek seeks diverse staff with cultural competency reflecting our client populations. We strongly encourage candidates from traditionally underrepresented communities and historically oppressed groups to apply.