If you require an accommodation due to a disability to complete this application OR you are experiencing issues submitting your application and accompanying materials please e-mail: talent@disabilityrightsca.org

Make a difference! We fight for the rights of people that have disabilities....JOIN US!

Location: Hybrid (within California) or Sacramento, Fresno, Oakland, Ontario, Los Angeles or San Diego (this role is not fully remote)

Individuals who identify as having a disability are encouraged to apply.

SALARY RANGE (Depending on Experience): 

Staff Attorney 1 $70,858 - $98,817 annually

Staff Attorney 2 $80,357 - $117,671 annually

We base salary and position offers on experience and an internal equity analysis.

Employment Status: Exempt; Regular; Full time (37.5 hrs)

EXCELLENT BENEFITS including 8% 401k Match, a LRAP (Loan Repayment Assistance Program) that pays up to $300 per month depending on salary and debt, a language differential up to $250/mo. Health (HMO and PPO options), dental, vision, basic life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance and flexible spending accounts (medical, dependent care and commuter). Additionally, we offer ample vacation, sick/self care leave and eighteen paid holidays (including the last week in December) and more….. We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) - eligible employer.

Application Deadline: Open until filled. Applications should be received by November 28, 2023 to be considered for the first round of interviews.

WHO WE ARE

Disability Rights California (DRC) defends, advances, and strengthens the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities.

DRC works for a world where all disabled people have power and are treated with dignity and respect. In this world, people with disabilities are supported, valued, included in their communities, afforded the same opportunities as people without disabilities, and make their own decisions.

DRC values all forms of human diversity. We are committed to a culture of belonging where all people are welcome. In order to be effective advocates for all people with disabilities, we must address discrimination in all its forms, including the unique challenges faced by people who experience the intersection of multiple systems of discrimination.

YOUTH Practice Group (YPG)

We are a statewide team of passionate attorneys who work collaboratively to enforce and expand the rights of students with disabilities. Our goal is to ensure that students with disabilities receive the benefits and supports guaranteed under federal and state laws. We achieve this objective through various types of lawyering and advocacy strategies that includes individual student representation at due process hearings, systemic litigation, investigations and monitoring of school districts, policy advocacy and community empowerment.

The YPG works collaboratively on lawsuits and advocacy projects on behalf of all youth with disabilities. Much of our current work includes advocating on behalf of students with disabilities facing exclusionary discipline, youth with mental illness, foster youth, undocumented youth, Tribal youth, students of color and underserved communities. We also work to improve access to education supports and services, through our legislative and policy work with coalition partners.

Guided by disability justice principles, we prioritize geographically underserved and economically disadvantaged populations subject to intersectional harm caused by racism and ableism. Our direct services work prioritizes representing underserved youth suffering intersectional harm on account of their race or nationality and disability while our systemic litigation and advocacy docket focuses on challenging the school-to-prison pipeline.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The Staff Attorney 1 or 2 will provide direct special education advocacy in due process and state complaints. The Staff Attorney 1 or 2 will also have the opportunity to develop litigation skills by working on impact litigation with more experienced legal staff.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential functions are the job responsibilities an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation include: 

· Participating in impact litigation.

· Representing clients in negotiations, mediations and judicial and administrative proceedings.

· Participating in public policy activities including, but not limited to, the reviewing and drafting of legislation and regulations.

· Engaging in community-based advocacy, outreach, and training to disability communities and organizations, particularly to underserved communities.

· Providing information and short-term assistance to clients.

· Preparing training materials, publications, reports and special projects.

 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS STAFF ATTORNEY 1

· Juris Doctor degree (JD) plus 1-2 years’ experience.

· Awareness of cultural competency and intersectional issues. 

· Ability to research and analyze legal authority.

· Ability to analyze complex problems and develop creative solutions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS STAFF ATTORNEY 2

• 5 full years of legal experience
• Cultural competency and ability to identify intersectional issues 
• Expertise in one or more substantive areas of law required for the position
• Experience in one or more of: litigation, administrative practice, working on complex      legal matters, and leadership and mentoring related to the position
• Demonstrated ability to successfully lead multiple advocacy projects such as      intake/outreach projects, administrative proceedings, writs, eviction defense, or single client / single defendant lawsuits.

LICENSES / CERTIFICATES

Must be a member of the California State Bar, or eligible to practice under the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Experience working with or sensitivity to individuals with disabilities.

· Experience working with or sensitivity to diverse communities of color and low-income people.

· Experience representing clients in judicial or administrative proceedings, negotiations, and/or mediations.

· Lived experience as a person of color, with disabilities and/or part of the LGBTQIA2s+ community. 

· Lived experience as a person with a disability OR direct experience as a caregiver of a family member with a disability.

· For Staff Attorney 2 – experience in education law and administrative hearings.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to travel (when it is safe to do so) occasionally for activities such as out-of-town meetings, training, or outreach activities up to 25% of the time.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The following describes general working conditions and requirements of the job, which can be performed with or without disability-related reasonable accommodations:

· Duties are performed between an office or home environment and the field in a wide range of settings, including courthouses, health care facilities or other institutional settings, community agencies, or in community-based outpatient settings. 

· Duties frequently require sitting and communicating with others.

· Must be able to transport oneself to work-related meetings, hearings, facilities and settings where clients live.