ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is the nation’s largest provider of pro bono legal services. Founded in 1970, it is dedicated to advancing equal justice under law and addressing economic, racial, social, and other inequities by delivering free legal and social services to the most vulnerable members of our community. Public Counsel operates eight legal projects: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Rights, the Audrey Irmas Project for Women & Girls’ Rights, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law. 

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of over 150. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities.

ABOUT CENTER FOR VETERANS ADVANCEMENT

Veterans and individuals leaving military service are facing disproportionately higher rates of poverty, employment barriers, housing instability, trauma, mental health issues and challenges with adjusting to civilian life. As a consequence, service members are struggling to meet their basic human needs. The Center for Veterans’ Advancement (CVA) provides legal advocacy and resources to ensure that every veteran and returning service member and their family have access to basic life necessities and entitlements that will increase stability and self-sufficiency, including the right to government benefits, access to employment, housing, and health and mental healthcare. CVA also provides support to ensure intersectionality among all Public Counsel projects serving veterans.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Interim Directing Attorney, the Staff Attorney will:

• Represent clients on the benefits claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs;
• Will assist with discharge upgrades, tickets, warrants and expungements;
• Will assist with outreach and education to veterans, their caregivers and the organizations that serve them;
• Will participate in policy efforts from time to time on issues of importance to veterans;
• Will assist with CVA’s discharge upgrade project, which include developing relationships with pro bono partners and volunteers, and conducting presentations at law firms and corporate in-house legal departments to encourage additional volunteerism; and
• Other duties as assigned. 

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• California bar membership is preferred, but will accept applications from applicants awaiting bar results;
• VA accredited representative, or interest to become VA accredited;
• Experience with legal issues facing low-income and homeless populations, and preferably VA and/or disability benefits experience preferred, but not required;
• A commitment to economic and racial justice;
• Oral and written communication skills;
• Comfort working with low-income, racially diverse clients and veterans who may be affected by physical or emotional trauma;
• Ability to travel to remote locations throughout Southern California as needed for legal clinics, stand-downs and hearings;
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills;
• Ability to work productively with staff, coalitions, working groups, pro bono attorneys, law students, and other volunteers.

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-time, Exempt position
• Bargaining
• Salary Range: Salary is commensurate with experience and ranges from $65,000 for a new attorney to $70,725 for an attorney with 4 years of legal experience. 
• Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with both HMO and PPO options, 
• The option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account,         
• A 403(b) retirement plan with elective contribution and a discretionary employer contribution after a year of employment,         
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans.
• Generous paid time off and compensatory time up to 40 hours per calendar year
• Parking and transit benefits

HOW TO APPLY

We value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please consider discussing such experiences in your cover letter, especially if they are not reflected in your resume. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work has been permitted during the pandemic. As of June 6, 2022, all employees with Public Counsel will be required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy, child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment.