WHO WE ARE: For over 50 years, CCLS has been representing and advocating for low-income individuals in Merced, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties—a region where intense poverty exists side by side with unparalleled wealth and abundance. Our mission is to provide high quality, no-cost civil legal services to low income individuals, families, and communities—improving the wellbeing of our Valley through systems-changing advocacy, client education, and legal work that meets individual clients’ immediate needs. We also work closely with agencies and community organizations that share our commitment to support our clients in being their own agents of change.

POSITION DETAILS:

CCLS seeks a Housing Law Team Leader who will supervise and operate one of two Housing Law Team subsections.  Under the supervision of the Legal Director, the Team Leader and their assigned staff will provide a variety of housing assistance to Central Valley communities in need.  

The Housing Team Leader will provide thoughtful leadership regarding housing issues; deciding the circumstances that require policy and/or systems-change remedies and the ways in which CCLS’s work can drive a racially equitable solution, in both individual and impact cases.  The Team Leader will be expected to strategize and determine the most effective tools to use in each case or issue(s) at hand—e.g, litigation, advocacy, community legal education, while maintaining an appropriate balance between the individual and the impact work.  

Position: Housing Law Team Leader

Experience: 4+ Years Experience

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Location: Fresno, Visalia, or Merced Office (as needed)

Term of Employment: Regular, Full Time

Other: FLSA Exempt, Non-Union Position

COMPLETE APPLICATION:

1. Résumé

2. Cover Letter addressing the following questions:

• Please tell us briefly about your experience, if any, doing advocacy work with a low-income community. What skills and qualities did you bring that were important to the effort? What did you learn?
• Please describe your leadership experience, if any.
• Tell us about your connection to the Central Valley: how well do you know it? Do you have ties here? What draws you here?
• Do you have particular interest in being a Legal Aid lawyer? If so, please tell us about that.

3. Three Professional References

4. Legal Writing Sample

SALARY/BENEFITS:  Salary Range DOE ($58,272 - $97,404); Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, disability insurance coverage; employer contribution to 403(b) plan based on length of service; 14.5 paid holidays; generous vacation and sick leave policy; some professional dues paid by CCLS; if qualified, participation in the School Loan Reimbursement Assistance Program, and/or a Bilingual Supplement.

CCLS is an equal opportunity employer: we value equity, inclusion, and diversity, across all races, cultures, classes, ages, religions, gender identities and presentations, sexual orientations, body sizes, family structures, abilities, and all categories protected by law. We encourage all interested individuals to apply. This is position is subject to a Collective Bargaining Agreement.

DUTIES:

• Supervise members of a Housing Law team and, under the supervision of the Legal Director, take principal responsibility for overseeing the day-to-day delivery of legal and advocacy services by team members;
• Ensure the provision of high quality legal and advocacy services for clients, and the effective use of time and resources by team members; 
• Supervise and assist in providing legal services and/or community education at clinics, workshops and community events
• Provide mentorship, training and support to team members to improve litigation and advocacy skills;
• Evaluate work of team members, conduct case reviews, and review advocate caseloads (i.e., quality, quantity, priorities, and compliance with Legal Services Corporation (LSC), other funder requirements, along with other applicable laws and regulations);
• Assist in grant proposal writing, compliance tracking, and reporting;
• Improve team and individual team members’ advocacy skills;
• Maintain individual case load consistent with program priorities and other duties;
• Co-counsel or participate in impact litigation, and participate as a member of litigation teams;
• Participate in CCLS Leadership meetings and retreats;
• Engage in outreach to the client community and to community-based organizations, and participate, as appropriate, in statewide, regional, and national task forces;
• Participate in hiring interviews and in making recommendations for the hiring of CCLS staff;
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of four years of experience as an attorney with housing law experience strongly preferred; 
• Demonstrate a genuine interest in the needs and legal rights of low-income people and elderly or disabled persons; 
• Litigation experience in trial courts, administrative hearings, and appeals, and willingness to develop and improve litigation or administrative advocacy skills;
• Proven organizational, leadership and management skills;
• Superior attention to detail and outstanding document management skills; 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Proven decision-making and teaching skills;
• Ability to understand, follow, and implement CCLS policies and procedures; 
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse groups of individuals and organizations, including ability to provide leadership within a culturally diverse environment; must maintain effective interpersonal relationships at all organizational levels and with the public; 
• Competency/experience with PC systems and standard software (Adobe Acrobat Pro, Office 365, Microsoft Office, , Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint);
• Working knowledge in relevant database systems such as Sharepoint and Access; 
• Preference for experience with case management and timekeeping software such as Legal Server, Kemps or other law-related systems;
• Member in good standing of the State Bar of California;
• Bilingual ability (English/Spanish or English/Hmong) preferred;
• Reliable transportation, a valid CA Drivers’ License with appropriate car insurance.