BayLegal seeks an Attorney with a strong commitment to public interest and social justice advocacy to join our committed Housing Law practice group in San Francisco. Our housing attorneys focus on preserving tenancies for low-income and subsidized tenants in San Francisco. As part of the San Francisco’s Tenant Right to Counsel Initiative this position will focus on providing full-scope legal representation to tenants in unlawful detainer proceedings. This position is based in our San Francisco office, and requires travel to all parts of the county as necessary to best serve our low-income clients. As a member of BayLegal’s regional practice, there may be travel within BayLegal’s broader service areas to address the regional nature of poverty and as necessary for training and broader advocacy. To apply, visit their job page.

As a Staff Attorney you will have the opportunity to:

• Provide full-scope legal representation to low-income tenants in unlawful detainer proceedings, including propounding and responding to discovery, conducting depositions, pre/post-trial motions, trials and appeals;

• Represent tenants in administrative proceedings before the San Francisco Housing Authority and other agencies;

• Advocate for tenants on issues of fair housing, substandard conditions, and VAWA;

• Identify systemic problems that affect our clients’ housing rights and address these challenges through affirmative litigation and policy work;

• Staff Off-Site Legal Clinics to conduct intakes, provide legal advice, assess for further services;

• Collaborate with the local and national tenant advocacy community;

• Learn and assist with the diverse legal needs of underserved and vulnerable communities in San Francisco and broader Bay Area;

• Provide workshops and technical assistance to community partners and client community on housing law, tenants’ rights, and a broad range of civil legal issues;

• Develop relationships and engage in collaboration with a range of public and private community partners, including governmental agencies, courts, and community based organizations, to ensure integrative services and address systemic barriers facing BayLegal’s client community;

• Work with BayLegal’s development, grants and contracts, and communications team to promote BayLegal’s mission and resource development; and

• Engage in other tasks and projects that further the interest of furthering BayLegal’s mission and operations as a non-profit.

• Membership in good standing in the California State Bar

• Bilingual ability in Spanish or Cantonese preferred

• Strong personal work ethic and ability to organize time, manage diverse activities, and meet critical deadlines with minimal supervision

• Excellent writing, editing, and proof-reading skills, with ability to be detail-oriented

• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with a dynamic team

• Curious and self-directed with an ability to anticipate what needs to be done

• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects while maintaining a firm grasp of individual project details

• Humility in working with colleagues and clients across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and/or limited English proficiency.

We offer a diverse, family friendly environment, and compensation based on competitive public interest salaries along with a generous benefits package. BayLegal’s benefits package includes 100% employer covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees and up to 40-50% for dependents; long term disability insurance; stipends for bilingual employees whose language skills are used in the provision of work tasks; student debt repayment program; dependent childcare employer contribution program and 401k retirement plan following first year. Paid leave policy includes: sick leave; parental leave; 14 holidays each year and vacation (starting at 13 days and increasing with additional years of employment).

BayLegal thrives on our diversity and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a culturally diverse workplace and strongly encourage women, persons of color, LGBTQ individuals, veterans, persons with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups to apply. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please email the following to our Human Resources Department jobs@baylegal.org (1) cover letter including response to question below (no page limit), (2) resume, (3) references, and (4) writing sample. Please reference San Francisco Housing Attorney in the subject of your email.

As part of your cover letter, please address the following:

BayLegal’s clients are low- and very low-income members of our communities. They include people of color, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, seniors, people with lived experiences of homelessness, veterans, people with disabilities, and people from other underrepresented groups. BayLegal is committed to enhancing the provision of our services to all clients, increasing positive client outcomes, and creating an inclusive and respectful workplace in which differences are acknowledged and valued. BayLegal promotes and supports policies that enable us to work effectively in cross-cultural situations with our clients, coworkers, and the community.

How do you think your personal background or experiences, professional or otherwise, have prepared you to: (1) serve our diverse client base effectively, (2) work effectively with colleagues from different backgrounds than your own, (3) acknowledge the systemic barriers that our clients face, and (4) contribute to our efforts to fight for racial justice? Feel free to think broadly about your response to this question, provide examples, and apply various aspects of your life and personal experiences.