Vacancy caducado!
Legal Aid of Sonoma County Housing Outreach Attorney
Reports to: Supervising Attorney
Status: 1.00 FTE Full Time – Exempt
Salary Range: $73,000 - $100,000 annually, DOE
Legal Aid of Sonoma County (LASC) seeks a Housing Outreach Attorney for our Home Keep Program (HKP). HKP helps homeowners keep their homes and prevent foreclosures by providing a range of legal services with an emphasis on reaching two specific at-risk communities, our low-income Senior and Latinx homeowners. HKP services include focused outreach and education, know your rights presentations, counsel and advice, preparation of pleadings or legal documents, negotiations with mobile home park owners or debt holders, and court representation.
The HKP attorney will assist clients with legal issues related to foreclosure prevention and property retention, including mortgage delinquency, property liens, or other consumer debt issues, and will assist mobile homeowners to preserve ownership of their homes by providing legal assistance with park eviction defense, price gouging, park habitability issues, and park closure or change of use cases. HKP services also include basic proactive estate planning for seniors, such as powers of attorney or simple trusts, which will help protect against financial predators who threaten their housing stability.
The HKP attorney regularly engages in outreach presentations to increase homeowners’ and mobile homeowners’ knowledge of their rights, with an emphasis on reaching homeowners residing in underserved census tracts. A bilingual housing caseworker works with the housing outreach attorney to provide services. The attorney and caseworker work closely with a variety of Legal Aid’s non-profit partners throughout the county to secure outreach sites, schedule workshops, and coordinate client appointments. Services may include in-home visits to individuals with mobility issues.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Community Outreach and Education
1. Respond to requests from the public for information about HKP program services and provide appropriate referrals to affiliate agencies and resources.
2. Develop community partnerships and regularly conduct workshops, clinics and community education presentations at outreach locations throughout the County to help low-income homeowners and mobile homeowners know their legal rights.
Client Services
1. Conduct comprehensive legal needs assessment, provide information and brief advice.
2. Draft pleadings and other legal documents, such as basic estate planning documents.
3. Negotiate settlements with mobile home park owners, mortgagors, and creditors.
4. Provide representation in unlawful detainer proceedings for mobile homeowners.
5. Provide representation in consumer debt proceedings.
General Operations
1. Work with HKP community partners and grantor to ensure smooth operations. Participate in ongoing program operation, design and implementation, including grant reporting and compliance.
2. Work closely with Legal Aid staff and other affiliate organizations to coordinate activities and services.
3. Assist potential clients and workshop participants with eligibility screening, and the accurate completion of intake forms and assessment forms.
Skills and Experience Required:
Previous legal experience, with preference for familiarity with mobile home issues, foreclosure issues, consumer debt issues and basic estate planning.
Litigation or administrative hearing experience.
Excellent communication skills, ability to work collaboratively with a wide-range of community stakeholders, public speaking, flexibility, and teamwork required.
Ability to relate to diverse client population, including low-income, disabled and senior clients.
Working knowledge of computer applications including Microsoft Office and database programs.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
Ability to organize and prioritize work effectively with great attention to detail, including timely case management and capturing of data for reports to funders. Maintain up-to-date case notes and statistical records on services provided in the LASC client database.
A firm commitment to accurate and timely data collection and time reporting (on bi-weekly time sheets and in the client database) is required.
Previous experience in legal services and/or demonstrated commitment to public interest law work or to legal services for the poor, disabled or elderly, is strongly preferred.
At least 3 years demonstrated successful experience in providing direct client legal services.
Skills Preferred:
Bilingual in Spanish
Education Required:
Juris Doctorate and membership in the California Bar.
Benefits: Legal Aid of Sonoma County provides a dynamic and supportive work environment, and an excellent benefit package after the completion of an initial 90-day introductory period. Benefits include eligibility for company paid health insurance for the employee or cash-in-lieu, company paid dental insurance, eligibility for 401K participation after one year of continuous employment, and very generous paid vacation/sick/holiday leave policies. Note the benefits package is for the employee only, LASC does not provide health or dental coverage for spouses or dependents.
Note that employment at LASC is ‘at will’, completion of the introductory period does not create an employment contract.
Legal Aid of Sonoma County is an equal opportunity employer.
LASC is a non-profit organization, any employment at LASC may be contingent on
continued funding from program specific contracts and grants.
Vacancy caducado!