Staff Attorney – Los Angeles, CA

Organization: The City Project

Job Title: Staff Attorney

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Hours and Compensation: Full time, Commensurate

Position Dates: Start ASAP

Application Deadline: Send in ASAP

Posted On: July 25th, 2012

Organization Overview

The City Project is a multicultural non-profit legal and policy organization whose mission is to promote equal justice, democracy, and livability for all.

Our work includes equal access to public resources, and health equity in all policies. We have focused on our major areas in the past 12 years: access to parks and recreation, quality education including physical education, health justice and active living, and local green jobs and economic justice to improve quality of life for all, especially people in underserved communities.

We consistently rely on the following key strategies: coalition building and community organizing to bring people together based on shared values; translating multidisciplinary research, policy and law into systemic change; strategic communications including traditional and social media; policy and legal advocacy outside the courts; and access to justice through the courts when necessary within the context of a broader campaign.

Responsibilities

The staff attorney will be responsible for legal and policy research and analyses, written memos, public comment letters, public testimony, working with allies and clients, access to justice in and out of court, and related development, management and administrative work. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have 3 to 6 years of legal and policy advocacy experience, preferably in civil rights, environmental justice, public health, land use, sustainable urban planning, and/or related areas of justice and the built environment. The ideal candidate will have qualities of social entrepreneurship including: acting as a change agent for society, seizing opportunities, developing new approaches, and creating sustainable solutions to change society for the better.

The staff attorney must be able to communicate effectively with clients, allies, policymakers, elected officials, and courts; collaborate with non-profit and public interest organizations and law firms; foster relationships with community-based organizations and advocates; work with student interns; assist with grant proposals; and speak at conferences and other public events and with media representatives on behalf of The City Project. The ability to conduct legal and policy research and analysis and write and communicate effectively is a requirement for the position, as is the capacity for and commitment to serving low-income organizations and client groups. The City Project offers the opportunity to do justice and not just practice law.

Applicants must have an outstanding academic record, excellent research, writing, and oral communication skills, and a demonstrated commitment to social justice. Bilingual skill in Spanish is preferred, but not required. Membership in the California Bar is required. The City Project is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

How to Apply