Economic Justice Attorney - SSI

Bay Area Legal Aid • San Francisco, CA

1d • $83,948 - $138,127 • Hybrid

About The Position

Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal), a nonprofit law firm providing free civil legal services to people and families living in poverty across the San Francisco Bay Area, seeks an attorney for its San Francisco Economic Justice / Social Security Disability Advocacy Practice Team. The attorney represents unhoused San Franciscans seeking Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). The role involves regular outreach at city shelters and travel within the city and county to serve clients, with possible travel elsewhere in BayLegal's service area for training and advocacy. BayLegal employees work in person at a designated office or community advocacy site at least three days per week and may work remotely part time. Employees must reside in California within commuting distance of their BayLegal base location.

Requirements

• Be a member of the California Bar in good standing, or be admitted to practice in another state and eligible to practice in California for three years under the California State Bar rules for the Registered Legal Services Attorney Program.
• Commit to complying with the California Rules of Professional Conduct, BayLegal funding requirements, and firm standards, policies, and practices.
• Commit to and demonstrate a desire to work with low-income and unhoused individuals.
• Demonstrate humility when working with colleagues, clients, and people of diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives.
• Be willing to travel to and meet clients in the community, including at homeless shelters, SROs, jails, and other locations.
• Have current proficiency with, and the ability to improve proficiency in, the technological equipment, hardware, and software necessary to perform the job.
• Be able to organize time, manage diverse activities, and meet critical deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Have excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills and attention to detail.
• Have strong oral advocacy skills and communicate thoughtfully and attentively with clients.
• Have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with a dynamic team.
• Be curious and self-directed, with the ability to anticipate what needs to be done.
• Be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining a firm grasp of individual project details.
• Work on-site and in person at a designated BayLegal office or community advocacy site at least three days per week, with the option to work remotely from home part time.
• Reside in California within commuting distance of the physical BayLegal base location during the standard work week.

Nice To Haves

• Experience representing clients in government benefits programs, especially Social Security disability and SSI benefits.

Responsibilities

• Learn about and advocate for the diverse legal needs of underserved and vulnerable communities in San Francisco and the broader Bay Area to reduce homelessness, enhance stability, and advance social justice.
• Represent clients in Social Security disability, SSI, and CAPI claims and appeals, through all stages of administrative proceedings from initial applications through federal court.
• Assist clients in accessing other county, state, and federal public benefits programs as needed.
• Identify and pursue impact advocacy strategies to remove public-benefits barriers for clients, including people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities.
• Build relationships and collaborate with public and private community partners, including government agencies and community-based organizations, to reach clients, coordinate services, and address barriers faced by BayLegal's client community.
• Provide workshops and technical assistance to community partners and clients on economic justice, disability advocacy, and other civil legal issues.
• Track and document client and project services and funding deliverables in accordance with BayLegal policies and funding requirements, and help promote BayLegal's mission and resource development.
• Work collaboratively with attorneys in BayLegal's other practice areas.
• Perform other tasks and projects that further BayLegal's mission and nonprofit operations.

Benefits

• 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and life insurance for employees, and coverage of up to 60% for dependents.
• Student debt reimbursement program.
• Long-term disability insurance.
• Employee assistance program.
• Wage differentials for multilingual employees whose non-English language skills are regularly used at work and who pass a fluency and/or proficiency test.
• Dependent childcare employer contribution program.
• Employer-paid California Bar license and/or social work license fees.
• 401(k) retirement plan with a BayLegal contribution following the first year.
• Paid leave, including 15 holidays each year, vacation starting at 13 days and increasing with years of employment, three employee-chosen floating holidays each year, sick leave, and parental leave.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed