Homeowner Justice Attorney

Community Economic Defense Project • Denver, CO

6d • $90,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

CED Law, the legal arm of CEDP, includes both a tenant legal services team and a homeowner legal services team, and is continuing to expand the services offered to tenants and homeowners in Colorado. We have grown into an important pillar in the housing community by establishing a reputation and trust with those we serve. At the same time, foreclosures, predatory lending practices, and abusive practices by mobile home park owners continue to threaten low- and moderate-income homeowners across Colorado. We are building more capacity to take the offensive on behalf of our clients through our affirmative litigation practice. This practice focuses on strategic, high-impact litigation on behalf of consumers statewide. We are now seeking up to two (2) additional attorneys with litigation experience to join this affirmative team.

In this role, you will:
Bring affirmative litigation on behalf of low-and moderate-income homeowners and mobile homeowners. Representative matters may relate to abusive lending practices, mortgage servicing errors, sales of defective mobile homes, exploitative mobile home park owner practices, fair housing issues, title disputes, HOAs, and other topics. Clients may include individuals or classes of individuals who have experienced substantially the same harms
This practice stems directly from CED Law’s defensive work, as we seek to vindicate the rights of low-and moderate-income homeowners’ to prevent loss of property from foreclosure, mobile home lot eviction, and replevin actions
Cases may be litigated using state and/or federal consumer protection law, real property law, state and/or federal fair housing law, Colorado’s Mobile Home Park Act, and other statutes as appropriate
Work as part of a team or as lead attorney, depending on the case, to successfully litigate claims in state and/or federal court through all stages of litigation, from complaint through resolution. This may include motion practice, fact and/or expert discovery, depositions, and trial, as well as mediation and/or informal settlement negotiation. Applicants should expect that this role will have the natural ebbs and flows of litigation and demand flexibility to meet those ebbs and flows
Set and complete case goals identified by supervisors and/or in partnership with supervisors
Meet for weekly check-ins with direct supervisor and for All Firm and team meetings
Coordinate across CEDP to ensure timely tracking and reporting of case completions
Attend hearings, court appearances, and conferences based on case requirements
Interact with and present to partners across the organization to serve clients efficiently and effectively
Prepare and present on homeowner and mobile homeowners’ rights to groups of clients, partners across the organization, and partner organizations across the state
Complete required documentation for both case tracking and also personal management
Fulfill other duties as required

Requirements

• Excellent organizational, time management, interpersonal communication, and legal writing skills
• A supportive, client-focused, and creative mindset
• The ability and desire to give and receive feedback with the goal of continual skills and professional development for self and colleagues
• Demonstrated passion for social and racial justice, underpinning a commitment to fighting for the rights of vulnerable communities
• A strong desire to work in a collaborative, rapid-change environment centered on social justice and equity, while being a part of building something new
• Willingness and ability to travel within Colorado to serve clients effectively
• Admission or eligible for admission to the US District Court for the District of Colorado
• Admission to or eligible for admission to the Colorado State Bar (current admission preferred)
• 2+ years of litigation experience at a non-profit organization, government enforcement agency, legal services provider, or private law firm, with a strong preference for candidates with experience in mortgage servicing, predatory lending, consumer protection, fair lending, bankruptcy, civil rights, housing justice or other relevant litigation
• Demonstrated passion for social and racial justice
• Robust research and drafting capabilities
• Strong desire to center client and community needs
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Knowledge of MS Office suite, CLIO, Google Suite desired
• Comfort with ambiguity in a fast-paced, all-hands-on-deck environment
• Ability to work collaboratively with people of diverse personal and professional backgrounds with a focus on social, racial justice, and equity

Nice To Haves

• Other language skills not required, but are a strong plus and are eligible for an additional stipend
• Interest in or experience with class actions or other multi-plaintiff litigation is a plus

Responsibilities

• Bring affirmative litigation on behalf of low-and moderate-income homeowners and mobile homeowners.
• Work as part of a team or as lead attorney, depending on the case, to successfully litigate claims in state and/or federal court through all stages of litigation, from complaint through resolution.
• Set and complete case goals identified by supervisors and/or in partnership with supervisors
• Meet for weekly check-ins with direct supervisor and for All Firm and team meetings
• Coordinate across CEDP to ensure timely tracking and reporting of case completions
• Attend hearings, court appearances, and conferences based on case requirements
• Interact with and present to partners across the organization to serve clients efficiently and effectively
• Prepare and present on homeowner and mobile homeowners’ rights to groups of clients, partners across the organization, and partner organizations across the state
• Complete required documentation for both case tracking and also personal management
• Fulfill other duties as required

Benefits

• The position includes competitive pay, flexible time off, benefits package (including medical, dental, vision), and 401k
• Employees who utilize two languages or more at work are eligible for a $2,000 salary differential per year added to the salary grade listed above. Language assessment will be conducted by the organization as a requirement to receive the differential
• All employees receive a technology stipend of $720 per year

What This Job Offers

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