Staff Attorney 2

Disability Rights California • Los Angeles, CA

6d • Remote

About The Position

The Equal Access and Housing Practice Group seeks an attorney who will lead EAH team’s policy advocacy work on issues related to equal access in public and private services, and coordinate with DRC colleagues on issues related to housing and homelessness. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the job responsibilities.

The Staff Attorney 2 works under the direct supervision of the Associate Managing Attorney or Managing Attorney and in collaboration with other Disability Rights California attorneys, advocates, and social workers in our legal, advocacy, and outreach efforts.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree (JD) and admitted to the California State Bar or qualified registered legal services attorney, plus five (5) full years of legal experience.
• Demonstrated commitment – through lived experience and/or employment history – to working with people with disabilities and low-income clients and incorporating race equity and community lawyering principles into their work.
• Experience in two or more substantive areas of law of affecting the rights of and services for people with disabilities (such as Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Due Process Clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Unruh Civil Rights Act, the Disabled Persons Act, CA Gov. Code Section 11135, etc.).
• Experience in two or more of the following: systemic policy advocacy, community organizing, administrative law, discovery, motion practice, impact litigation, trial advocacy, or appellate practice related to the position.
• Experience working with persons with disabilities and/or experience working with persons from multi-ethnic communities.
• Experience in the disability rights or justice movement and/or extensive contacts in the disability community.
• A strong sense of professional responsibility and ethics.
• An ability to meet deadlines and perform multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail.
• The ability to work independently with appropriate supervision.

Nice To Haves

• Able to communicate fluently and write effectively in Spanish or an Asian language; or able to communicate using American Sign Language.
• Experience with and/or extensive contacts in ethnic or language distinct communities.
• Understanding of how to incorporate race equity and community lawyering principles into their work.
• Ability to maintain positive relationships with diverse groups of people.

Responsibilities

• Develop, lead, and/or participate in policy advocacy at the local, regional, state, and federal level by connecting directly impacted community members to policymakers and amplifying the disability community’s goals in DRC’s public comments on proposed bills, ordinances, regulations, and guidelines.
• Collaborate and coordinate with DRC’s Legislative and Communications Unit, as well as other units throughout DRC to help develop and implement a coordinated equal access, housing, and homelessness policy strategies.
• Identify and participate in key internal and external stakeholder workgroups and/or committees that align with EAH’s goals and priorities. This will include engaging with other legal services agencies and/or community-based organizations to identify and address emerging or recurring systemic issues impacting DRC’s clients.
• Prepare and/or coordinate training materials, publications, reports, or special projects, or make presentations about legal work as necessary.
• Represent individual clients in negotiations, mediations, administrative proceedings, and/or judicial proceedings, as assigned.
• Mentor attorneys, fellows, and/or interns on public policy work, as assigned.
• Participate in other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree